2010 Kia Sportage

Photo: Areaseven / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

2010 Kia Sportage: common problems and reliability

One of the best Sportage years.

20 owner complaints, most about service brakes. 2 recalls.

Should I buy a 2010 Sportage?

The 2010 Kia Sportage has 20 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are service brakes and hydraulic.

Safety record for the 2010 model year

20
Owner complaints
2
Recalls
3
Crash reports
0
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2010 Kia Sportage vehicles (US, public record).

The Year Score compares this year with other Sportage years only. How we score it

Is 2010 a good year for the Sportage?

Across the 29 Sportage model years we track, complaint volume runs from 4 (2003) to 399 (2017). With 20 complaints, the 2010 Sportage sits below the model's median of 131.

These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.

Where owners report problems

service brakes
7
hydraulic
4
air bags
4
seat belts
3
electronic stability control (esc)
2

Recalls affecting the 2010 Sportage

exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

Campaign 13V114000

Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

Campaign 23V652000

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

What owners say across generations

Sentiment is sharply divided, creating a polarized ownership experience.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Sportage. See the full Sportage owner picture and every model year.

Typical used price

Used Sportage listings typically run $17,749–$24,718.

Other Sportage model years

Compare every Sportage year side by side to see how 2010 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Sportage against its rivals

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