Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Kia Sportage submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
ABS AND PARKING BRAKE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. MECHANIC SAID THAT LOW FLUID IN MASTER CYLINDER CAUSED THE LIGHTS AND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD A LEAK AND NEEDED REPLACED. ALSO STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS YEAR VEHICLE. COULD HAVE LOST ALL BRAKING CAPABILITY IF CAR WAS CONTINUED DRIVEN WITH THE LIGHTS ON CAUSE FLUID LEVELS WOULD DROP.*AK
CONSUMER STATES TOOK VEHICLE FOR SERVICES AND THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING ALSO FOUND PASSENGER BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
WHILE DRIVING 10-20 MPH APPLIED ON BRAKES AND WITHOUT WARNING BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION. CONSUMER THEN TRIED TO SHIFT VEHICLE MANUALLY; HOWEVER, TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, RESULTING IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION. DRIVER SUSTAINED MAJOR LEG INJURIES. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *TT
WHILE DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH APPLIED BRAKES AND WITHOUT WARNING, BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION, DRIVER HAD TO RUN A RED LIGHT, RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, DRIVER SUSTAINED MAJOR LEG INJURIES.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE AIRBAG FAILED. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE ACCELERATOR AND TRANSMISSION STUCK. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH, FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS HIT AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THE BRAKES FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE ACCELERATOR. *TT
WHILE DRIVING WOULD STEP ON BRAKE PEDAL AND EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES DUE TO REAR CYLINDERS.*AK
THE FRONT CALIPER EATS UP THE DISC. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE DISC 3 TIMES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING APPLIED BRAKES AND HEARD NOISE, LIKE GRINDING METAL TO METAL NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. *AK
CLAMP THAT HOLDS HOSE TO THERMOSTAT HOUSING WAS BAD CAUSING COOLANT LEAK SMELL IN THE ENGINE AREA. NLM
BRAKES- EXCESSIVE BRAKING DISTANCE WHEN BRAKES APPLIED; ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEM- VEHICLE OVER HEADED CAUSED VENTS ON DASHBOARD TO POP; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM UNDER HOOD- CONTINUOUS "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILLS; ENGINE- SHAKES LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE, STALLS WHILE DRIVING, SCARED WILL CAUSE ACCIDENT/DEATH
THE PADS A ROTORS ON THIS CAR HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES. THE ABS SYSTEM LIGHTS WILL COME ON WHEN THE BRAKES BECOME VERY BAD. THE FIRST START TO SQUEK THEN SQUEL THEN SMELL AND THEN GRIND AND THE ABS LIGHTS COME ON. I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND AT THIS TIME WE ARE ALL TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE TO HELP! THIS IS ONLY ONE OF NEMOUROUS PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS, BUT THIS IS THE ONE THAT SCARES ME. I AM WORRIED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND MYSELF. PLEASE HELP AS WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF PLACES TO TURN. *AK
CARS HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF SHOP SINCE BEING PURCHEST WITH BRAKE PROBLEMS, INSUFFICIENT BRAKING. VEHICLE DID NOT STOP IN TIME, AND REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK
TOOK TO ORIGINAL DEALER 6 TIMES AND TO ANOTHER DEALER 1 TIME --- ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON --ORIGINAL DEALER HAS CLOSED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS LOUD NOISE, AND VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON. WHENEVER TURNING ON INTERIOR LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND STAYS ON. DEALER SAIS VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
DRIVING BETWEEN 40-45 MPH DRIVESHAFT FELL OUT, DAMAGING ENTIRE UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE GOUGING FUEL TANK IN SEVERAL PLACES. REAR END FELL LOCKING UP BRAKES AND THROWING VEHICLE INTO UNCONTROLLABLE BOUNCING FOR OVER QUARTER MILE. DRIVESHAFT FLEW INFRONT OF OTHER VEHICLES WINDSHIELD. WIFE(9 MO. PREG.) & SON IN CAR WITH ME. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CONTINUOUSLY HAS INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SHORT/ABS INDICATOR CONTINUALLY COMES LOOSE AND "BACKS OUT OF RELAY BLOCK/ POWER WINDOWS/MIRRORS SWITCH CONTACTS BACKING OFF, CAUSING "OPEN CIRCUITS". *AK
BRAKE FAILURE.
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES IN A PANIC STOP THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE PROBLEMS;. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL IS VERY HARD AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE STOPPING ABILITY. VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP SINCE JULY 9, 1997. IN ADDITION, WINDSHIELD WIPERS BROKE IN A DRIVING RAIN STORM, AND ELECTRIC SIDE MIRRORS BROKE, PREVENTING DRIVER FROM ADJUSTING THEM. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .