9th Feb 2002, 12:09
Yes, you like your Kia now. I liked mine when I first got it. It was fine for a couple months. Then problems started to happen, and haven't stopped yet. Everyone I have talked to hates theirs, and you will too. Give it time!
12th Feb 2002, 09:41
I've had mine for 2 years now and I haven't had a problem yet. It's a well built vehicle with a great price tag. Other people in the area that have one also love theirs. It's like any vehicle, you always get lemons and if you buy used it's like the saying goes, Buyer Beware.
29th Jun 2002, 12:11
I disagree as well. My Sportage is a pile of junk. Guess when my 4WD broke? In the snow! Go figure. The dealer refuses to do anything about it. I bought a 2001 and the clutch was of such poor quality that it burned out in 25,000 miles. Congratulations to Asia for importing more crap to the States.
25th Jul 2002, 17:54
I just bought my 3rd Kia.. I started with the Kia Sephia 2000. IT was a good little car.. Then we bought a used 1999 Kia Sportage. Again no problems.. I decided to trade them both and by a new 2002 Kia Sportage.. Unfortunately I had it 1 month and took it to the shop for ticking noise. That was 24 days ago. Still there and now they tell me today they are replacing the transfer case and still don't know if that's it.. I always liked them before this.
30th Sep 2002, 19:19
I have a slight miss in the engine when I am idling. It is a standard. I think I may take it to dealer and have it looked at. I am afraid I will get my first dose of why people hate dealerships when I do and they tell me there id nothing wrong. This is my first new vehicle. I bought it with 9 miles on it and in august and still haven't gotten a payment book on it as I have signed 3 different contracts for the financing. Guess my credit was bad and they didn't find out till I had it for a month.. SO I am driving it free for the first 60 days..
10th Jun 2003, 17:25
Kia Sportages are the BIGGEST PIECES OF JUNK that I have ever owned!
Don't buy Kia!
1st Apr 2004, 11:48
Got a 2002 Kia Sportage and a 2004 Kia Optima. Both are great to drive, good on gas & look and run good. No problems at all. I drive 800 or more miles a week. Warranty is great even though I have never used either one.
16th Jul 2005, 20:54
I have a Kia Sportage 2001 and honestly, it's been great - so far. You say wait a while? Well, it's 4 years old and has 81,000 km's on it and it still purrs like a kitten - no problems.
8th Feb 2006, 12:44
I like my 2002 KIA Sportage. It's great on gas for what it is, a 4 banger 4x4! It has 37000 miles on it and it had brake pads replaced and a tailpipe so far.
I pulled more expensive 4x4 S.U.V'S out of trouble they couldn't get themselves out of. As far as the 4x4 system, it is tough and true.
For the money, I think that KIA builds a great product.
29th Apr 2006, 22:12
I've had my 02 Sportage for 4 years now, and I still love it. The only problem I've had is finding a dealer with competent mechanics...I've been through a couple of transmissions and transfer cases for noise problems, but they eventually sorted it out. This little truck (and read correctly - TRUCK) is pretty quick if you know how to drive it. The 2.0l loves to run above 4K rpm (even up to red line) Shift at 4200 and it's just fine. I constantly run at 150-160 kph (that's nearly 100 mph for some of you...) on the highway and I drive it very hard every day- and it is still running just fine.
A few known problems - the baffles in the muffler can come loose and rattle - replaced on warranty. The rad tanks can leak - replaced on warranty. These thing eat brake pads - my advice is go with jobber pads and disks, they last just as long, and you don't get the horrible brake dust on the mags. Also, be sure to ditch the factory vacuum hubs and get the old style centrifugal hubs installed - just tell the dealer it gets bad mileage, and they'll replace them on a service bulletin. You don't have the same shift-on-the-fly capabilities, but they are much better hubs.
If you're looking for a tough little 4x4, this is the truck for you.
27th Jan 2002, 06:24
The Kia Sportage is a great little car. My only criticism is it's a bit thirsty, but that is to be expected. It uses tried and tested, if old technology from Japan.
For the money, who could complain?