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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2009 Kia Spectra Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 2009 Kia Spectra right now, so this page doesn't state a recall count — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for current campaigns. 114 owner complaints are on file.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2009 Kia Spectra, plus NCAP crash-test ratings.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2009 Kia Spectra owner complaints

Owners have filed 114 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Kia Spectra, describing incidents dated December 23, 2008 to November 10, 2023.

Most-cited components

  • Air Bags 76 complaints
  • Seats 11 complaints
  • Electrical System 10 complaints
  • Seat Belts 9 complaints
  • Engine 8 complaints
  • Service Brakes 6 complaints

Of the 114 complaints on file, 16 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 114 complaints, owners report 10 injuries and 2 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11556124 · Filed

    I am having a problem with my hazard turning signal lights it won't turn on.

  • ODI #11445718 · Filed

    My car seems like someone entered something in my gas tank while i may been in the store

  • ODI #11311310 · Filed

    THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND WE THINK THE OCS SENSOR MAT IS BAD. KIA HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR VEHICLES BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2006-2009 TO HAVE A OCS SENSOR MAT REPLACED FOR FREE FOR A PERIOD OF 15 YEARS REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE.

Read all 114 complaints

Owner-reported

2009 Kia Spectra mileage at failure

92 of the 114 complaints on file for the 2009 Kia Spectra give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Air BagsMedian 70,000 milesMiddle half 50,000–95,000 milesBased on 61 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2009 Kia Spectra in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations
We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 2009 Kia Spectra right now — this is not a confirmed "no recalls". Check the VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls for the official status.

Other Kia Spectra model years

Check your 2009 Kia Spectra VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Kia Spectra at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Kia VIN