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2011 Kia Sportage Transmission & Power Train Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/12/2026

23Power Train complaints
12.7%Of all 181 complaints
#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE77 · 42.5%
POWER TRAIN23 · 12.7%
Unspecified / other23 · 12.7%
SERVICE BRAKES12 · 6.6%

Share of the 181 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2011 Kia Sportage overview page.

What owners report

“KIA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TRANSAXLE OIL TEMPERATURE SENSOR DTC P0711, P0712 & P0713 HTTPS://STATIC.OEMDTC.COM/TSB/2012-043.PDF MY VEHICLE, WHEN STILL COLD EXPERIENCES ROUGH SHIFTING. VEHICLE WILL SLAM…”NHTSA complaint 11245752 — filed 08/22/2019
“SO I HAD PRETTY MUCH A FULL DAY OF DRIVING AND MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION 6 SPEED 2011 SPORTAGE, THAT UNTIL TODAY THE ONLY PROBLEM I…”NHTSA complaint 11242177 — filed 08/07/2019
“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK. THERE WERE NO…”NHTSA complaint 11241080 — filed 08/01/2019

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train complaints by year filed

2201132012120134201412015120162201722018520191202112023

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2011 Kia Sportage have transmission & power train problems?

Power Train is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2011 Kia Sportage: 23 of 181 complaints on file (12.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2011 Kia Sportage have in total?

181 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 7 involved a crash, 8 involved a fire, 8 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train category include?

NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.