Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Kia Sportage owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being inspected, the vehicle failed due to the autolocking brakes and Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
The fan for my car worked intermittently. I took the car to the dealership and they said it was the fan. I replaced the fan myself. While replacing the fan, I noticed that one of the connectors was melted. After changing the fan, nothing changed. After that, I decided to remove the bad looking connector. When I did, I realized the damage was much worse than I realized. Some of the casing from the wiring was totally melted off. My radio also started changing stations randomly and my GPS was getting hot when I used it. After I replaced the connector, everything worked perfectly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the cooling fan failed. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that the blower motor fan wiring had melted. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptom as listed in NHTSA campaign number: 15V015000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The VIN was not available.
This car continues to have problems with speeding up and slowing down on its own, at this point it shut off any time I was slowing down for a light or stop. It cut off multiple times on a highway going 75 MPH. Very scary with kids in car. Was able to get home and it will not turn over or start back up getting diagnosed today, there needs to be something done about this issue, I have read 100s of similar problems like this! Kia your putting our lives in danger, pregnant with 2 kids and car shutting off on highway, or speeding up and slowing down by it self is traumatizing. Do something before someone is badly hurt!! Also I am big and pregnant and driver door does not open I am assuming that too is an electric issue either way I have to climb over seats, this car looked great after 1 day door stopped working and within a few weeks of owning it now speed! …
Vehicles heating and cooling unit started working sporadically. Then stopped and you could smell a burning smell. Took to mechanic and was told we were lucky the vehicle had not caught fire. The wire and connector to the blower motor resister were melted and falling apart. The connector itself was melted. He disconnected the unit to prevent it from catching fire. This seems to be an extreme safety hazard, being that my daughters feet were directly below the area that was smoking and melting, about to catch fire. It is just below the dash on the passenger front seat side. This appears to have happened many times with this vehicle model by reading online reports. I hope something is done about it before someone is burnt or worse.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on July 18, 2009 and repaired according to recall# 09V130000 (exterior lighting:brake lights:switch). After the repair she noticed that the vehicle would only shift in the reverse gear. After removing the key from the ignition, the engine will not turn off. Lastly the vehicle smelled like burnt wires. The dealer concluded that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was towed back to the garage. The mechanic concluded that the wiring harness had melted. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired.. The failure mileage was 60,000. The current mileage was 68,000.
Takata recall I just purchased my Kia Sportage on 3/15/2018 at a dealership and have been driving with the airbag light on. I have brought this up to the dealer and am told that the airbag light doesn't matter. As I'm reading all these complaints and those that have been in accidents the airbags do not deploy, my safety is an issue here. I am certain this needs to be looked into. It will be sent to the dealer to be looked at. Also, I have googled as to why my blower motor will not shut off. That's the blower resistor that needs to be replaced. Those complaints are on here also, almost catching fire. I've never felt so unsafe being in a vehicle. These 2 main factors need to be investigated immediately.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated independently when the vehicle was turned off and stationary. In addition, the ESC warning indicator remained illuminated and the cruise control was not working. The contact also stated that in order to turn off the brake lights, he had to disconnect the vehicle's battery. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 09V130000 (exterior lighting), but the VIN was excluded. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the electric control harness failed. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH and then accelerated back to normal. In addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to hertrich Kia (6546 ocean gateway, easton, md 21601, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the electric control harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the repair fees. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,723.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked for approximately 45 minutes when it suddenly caught fire. The vehicle was towed to a shop and inspected. The repair shop stated that the failure was due to faulty wiring. The manufacturer stated that they would send an inspector to examine the vehicle. The vehicle currently remains at the shop. The current and failure mileages were 13,000. Updated 01/11/08. Updated
Electrical complaints in other Sportage years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Kia Sportage?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Kia Sportage, 20% of the model year's 111 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Kia Sportage electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Kia Sportage, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Kia Sportage electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.