1998 Kia Sportage reliability record
Every consumer complaint and recall the U.S. government (NHTSA) has on file for the 1998 Kia Sportage — the repair risk behind the ownership cost.
- NHTSA complaints
- 558
- on record
- Top problem area
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
- 47 complaints
- Recalls on record
- 0
- none on record
- Reported harm
- 31 reported crashes · 19 injuries · 7 fires
How this record compares
raw NHTSA counts, not defect ratesComplaint rank
#897
of 4,194 vehicle records
Vs Kia median
+293
median 265 across 138 Kia records
Vs 1996-2000
+290
median 268 complaints in 623 records
Top component share
11%
Engine And Engine Cooling: 63 complaints
What owners report fails — 1998 Kia Sportage
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE 47
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER 24
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS 21
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT 18
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 16
Estimate the 5-year cost to own a 1998 Kia Sportage
A vehicle's complaint record hints at the repair and maintenance budget you'll need. Add your state, purchase price, and mileage to the TCO calculator for the full picture.
Open TCO calculatorThese are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated defect rates, and not adjusted for how many 1998 Kia Sportage units were produced or sold. High-volume and older vehicles naturally accumulate more complaints. Use this as one research signal, not a verdict on any individual vehicle. Data as of 2026. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Kia Sportage reliable?
NHTSA has 558 consumer complaints on record for the 1998 Kia Sportage. The most-reported problem area is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (47 reports). These are unverified consumer reports filed with the government, not validated failure rates, and are not adjusted for how many 1998 Kia Sportage units were produced — popular vehicles naturally accumulate more reports.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Kia Sportage?
Owners most often report problems with: engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (47), unknown or other (24), service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (21), power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift (18). Each figure is the number of complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
How much does it cost to own a 1998 Kia Sportage?
Ownership cost depends on your state taxes, insurance, fuel, and the maintenance the vehicle's reliability record implies. Use the CarOutlay 5-year TCO calculator to estimate the full cost including the repair risk this complaint record suggests.