Kia Sportage Heater Not Working – How To Fix

By Max Anthony •  Updated: 09/14/22 •  3 min read

The Kia Sportage is a very reliable car. It is built for drivers who value comfort and performance. It has been a popular car for many years, but recently it has been known to have a problem with the heater.

Live Mechanic Help 24/7
Chat With A Mechanic Online

Connect with a verified mechanic in minutes. No appointments. No high fees. No waiting. Get back on the road and enjoy the ride.

The basic way that a car heater operates is by having hot coolant pass from the engine to a tiny radiator called a heater core. At this point, the blower motor blows hot air across the heater core to warm up the air. Then, a motor blows hot air across the heater core, which is placed in the boot of your Sportage, and the hot air heats up the air that surrounds it, and it then blows on to the driver and the passengers.

Some owners find that the Kia Sportage heater does not work when it is cold outside, and this can cause discomfort and even put your safety at risk. This article will teach you how to fix the Kia Sportage heater so that it works correctly in all weather conditions.

What causes the Kia Sportage heater not working?

The Kia Sportage uses a standard electronic control unit to control the operation of the air conditioning system and other vehicle systems, including the heater. The problem can be traced back to a faulty part in this unit or wiring that needs repair or replacement. In some cases, there may be an issue with the connection between the power supply to this unit and its wiring harnesses, which may need repair or replacement as well.

When the heater stops working in your Sportage, this means that one of the heating elements has failed. When your Sportage heater starts blowing cold air, it can be difficult to figure out what is wrong. Luckily, the info below can help you out. But, by using this guide to learn how and why a heater will fail, you can try to figure out what the cause of the failure is.

Common Problems for Kia Sportage Heater

Malfunctioning thermostat

Even when your engine is warm, your thermostat could still show “C” for Cold. If that happens, your thermostat is probably faulty. If the thermostat isn’t able to tell the engine that it is warm, the coolant can’t warm up the core of the heater and the air will be very cold. It’s not very difficult to replace a new thermostat.

Live Mechanic Help 24/7
Chat With A Mechanic Online

Connect with a verified mechanic in minutes. No appointments. No high fees. No waiting. Get back on the road and enjoy the ride.

You can install a new thermostat and get your heater working again. It’s a relatively easy fix that should be done fairly quickly.

Clogged heater core

There are two hoses that come from the engine to the heater core. They go from the thermostat to the heater. You should also feel warm or very hot to the touch when you start your engine.  If one of the hoses coming from the heater core is hot while the other is cold, it is likely that the core is clogged. If neither hose is getting any heat, it could be that you have air in your cooling system, or that there is a lack of fluid or high pressure.

(Visited 1,192 times, 1 visits today)

Max Anthony

Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.

Keep Reading