2009 Kia Sorento Problems, Recalls & Reliability
79 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Kia Sorento, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 4/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 33,100 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2009 Kia Sorento has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2009 sits among all Sorento years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 55 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 46,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 17,863 and 96,500 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Sedona and 2007-2009 Sorento vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the main junction box to prevent power from being directed to the HECU when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, free of charge.…
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.…
CURT MANUFACTURING IS RECALLING CERTAIN TOW PACKAGE WIRING HARNESSES, PART NUMBER 56024, THAT CONNECT TOW VEHICLE LIGHTING CIRCUITS TO TRAILER LIGHTING CIRCUITS SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2011 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ AND KIA SORENTO VEHICLES.…
Fix: CURT MANUFACTURING WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE TOW PACKAGE WIRING HARNESS. THE REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 17, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CURT…
Federal defect investigations
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 Sorento reliable?
The 2009 Kia Sorento drew 79 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 4/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2009 Kia Sorento problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Kia Sorento are airbags (21 complaints), electrical (15), and other (11).
At what mileage do 2009 Kia Sorento problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Kia Sorento problems around 46,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 17,863 and 96,500 miles.
Does the 2009 Kia Sorento have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 Kia Sorento. 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.