KnownCarProblems2009 Kia Sportage Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Kia Sportage, most often about the electrical (23% of complaints, typically around 91,000 miles). It is 16th of 26 Sportage model years by number of complaints and has 3 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2009 Kia Sportage problems
Electrical
18 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 91,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, ignition.
Tl contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that when using the turn signals, all the electronic devices blinked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed the multi functional system needed to be replaced. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware…
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle in the dealer's parking lot after the recall repair of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16v815000 (electrical system) and 22v800000 (service brakes, hydraulic) had been completed, the hecu, the ABS, the TPMS warning lights and other unknown…
Air bags
16 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 49,500 miles.
Airbag above passenger curtain has defective module. Vehicle has only 53375 miles on it, is always garaged. Kia has issued 507,000 vehicle recall for airbags defects, going back to year 2010. Normal warrenty is 5 years or 60,000 miles. Kia told me I am not a loyal Kia customer because I do not routinely bring my car…
The clock spring is not working which deactivates the air bag system and horn. This is an extremely dangerous condition. This should result in a recall immediately.
Brakes
15 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 54,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that smoke appeared from the ignition switch, which was located on a corner connected to the steering column and dashboard. The brakes failed to work when the failure occurred and the contact was unable to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer…
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. While the vehicle was being driven, the ESC warning indicator illuminated and remained lit. The vehicle was repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 13v114000 (service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting); however the failure recurred. Smithtown Kia (726 middle country rd, st james…
Steering
14 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles.
:: warning :: dangerous :: Kia Sportage defect :: I own the 2009 Kia Sportage and it seems that there is a pervasive problem with the power steering cutting out, making the vehicle virtually impossible to navigate. This is very dangerous problem and the complaints and blog post online further validate the seriousness…
The steering wheel freezes/locks up when decelerating in a turn. It's almost like the power steering goes completely out and you are unable to turn the wheel. However, when you push on the accelerator the steering releases. This makes it very difficult if not impossible to keep the vehicle in the proper lane when it…
Engine
10 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 80,500 miles.
2009 Kia Sportage lx complaint. We have recently been experiencing intermittent acceleration surging. The occurrences are random; hot or cold in d-gear at a stop-light or in park position. I've taken the car to the Kia dealer two times. On the second time, I was told that after a test-drive on the second day, the…
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. In addition, the camshaft fractured. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The…
Lights
7 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles. Parts named most often: tail lights, turn signal.
The headlights of the vehicle have stress cracks that will allow moisture to enter the assembly. This moisture will cause the bulb inside the assembly to fail. I have asked for assistance from the rountree moore Kia, as well as Kia of north america to address this problem. I have been told by both that there is no…
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. While the vehicle was being driven, the ESC warning indicator illuminated and remained lit. The vehicle was repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 13v114000 (service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting); however the failure recurred. Smithtown Kia (726 middle country rd, st james…
Stability control
7 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. When the gear was shifted from park into drive or in reverse, the electronic stability warning light illuminated. When the brake pedal was depressed, the brake lights failed to illuminate. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the mechanic…
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. While the vehicle was being driven, the ESC warning indicator illuminated and remained lit. The vehicle was repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 13v114000 (service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting); however the failure recurred. Smithtown Kia (726 middle country rd, st james…
Other or unspecified
6 complaints · 8%I bought a new Kia Sportage & it has been in the shop 25 days in march, 22 days in april of 2010. The car dies as you are driving & when it begins to go it hops & does not want to go. I have has this car in the shop 6 times since the end of feb. 2010.
While driving down a highway at 60 MPH on a sunny, windy day the hood flew open and smashed against the front of the car's roof. That shattered the plastic eyeglass holder on the roof interior and dented/mangled the hood. The hood latch is supposed to be a failsafe redundant mechanism that should never, under any…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2009 Kia Sportage recalls
Brakes: control unit/module
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the hecu, its wiring harness, and its fuses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed december 22, 2022. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc253.
Full defect summary
Kia america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain 2008-2009 sportage vehicles previously recalled under recall 16v-815. An engine compartment fire originating from around the hydraulic electronic control unit (hecu) may occur while parked or driving.
Electrical: wiring
Risk: If the hecu short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector pins for corrosion, if no corrosion is found, the connector cover will be replaced. If corrosion is present, the dealer will replace the hecu assembly and the connector cover, free of charge. The recall began on november 28, 2016. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc138.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 kia sportage vehicles manufactured august 9, 2007, to may 13, 2009. The wire harness cover on the hydraulic electronic control unit (hecu) may be improperly sealed allowing water to get onto the hecu circuit board. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as could occur from melted snow, the wire harness connector pins may corrode and the circuit board may short circuit.
Lights: switch
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'on' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in may 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is sc098.
Full defect summary
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 depressi
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Hyundai and kia ABS module fires
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has received eight hyundai motor america (hyundai) and eight kia america, inc. (kia) part 573 recall reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or hydraulic electronic control units (hecu) manufactured by the equipment supplier mando. The part 573 recall reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by mando. Safety recalls included in this audit query (aq) review include: hyundai recalls 20v-520, 20v-543, 21v-161, 21v-160, 21v-303, 22v-056, 22v-810, and 23v-651. Kia recalls 16v-815, 20v-518, 20v-519, 21v
Questions about the 2009 Kia Sportage
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Kia Sportage?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (18 complaints, typically around 91,000 miles); air bags (16 complaints, typically around 49,500 miles); brakes (15 complaints, typically around 54,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2009 Kia Sportage have?
- 3 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from October 24, 2022 (brakes). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2009 a bad year for the Kia Sportage?
- It is 16th of 26 Sportage model years by number of complaints, with 80 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.