2009 Kia Optima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
166 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Kia Optima, alongside 1 recall campaign and 2 defect investigations. It scores 8/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 62,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2009 Kia Optima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2009 sits among all Optima years
What owners report
“When driving the vehicle it jerks forward and downshifts aggressively around 30 mph. Kia is aware of the issue and will not fix it because there is no recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Optima
“Airbag light has come on, won't go off and now ehicle won't pass state inspection.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Optima
“The light has been on since the middle of 2013 and the dealership when asked during each oil change is we will check it out. Ever since i have purchased this vehicle there has been problems with this vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Optima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 131 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 65,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 90,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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…
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.…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
33 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on airbags and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2009 Kia Optima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Optima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2009 Kia Optima reliable?
The 2009 Kia Optima drew 166 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 8/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2009 Kia Optima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Kia Optima are transmission & drivetrain (33 complaints), airbags (28), and electrical (26).
At what mileage do 2009 Kia Optima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Kia Optima problems around 65,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 90,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Kia Optima have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2009 Kia Optima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.