There are 18 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2002 Kia Sportagein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND STARTED BRAKING FOR A RED LIGHT,MY BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY GONE,LUCKILY I WAS FAR ENOUGH FROM LIGHT & NOBODY WAS IN FRONT OF ME LIGHT TURNED GREEN,I WENT SLOW 20 MPH TO THE NEAREST FIRESTONE & COASTED IN.I THOUGHT I JUST NEEDED NEW BRAKES,THE MECHANICS PUT IT ON LIFT & SHOWED ME THE FRAME! IT WAS SO SEVERELY RUSTED THAT THE BRAKELINE HAD SNAPPED AWAY FROM FRAME.THEY CALLED 3 DIFFERENT SHOPS & NOBODY WILL TOUCH IT DUE TO LIABILITY ISSUES.I'M BESIDES MYSELF,I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR KILLED SOMEONE ELSE.I'M ORIGINAL OWNER & CAR HAS BEEN IN GARAGE EVERYDAY FOR 12 YRS,HOW CAN THE FRAME BE BEYOND REPAIR AT 120,000 MILES.ALSO I'VE READ THE OTHER COMPLAINT'S ABOUT THE STRONG GAS ODORS & I HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM FOR YEARS,ALWAY'S IN THE WINTER.I LOVE MY CAR & NEED IT REPAIRED,KIA SHOULD FIX THE FRAME & RECALL THE MODEL,SOMEONE COULD BE KILLED IF IT HAPPENS TO THEM.NOW I HAVE TO RENT A CAR TO GO TO WORK & TRY TO GET IT FIXED,BUT FIRESTONE SAID WHOLE FRAME IS RUSTED,CHEAP METAL USED!SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!ASAP
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE LINING FRACTURED ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME WHERE THE OWNER REPLACED THE BRAKE SHOES AND CYLINDERS ON THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,290.
2002 KIA SPORTAGE PISTON SEIZED DAMAGING BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. *TS *JB
BRAKES NEED REPLACING TWICE IN UNDER 18000 MILES. WIVES CAR NEED WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM FROM MASTER CYLINDER ON DOWN UNDER40,00 MILES. *NM
BRAKE ROTORS WERE REPLACED FOUR TIMES DUE TO WARPING. CONSUMER HAS TO HAVE THEM REPLACED EVERY THREE MONTHS. *AK
VEHICLE DEVELOPED A SQUEAK IN FRONT BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY PUSHED BACK THE CALIPER PISTON. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED. LATER, DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE FOUND.*AK ROTORS HAVE HOT SPOTS AND LIGHT GROOVES CAUSING HEAVY BRAKING *TS
THE VEHICLE'S ROTORS AND BRAKES FAILED PREMATURELY. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *NM
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE BRAKES WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT SINCE BUYING THE VEHICLE IN JANUARY OF 2003 ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN THAT TIME. THE FAULTY ROTORS CAUSED VIBRATION WHILE BRAKING. THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED ONCE AT 5699 MILES AND AGAIN AT 8694 MILES. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED ALL THE DOORS LOCKED, BUT WHEN IT WAS DAMP OUTSIDE THE LOCKS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER WASHER WAS NOT WORKING AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER READJUSTED IT. THERE WAS A RATTLING IN THE DASH ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BELOW THE AIR VENT. *AK *PH *NLM
I BOUGHT A KIA SPORTAGE IN APRIL 2002. SINCE THEN, THE CAR HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO THE KIA SERVICE CENTER ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ENGINE WILL SPUTTER, THE CAR SHAKES, THE RPMS GO TO 0 AND THE HEADER PIPE GLOWS RED HOT (LITERALLY), AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WILL LOSE 75% OF ITS POWER. THIS IS DANGEROUS. THIS CAR HAS MAYBE 10,000 MILES ON IT AND IT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE SERVICE CENTER HAS REPLACED THE ROTORS (KEEP IN MIND THIS IS ON 10,000 MILES), THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, HEAD PIPE, MUFFLER AND THE REST OF THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM, AND SPARK PLUGS. UP TO THIS DATE, THEY HAVE NOT FOUND THE PROBLEM AND EVEN AS I TYPE THIS, THE CAR IS SITTING IN THE SERVICE CENTER THE FOURTH TIME. I WAS GIVEN A RENTAL VEHICLE THE THIRD TIME. BUT THIS TIME, THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN ME A RENTAL OR REPLACEMENT VEHICLE BECAUSE TWO ARE OUT OF COMMISSION DUE TO ACCIDENTS AND ONE IS CURRENTLY BEING USED. THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE TO HOOK THE CAR UP TO A COMPUTER AND DRIVE IT NUMEROUS MILE TO RECORD DATA. I JUST WANT A CAR THAT WORKS. *JB
WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND. *AK *NLM
SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF MY 2002 KIA SPORTAGE MY BRAKES STARTED TO PULSATE, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID MY BRAKES WERE WARPED AND NEEDED REPLACING. ROTORS AND PADS IN FRONT HAVE BEEN REPLACED NOW 4 TIMES IN 16 MONTHS!*AK
PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES STICKING, WINDOWS LOCKED UP, CALIPERS CRACKED.*MR TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, MECHANIC WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY WERE STICKING OR PULLING WHEN AT A STOP OR LIGHT. THE CD PLAYER WAS INOPERABLE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD A NEW AGENT THAT WAS BEING USED ON HER VEHICLE MADE THE NOISE AND IT WOULD GO AWAY IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. JUNE 3, 2003, WINDOWS LOCKED UP, COULDN'T ROLL UP, MOTOR BURNED OUT. JUNE 7,2003, VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED. THERE WAS A NOISE FOLLOWED BY SPARKS ND CLANKING METAL SOUNDS. CONSUMER REALIZED SHE HAD NO BRAKES AND HAD TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CALIPER HAD CRACKED AND BROKEN CAUSING THE PADS TO SHATTER ALONG WITH THE ROTORS TO FALL OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THEY CLAIMED THIS FAILURE WAS DUE TO HER NEGLIGENCE. CONSUMER QUESTIONED THAT IF ON A REPAIR BILL IT STATED "30% BRAKES REMAINING," WHY WOULD THEY NOT REPLACE THEM. CONSUMER WAS BILLED $175. FOR THE RENTAL CAR, $700. FOR SERVICE AND TOW, $875. TOTAL. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IF THE MATTER WAS TAKEN TO COURT THE DISCOUNT OF 30% WOULD BE DROPPED AND THE TOTAL TO BE PAID WOULD BE $1200. CONSUMER ASKED FOR COMPENSATION FOR TIME AND TROUBLE, LOAN CAUGHT UP, VEHICLE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO HER AND RENTAL CHARGES DROPPED. *PH
BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED EXCESSIVELY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 5000 MILES.*AK
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD KNOW WHERE I CAN GET MY VEHICLE TESTED FOR HEALTH ISSUES. I PURCHASED A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE AT THE END OF JANUARY 2002. I HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY VEHICLE THAT THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO FIX. IT HAS A VERY STRONG ODOR THAT IS COMING INTO THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT IT HAS NOT HELPED AT ALL. THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I FINALLY GOT THEM TO GO FOR A TEST DRIVE WITH ME AND HAD THEM SMELL THE ODOR JUST LAST WEEK. I HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET THEM TO GO FOR A TEST DRIVE WITH ME SINCE MAY 2002. MY VEHICLE HAS 15000 MILES ON IT SO IT IS TO LATE FOR ME TO GET THE MANUFACTURER TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE BACK UNDER THE OREGON LEMON LAW. I TRIED TO GO THROUGH THE ARBITRATION PROCESS BEFORE I HIT 12,000 MILES BUT THE PERSON I SPOKE TO SAID I DID NOT HAVE A CASE BECAUSE I ONLY HAD SERVICE ORDERS FOR 2 OF THE 4 TIMES I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE ODOR. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT WRITE UP A SERVICE ORDER FOR THE SMELL UNTIL THE 3RD TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THEM. I AM HOPING THAT YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. I DO NOT THINK THAT THE SMELL IS VERY SAFE FOR MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF TO BE SMELLING. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY VEHICLE. THE BRAKES BUILD UP A BLACK DUST THAT IS VERY EXCESSIVE AROUND THE RIM OF MY FRONT TIRES WITHIN 6 MONTHS THEY WERE 30 PERCENT WARN. DT
HAVE HAD BRAKES WORKED ON 5 TIMES IN PAST YEAR, AIR CONDITIONER SMELLS MUSTY EVERY TIME YOU TURN IT ON, GAS WARNING LIGHT DOESN'T WORK, RIGHT REAR WINDOW DIDN'T WORK FOR OVER A YEAR. *AK
BRAKES WARPED SINCE CONSUMER OWNED VEHICLE. AFTER REPAIR THE BRAKES WOULD WARP AGAIN. THIS PATTERN CONTINUED UNTIL THE DEALERSHIP DECIDED TO KEEP THE TRUCK FOR FURTHER REPAIRS.*AK
FRONT END OF VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *MR THE FRONT ROTORS CONTINUED TO WARP. THERE HAVE BEEN THREE REPAIR ATTEMPTS. *SCC *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026