NHTSA vehicle safety data

2009 Kia Sportage Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2009 Kia Sportage has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 80 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Kia dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2009 Kia Sportage, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2009 Kia Sportage owner complaints

Owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Kia Sportage, describing incidents dated January 7, 2009 to September 23, 2025.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 18 complaints
Air Bags 16 complaints
Service Brakes 15 complaints
Steering 14 complaints
Engine 10 complaints
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 7 complaints

Of the 80 complaints on file, 4 report a crash and 8 a fire; across all 80 complaints, owners report 6 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11689074 · Filed September 23, 2025
In 2018 my I was driving home when it just shut off and wouldn’t start. Smelled like burning and had it towed to my house and had several mechanics look at it and couldn’t find the problem then as it was parked on day it started to smoke and the engine was burning I put out the fire and then a…
ODI #11547820 · Filed October 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V800000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was determined that parts were not yet available. The…
ODI #11532970 · Filed July 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V800000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair…

Read all 80 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2009 Kia Sportage in 1 investigation. Audit Queries and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations: they look at whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules, not at a possible vehicle defect. 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.

Audit Query AQ23-002: Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
Open since November 17, 2023

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Engine Compartment Fire

NHTSA #22V800000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — Control Unit/Module · NHTSA notice

Reported October 24, 2022 · Kia America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 71,704 vehicles

Repair completion: 25.29% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Kia campaign SC253 · Owners notified December 22, 2022

Recall group: Hyundai and Kia ABS module fires

Park outside only — fire risk while parked indoors or near structures.

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

A fire increases the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

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 fuses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC253.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit may Short

NHTSA #16V815000 · Electrical System — Wiring · NHTSA notice

Reported November 10, 2016 · Kia Motors America

Potentially affected: 71,704 vehicles

Repair completion: 54.85% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Kia campaign SC138 · Owners notified December 28, 2016 · Vehicles built August 9, 2007 – May 13, 2009 (per NHTSA)

Recall group: Hyundai and Kia ABS module fires

Defect description

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 the HECU circuit board. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as could occur from melted snow, the wire harness connector pins may corrode and the circuit board may short circuit.

Safety consequence

If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.

Manufacturer remedy

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 the HECU assembly and the connector cover, free of charge. The recall began on November 28, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC138.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Stop Lamp Switch may Function Intermittently

NHTSA #13V114000 · Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights — Switch · NHTSA notice

Reported April 1, 2013 · Kia Motors Corporation

Potentially affected: 980,377 vehicles

Kia campaign SC098 · Owners notified April 19, 2013 · Vehicles built January 31, 2007 – January 26, 2010 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

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. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2009 Kia Sportage 4-DR w/SAB

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

17% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control

1 investigation

80 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Kia Sportage.

Electrical System; Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11689074

Fire

Incident: September 23, 2025 · Filed: September 23, 2025

In 2018 my I was driving home when it just shut off and wouldn’t start. Smelled like burning and had it towed to my house and had several mechanics look at it and couldn’t find the problem then as it was parked on day it started to smoke and the engine was burning I put out the fire and then a couple months later I got the recall information the car was a total loss and could t be repaired and no compemsation was sent to me. Ive contacted the class action suit and they were very vague with the information. I waited and the car eventually disappeared in which I thought the Kia company picked it up. I still have t hear word from anyone and my car is no where to be found and I would like to be reimbursed for the car since it was paid off

Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Electrical System

ODI #11547820

Incident: October 2, 2023 · Filed: October 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V800000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was determined that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact to contact the dealer for assistance. The contact had heard an abnormal sound and noticed that the wiring harness had melted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ODI #11532970

Incident: October 24, 2022 · Filed: July 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V800000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Electrical System

ODI #11520410

Incident: April 21, 2023 · Filed: May 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle in the dealer's parking lot after the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 16V815000 (Electrical System) and 22V800000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) had been completed, the HECU, the ABS, the TPMS warning lights and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact notified the dealer of the failure. The dealer advised the contact to take the vehicle in for the repair however, there would be a fee for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 93,157.

Suspension; Structure; Unknown or Other

ODI #11519996

Incident: November 27, 2022 · Filed: May 2, 2023

The frame has rusted out on this vehicle. The passenger side frame above the rear axle is completely rusted out. I can put my thumb through the rear frame on the driver's side. The exhaust system on this vehicle is still intact - ironic that the frame would rust out before the exhaust system.

Electrical System; Engine

ODI #11490678

Incident: October 21, 2022 · Filed: October 24, 2022

I was parked at the grocery store with the car idling in park. The engine suddenly died and smoke was coming out from under the hood. I honestly thought the car was about to burst into flames. A good Samaritan looked under the hood and it was still smoking but eventually stopped. The electrical system is fried and even the emergency lights won't work. There was a very strong electrical fire smell that hung around for hours. I looked up this model and it shows there was a recall with the electrical system & that there was a risk of fire. But this vehicle's VIN is not listed as needing a repair. We have purchased this car used and contacted the original owner. They don't remember ever getting a recall notice or having to do a recall repair with this. I don't know how the car didn't go up in flames because there was so much smoke coming from under the hood.

Service Brakes

ODI #11458771

Incident: March 24, 2022 · Filed: March 29, 2022

Reference Kia SC138, Rev 1: DTC code C2380 has been pulled and the recall specifically calls for replacement of the HECU should this code occur. My dash panel's brake light, ESC light and ABS light all have come on alerting me to my car's problem. This recall was initially addressed on 2/6/2017 in Arizona checking for corrosion and/or moisture reaching the circuit board which I was told is common in harsh environments. I am told the cover was replaced. Cars in Arizona do not have a moisture or road salt issue reaching the engine compartment. Now it does. I purchased this low mileage Sportage with 55K miles in Iowa and I live in Wisconsin and now there is a failure of the circuit board from exposure to our weather. The dealer that examined the control unit during its first recall exam lengthened two of the brake lines 3-4 inches making it easier to reconnect the brake lines. This is why my dealer, Bergstrom Kia in Appleton, WI initially claimed they can not address the replacement of this HECU. Since I challenged their excuse with the assistance of my mechanic at Whitcomb Automotive in Kaukauna, WI Bergstrom now is saying they cannot fix my car under this recall because it is no longer under warranty and that it was examined in Arizona back in 2017. I was not of the understanding that safety recalls had a time limit. I currently am not allowing my family to drive the car fearing there could possibly be an engine compartment fire as described in the recall bulletin. The folks at Bergstrom have now given me 3 different reasons why they cannot perform this recall at 3 different challenges I have made with regard to their excuses, they just keep changing their story. I have spoken with Kia America and they tell me this is completely up to the dealer regarding the repair and that Kia Corp has zero influence for this being fixed. Can you help me?

Air Bags

ODI #11452049

Incident: August 1, 2021 · Filed: February 15, 2022

6 months ago air bag indicator light came on for 2 days. That went out and another one came on (can't remember which one) and that stayed on for 2 days. Then all was good for 5 months. Now air bag indicator light is on again. Yes, it's available upon request. Have appt with dealer on 2/25/22. Of course the air bag indicator light could cause risk if there is something wrong with the bags. I'm wondering if it is just an electrical problem with the lights.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11442194

Incident: July 6, 2021 · Filed: November 30, 2021

The brakes lock up with pressure and will not allow me to brake when immediate breaking is needed. When continuing to try to break hard to prevent hitting the car in front of me, the brake pedal immediately drops to the floor releasing the exuberant brake pressure still not allowing any braking needed. This issue has gone on for over a year as it comes and goes in an odd fashion. We had the brakes fully replaced by a local, good mechanic. We will contact Kia, but do not know how to explain the issue since it is not the brakes. It seems to be the anti-locking system or electrical system not controlling or allowing the brakes to respond properly. It seems to be affected if the under car has gotten wet. I fear for my life and for what may happen if someone jumps out in front of me and the brakes do not function properly. I looked for a possible recall, yet my VIN was not included in the 2 recalls which seems to match my issue. There are no warning lights or any indications that my anti-lock braking has failed. I love my 2009 Kia Sportage V6 and have not had accident, yet. (Knock on wood!)

Electrical System; Forward Collision Avoidance

ODI #11396510

Incident: February 1, 2021 · Filed: February 16, 2021

BRAKE LIGHT CIRCUIT DOESNT WORK

Other Kia Sportage model years

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