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

Free Preview

#BS-2011-KIASPO-32D4

2011 Kia Sportage

Based on reports from 260 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
260
Crashes
10
Fires
10
Recalls
6
TSBs
169
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 260 complaints, 10 crashes, 10 fires, and 6 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

repeated engine failure

5 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

master cylinder failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

engine turbo oil cooler failed

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 EngineHIGH

82 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 71K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

55
0–30K
17
30–60K
34
60–90K
26
90–120K
21
120–150K
19
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (55 reports) • Median: 71K 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: Engine (82 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

Engine82 (32%)
Electrical36 (14%)
Brakes24 (9%)
Drivetrain23 (9%)
Other23 (9%)
Fuel System10 (4%)
Steering9 (3%)
Speed Control9 (3%)

2011 Kia Sportage: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 32% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Sportage, with 82 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 71,010 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 71K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Sportage, with 36 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Sportage, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2011 Kia Sportage, with 23 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-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

16
11
10
12
16
13
22
14
5
15
12
16
29
17
24
18
43
19
9
20
16
21
7
22
16
23
31
24
4
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2011 Kia Sportage. Recent trend: decreasing.

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 (6 recalls)

13V114000Apr 2013

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

15V360000Jul 2015

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011 Sportage vehicles manufactured March 7, 2011, to June 8, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the brake light switch may intermittently fail.

17V224000Jun 2017

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.

18V907000Jan 2019

ENGINE

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.

19V101000Jul 2019

ENGINE

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Kia Sportage vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

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.

2011 Kia Sportage vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

260

Class avg

379

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles. A good sign.

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. 260 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 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 →

2011 Kia Sportage: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2011 Kia Sportage?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2011 Kia Sportage is related to the engine, with 82 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2011 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2011 Kia Sportage has 260 complaints, 10 crash reports, and 10 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2011 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 2011 Kia Sportage have any recalls?
Yes, the 2011 Kia Sportage has 6 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 172 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 71,010 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K 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 2011 Kia Sportage Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 260 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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