2009 Kia Sorento: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 55 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (37% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2020
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 55 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Driving on the interstate @ 65mph the car cut off then caught on fire. Smoke came in the car we pulled over to emergency lane exited the car and then flames came up through the console. The car became completely engulfed in flames and totally destroyed. There were no injuries. I have a video of the event. I do not know the cause. All of the gauges were working properly and read normal.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2024
“Currently my ESC OFF warning light is lit on my dash, and while lit my vehicle has trouble accelerating from 0 to 40 mph. The warning light goes on and off at random. I have had the accelerator pedal assembly replacement in 2015 and 2019 due to the same issue. It is NOW happening again in 2022!!!. Is this a design flaw issue? It's definitely a safety issue! How can consumers be protected from these issues?”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2022
“The contact owns a 2009 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V088000 (Electrical System, 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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2021
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 kia sorrento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. An unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 kia sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v088000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Gettel kia of bradenton located at 6423 14 th st. W, bradenton, fl 34207, (941)417-5210, was contacted by phone and confirmed the part was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2020
“Vehicle was traveling at 65 mph and the esc light came on slowing the vehicle to 30 mph on the highway. We were almost hit from behind. This is happening 2-3 times a day. Vehicle has to be turned off and restarted every time. This is a life threatening incident waiting to happen. Taken to dealer no recall. Vehicle was in motion every time the esc/engine light came on.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2019
“I've only had my kia sorento for a little over 2 years and I was trying to go forward when my car just started going in reverse. I had the car in drive and it just started going in reverse. I tried to put it in park and the same thing happened. So now it just going in reverse in all gears”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 kia sorento. While reversing the vehicle, the contact depressed the brake pedal to shift the gear into drive and the esc sensor illuminated. Previously, the esc indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled while turning a corner. The vehicle restarted on the first attempt; however, the acceleration was very slow. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (kia of chattanooga located at 2136 chapman rd, chattanooga, tn, 37421) where it was diagnosed that the esc needed to be reset and or replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,900.”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Jun 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 kia sorento. While the vehicle was idling at a traffic light, the brakes disengaged and the vehicle proceeded in a forward motion voluntarily. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the electronic stability control was failing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Nov 2016
“My 2009 kia sorento,I was driving down main road going about 55 when all sudden my power dropped to about 20,lucky I was not on interstate are pulling on to interstate,had to have towed in,said something to do with gas pedal,well thought was fixed,nope,I have had car for a year and has happened 3 times,it is a recurring problem,I am scared to drive it but in town and back,paying 400 a month for 5 years for a car I am scared to drive,if this is a recurring thing,why does kia not fix this problem,I will never buy another kia when they don't stand behind there ptoduct”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · May 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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. THE UNITS ARE NOT WATER-TIGHT AND MOISTURE CAN SEEP INTO THE CONVERTER MODULE AND DEFEAT THE MODULE'S INTERNAL CIRCUIT PROTECTION.
Remedy: 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 MANUFACTURING AT 1-715 831-8713.
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.
Remedy: 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. The recall began June 5, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC186.
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.
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.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2009 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Sorento by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Kia Sorento reliable?
NHTSA has 55 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2009 Kia Sorento. The most complained-about area is air bags (37% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2009 Kia Sorento problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 49,950 miles or less.
Does the 2009 Kia Sorento have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning equipment. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.