2022 Kia Sportage — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $22,000–$34,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.
Deciding between model years? Compare the 3 Kia Sportage years we've written up →
Kestrel Take
The redesigned 5th-gen Sportage is one of the best-looking compact SUVs on the market and backs it up with solid features. Too new for extensive reliability data but early reviews are positive. Check the NHTSA VIN.
What we checked
Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11
NHTSA holds 46 owner complaints for the 2022 Kia Sportage, across 1 recall campaign.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 48% of them are about one thing — the engine. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
One recall campaign covers this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Looked at and set aside: glass, wipers and mirrors (5) — 5 complaints about glass, wipers or mirrors; usually annoying rather than expensive.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2022 Kia Sportage
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.
Kia's history of engine recalls means every VIN must be checked regardless of model year.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (22); 1 NHTSA recall campaign on this model year.
Early 5th-gen Sportages had infotainment that would freeze or reset. OTA updates addressed most.
Repair cost (estimate): $0 OTA update
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (8).
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Open NHTSA recalls on VIN
- ✗Infotainment that freezes even after updates
- ✗Missing service records
Good Signs
- ✓All NHTSA recalls cleared
- ✓1.6T turbocharged engine — more robust than the base
- ✓Full service history
Found a specific Kia Sportage?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2022 Kia Sportage in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
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Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
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