YearToAvoid

2009 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

45/100

#12 most-complained of 21 Sportage years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2009 Kia Sportage has 80 owner complaints and 3 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 45 out of 100 — #12 highest of 21 Sportage model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is electrical system (24 complaints, 30% of the total). Complaints report 4 crashes, 8 fires, and 6 injuries.

Complaints
80
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
4 / 8
Injuries / deaths
6 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
21
19 city / 24 hwy

Top 2009 Kia Sportage problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System24 (30%)
  2. Brakes21 (26%)
  3. Airbags16 (20%)
  4. Steering14 (18%)
  5. Engine11 (14%)
  6. Other6 (8%)
  7. Fuel System5 (6%)
  8. Structure & Body5 (6%)
  9. Seat Belts3 (4%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain3 (4%)
2009 Kia Sportage complaints: complaints filed per quarter112009 Q42012 Q32014 Q32015 Q42017 Q12019 Q12020 Q32023 Q2
112 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q4 to 2025 Q3; peak 2016 Q3 (11).

2009 Kia Sportage recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 22V800000Oct 24, 2022Brakes71,704 vehiclesPark Outside

    Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

    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.

    Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.

    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.

  2. NHTSA 16V815000Nov 10, 2016Electrical System71,704 vehicles

    Electrical system:wiring

    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.

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

    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.

  3. NHTSA 13V114000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System980,377 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    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.

    Risk: 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.

    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.

2009 Kia Sportage fuel economy and fuel cost

City
19 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,100
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2009 compared with other Sportage years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Best1577221
2008Good3598321
2009Good4580321
2010Best520221
2011Caution65181623

All Kia Sportage years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Kia Sportage a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Kia Sportage ranks #12 of 21 among Sportage model years (Complaint Index 45/100, verdict: Good). It has 80 complaints and 3 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Kia Sportage?
The most reported problem areas are electrical system (24 complaints), brakes (21 complaints), and airbags (16 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 64,500 miles.
Does the 2009 Kia Sportage have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2009 Kia Sportage, most recently reported 2022, covering brakes and electrical system.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Kia Sportage?
EPA rates the 2009 Kia Sportage at 21 MPG combined (19 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.