BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-2002-KIASPO-32D4

2002 Kia Sportage

Based on reports from 321 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
321
Crashes
19
Fires
7
Recalls
3
TSBs
9
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 321 complaints, 19 crashes, 7 fires, and 3 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

fuel pours out of car while pumping gas

7 complaints • Severity 7.1/10

$X,XXX
2

frame rusted out

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

engine failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Fuel SystemHIGH

58 owners reported fuel system issues — failures commonly reported around 58K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fanMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

50
0–30K
59
30–60K
42
60–90K
36
90–120K
11
120–150K
11
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (59 reports) • Median: 58K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Fuel System (58 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Fuel System58 (18%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan22 (7%)
Engine14 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine12 (4%)
Electrical12 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System11 (3%)
Brakes10 (3%)
Airbags9 (3%)

2002 Kia Sportage: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 18% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Sportage, with 58 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 58,400 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 58K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Sportage, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Sportage, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Sportage, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

37
02
38
03
43
04
16
05
21
06
23
07
12
08
18
09
29
10
19
11
11
12
10
13
17
14
9
15
9
16
9
17

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Kia Sportage. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

Get Report — From $1.20

Recall History (3 recalls)

07V161000Jun 2007

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE ENGINE CAUSES REPEATED BENDING DEFORMATION OF THE POLYPROPYLENE COOLING FAN INCLUDING ITS RETAINING RING, WHICH STRESSES THE POLYPROPYLENE THEREBY INITIATING CRACKING OF THE BLADES. THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCES GENERATED BY THE ROTATION OF THE BLADES CAN CAUSE THE CRACKS TO PROPAGATE UNTIL COMPLETE SEPARATION OCCURS.

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

09E025000Jul 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Kia Sportage is the 2012 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2002 Kia Sportage vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

321

Class avg

442

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles from 2002.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 321 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Kia Sportage Model Years

2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200320022001200019991998199719961995
View all Kia Sportage years →

2002 Kia Sportage: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Kia Sportage?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Kia Sportage is related to the fuel system, with 58 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2002 Kia Sportage has 321 complaints, 19 crash reports, and 7 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Kia Sportage problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Kia Sportage have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Kia Sportage has 3 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Kia Sportage problems start?
Based on 209 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 58,400 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 2002 Kia Sportage Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 321 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees