2012 Kia Sportage Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026

23Electrical System complaints

5.9%Of all 392 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE328 · 83.7%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23 · 5.9%

Unspecified / other23 · 5.9%

POWER TRAIN21 · 5.4%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC11 · 2.8%

Share of the 392 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Kia Sportage overview page.

What owners report

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE DRIVER. WHILE DRIVING AND SHIFTING INTO FOURTH GEAR, A LOUD NOISE…”NHTSA complaint 11141842 — filed 10/22/2018

“"TAKATA RECALL" I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 59 IN HOUSTON IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND MY OIL LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. AFTER IT FLASHED IT STOPPED…”NHTSA complaint 11129855 — filed 09/17/2018

“I WAS IN THE ROAD SLOWLY BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO STOP IN A TOLL BRIDGE ABOUT 10 MILES AND SUDDENLY MY KIA SPORTAGE 2012…”NHTSA complaint 11112910 — filed 07/22/2018

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Kia Sportage have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Kia Sportage: 23 of 392 complaints on file (5.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Kia Sportage have in total?

392 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 7 involved a crash, 16 involved a fire, 10 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.