Model year 2021 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2021 Kia Sportage: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2021 Kia Sportage at 21–26 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 54 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

21–26

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Kia dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2021 Kia Sportage recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2021 Kia Sportage, newest first.

Trailer hitches

NHTSA 22V703000 Reported Sep 19, 2022 Park outside

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC249)
Units affected: 70,887 (estimate)
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: Control unit/module

NHTSA 21V137000 Reported Mar 4, 2021 Park outside

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC206)
Units affected: 379,931 (estimate)
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2021 Kia Sportage fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2021 Kia Sportage EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Sportage AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	19/24/21 mpg	$3,200	421
Sportage AWD	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	21/25/23 mpg	$2,900	390
Sportage FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/28/23 mpg	$2,900	392
Sportage FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	23/30/26 mpg	$2,600	349

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2021 Kia Sportage crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2021 Kia Sportage NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2021 Kia Sportage SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	14.7%	Optional
2021 Kia Sportage SUV FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.5%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2021 Kia Sportage owner complaints

Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Sportage, most recently on Oct 2, 2026. 3 mention a crash, 7 a fire, 4 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2021 Kia Sportage complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	23
Unknown or other	14
Engine and engine cooling	7
Electrical system	6
Power train	4
Fuel/propulsion system	2
Trailer hitches	2
Visibility/wiper	2
Air bags	1
Equipment	1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Kia Sportage model years

Kia Sportage by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Sportage	24–41 mpg	0	1	5/5
2026 Sportage	24–42 mpg	1	40	5/5
2025 Sportage	25–43 mpg	1	74	5/5
2024 Sportage	25–43 mpg	3	110	5/5
2023 Sportage	25–43 mpg	7	309	5/5
2022 Sportage	21–26 mpg	1	46	5/5
2020 Sportage	21–26 mpg	2	164	5/5
2019 Sportage	21–25 mpg	2	71	5/5
2018 Sportage	21–26 mpg	3	165	5/5
2017 Sportage	21–26 mpg	4	403	5/5
2016 Sportage	21–23 mpg	2	134	5/5
2015 Sportage	21–23 mpg	2	146	5/5

All Kia Sportage years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2021 Kia models

2021 Kia Forte 2021 Kia K5 2021 Kia Niro 2021 Kia Rio 2021 Kia Sedona 2021 Kia Seltos 2021 Kia Sorento 2021 Kia Soul 2021 Kia Stinger 2021 Kia Telluride

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Kia.