2007 Kia Sportage — Known Issues & Recalls

Your brake pedal stopped responding when you pressed it while driving, even though no warning light came on. A mechanic found that your electronic brake control module had failed. This is a serious safety issue that requires the brake control module to be replaced by a qualified technician.

After having all wheel brake parts replaced, your brakes began freezing up on the driver's front and passenger's rear wheels within two weeks, making the car immobile. You had to manually release the frozen brakes using bleeder valves and the emergency brake to limp the car to the garage. When jacked up, the passenger rear wheel would lock whenever the brake pedal was pressed, and only opened when the bleeder valve was manually cracked. This issue appears to be related to the master cylinder leaking into the brake booster, which you replaced, but brake fluid still won't properly feed to the passenger rear brake to remove air from the system. The repair will likely require further diagnostic work on the brake system's master cylinder, brake booster, and brake lines to restore proper fluid pressure and bleeding.

Your brakes locked up completely while stopped at a red light, preventing the car from moving forward or backward even in neutral, and requiring a tow truck to move it. The front driver's side and rear passenger's side wheels wouldn't rotate at all. Based on online reports, this issue is caused by brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder into the power brake booster, which locks up the brakes and sometimes the transmission. The fix typically involves replacing the brake master cylinder and power brake booster.

Your ABS pump malfunctioned and caused all four brakes to lock up simultaneously, creating smoke and burning rubber while you were driving. You felt like the emergency brake was engaged and couldn't safely drive faster than 10 mph before the brakes completely locked as you pulled into your driveway. No warning light appeared on your dashboard to alert you to the problem. The fix will likely require ABS pump replacement or repair.

Your car stalled while you were driving, and the check engine light came on. A mechanic found that the rod bearings had failed and needed to be replaced. This is a serious engine problem that would require removing and rebuilding the engine to replace the bearings.

Your car's engine caught fire while you were driving on the interstate. You didn't notice the fire until another driver honked to alert you, and you pulled into a parking lot and evacuated safely. The fire department responded and indicated the vehicle may not be repairable due to the extent of the fire damage. Since there was a recall issued for 2007 vehicles, your car should be inspected to determine the root cause of the fire.

Your engine stopped working completely. You've been waiting for an engine replacement since August 15, 2017, and Kia has repeatedly changed the delivery date — giving you 8 different dates so far. Getting your engine replaced will require a full engine swap, which is a major repair.

Your car's engine and stability control warning lights came on shortly after purchase. After replacing sensors, the lights remained on. While pulling into your driveway, your car caught fire and was destroyed, with damage concentrated on the front passenger side near the headlight and power distribution box. The fire department identified the cause as electrical.

Your Sportage has refused to start on three separate occasions in the two weeks since purchase. The dealer checked the battery and alternator (both tested good) and replaced the starter, but the vehicle still won't start even with a jump. This recurring starting failure makes the vehicle unreliable and unsafe to drive. Diagnosis may involve testing the electrical system more thoroughly, including the starter motor, battery terminals, and alternator output.

Your driver's side seatbelt failed to restrain you during an accident. The seatbelt did not properly secure you in your seat when it was needed most. This is a critical safety issue that requires immediate inspection and likely replacement of the seatbelt assembly.

During a serious multi-vehicle head-on collision at 40 mph, your seat belts were worn but failed to prevent ejection from the vehicle, resulting in arm injuries requiring ambulance transport. The manufacturer's investigation later concluded the seat belts were engaged and functioned as designed, though the vehicle was destroyed in the rollover crash. This issue may require a professional forensic inspection and safety belt replacement or repair once the vehicle is accessible.

Your car's frame has rusted through completely near the back right suspension, which has caused the suspension to collapse. This is a structural failure that affects how your vehicle handles and sits. Fixing this will likely require frame repair or replacement, along with suspension component replacement.

Your Sportage developed a creaking noise when accelerating and going over bumps, which progressed into a loud clunking sound you could feel through the floorboards. When inspected, the rear chassis crossmember that supports the rear axle had rusted completely through, causing the right side mounting bracket to break free and the left side to be on the verge of failure. The frame was also rotted near the right rear lower trailing arm mount. The fix will require replacing the rusted crossmember, mounting brackets, and possibly welding or reinforcing affected frame sections.

Your airbag warning light came on and won't turn off when someone sits in the front passenger seat, even though there's a passenger present. You took it to a service center and they found two diagnostic trouble codes. This is concerning because the airbag system may not deploy properly in a crash if the passenger seat sensor isn't working correctly. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and replacing the faulty passenger seat occupancy sensor or repairing the airbag system wiring.

When driving in wet conditions, your steering wheel locks up, the battery warning light comes on, the engine sometimes stalls, and you hear a high-pitched squeal near the right front wheel. This has been happening consistently for 2 years whenever you drive in rain, but the dealership hasn't been able to reproduce or fix the problem. The issue involves the steering, electrical system, and electronic stability control working together, and a technician will need to diagnose the electrical connections and ESC module to identify what's causing the simultaneous failures.

Your parked vehicle caught fire and subsequently exploded while at a 7-Eleven in Silvis, Illinois on January 2nd, 2018. When you contacted Kia about the incident and provided black and white photos from the fire department and police, the company refused to support you, citing that they needed color photographs instead.

Your rear subframe has severe rust damage at 120,000 miles, causing a banging noise from underneath your vehicle. You were able to drive it home, but the structural damage needs attention soon. The subframe will likely need to be replaced or professionally repaired to restore suspension integrity.

Your brake lights may not be working even though the stop lamp switch was recalled and replaced in 2010. The replacement part itself was faulty, so you could have been driving without functioning brake lights for an extended period. Getting this fixed will require diagnosing why the brake lights aren't working and potentially replacing the stop lamp switch again with a properly functioning part.

Your steering wheel becomes very difficult to turn during cold weather, especially in the mornings. This stiffness makes it hard to steer your vehicle until it warms up. The issue may involve inspection of the steering fluid viscosity or steering system components that thicken in cold temperatures.

Your airbag warning light has been staying on continuously for about a month. This indicates a problem with your airbag system that needs to be diagnosed. The issue will likely require a diagnostic scan to identify the specific fault, followed by repairs or component replacement to clear the warning.