Worst 2009 Kia Sorento Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Airbags
Electrical Faults
Electronic Stability Control
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2009 Kia Sorento.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 14 | 2 | — | 59,171 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 12 | — | — | 109,675 mi | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 8 | — | — | 75,315 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 6 | — | — | 25,126 mi | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 6 | — | — | 115,333 mi | |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 5 | — | — | 6,941 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 5 | — | — | 68,746 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Automatic Transmission | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Brakes | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Instrument Cluster | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Starter Assembly:Solenoid | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Manual Transmission | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Tire Defects | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2009 Kia Sorento. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2009 Kia Sorento
2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,209,206 vehicles.
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.
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 depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Other Kia Sorento Years
2009 Kia Sorento — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2009 Kia Sorento reliable?
What are common problems with the 2009 Kia Sorento?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2009 Kia Sorento?
How safe is the 2009 Kia Sorento?
Does the 2009 Kia Sorento have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2009 Kia Sorento?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Kia Sorento reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2009 Kia Sorento
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