2009 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
120 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Kia Sportage, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 24/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 75,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2009 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“While the car was off and parked in the driveway the car caught on fire in the passenger side of the motor. The entire front part of the car was totaled.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 93 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 75,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 49,693 and 95,242 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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.
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…
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…
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…
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
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
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…
Model years named: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Technical service bulletins
20 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2009 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Sportage 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 Sportage reliable?
The 2009 Kia Sportage drew 120 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 24/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2009 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Kia Sportage are electrical (26 complaints), brakes & stability (16), and airbags (16).
At what mileage do 2009 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Kia Sportage problems around 75,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 49,693 and 95,242 miles.
Does the 2009 Kia Sportage have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 Kia Sportage. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.