Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Kia Sorento, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags21
- Electrical system14
- Power train9
- Electronic stability control (esc)8
- Vehicle speed control6
- Service brakes, hydraulic6
- Engine4
- Seats3
- Unknown or other3
- Service brakes2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 13 2009 Sorento vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 9 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2009 Kia Sorento failed the safety check 2.76% of the time — 9% more often than the average 2009 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 124,176 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2009 Kia Sorento cars on Dutch roads are the 2.4 petrol (128 kW, 172 hp) and 3.3 petrol (182 kW, 244 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 petrol | 128 kW 172 hp | 107 |
| 3.3 petrol | 182 kW 244 hp | 50 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
167 first registered in 2009 are on Dutch roads; 4% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €36,442.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde124
- Band onvoldoende profiel87
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect50
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld49
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)42
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm42
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen39
- Richtingaanwijzers kleur wijkt af/niet toegestaan33
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
862 cars built in 2009 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 263 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,472 of these cars first registered in 2009 took their annual MOT test. 54% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2009 the figure was 59%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 21.3% | 10.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 21.2% | 18.7% |
| Suspension | 16.2% | 16.4% |
| Steering | 8.6% | 2.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.0% | 5.8% |
| Tyres | 5.6% | 7.5% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
10 of these cars first registered in 2009 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 337,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
128 2009 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 13.5–13.8 L/100 km (about 17 mpg US), CO₂ 311–317 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sorento 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 15.6 | 10.9 | 13.5 |
| Sorento 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 15.6 | 11.5 | 13.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2009 Kia Sorento.
| 2020064 19 Feb 2020 | Brakes Issue: On certain vehicles, moisture can enter the brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) and cause a short circuit. Safety Risk: A short circui… |
| 2013098 3 Apr 2013 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the stop lamp switch may fail and cause intermittent operation of the brake lights. Failure of the brake lights to illuminate when the brak… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Kia told its dealers about the 2009 Kia Sorento: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10201529 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to some Kia models that may exhibit fogging, condensation, and/or moisture inside a headlamp assembly. Generally, a fogging condition is considered normal and can be eliminated by turning on the headlamps with the engine running for up to 30 minutes or during normal driving conditions. Headlamp assembly replacement WILL |
| 10183431 | TSB - USE OF AFTERMARKET USB CHARGING CABLES IN USB/12V PORTS - This article provides information regarding the use of USB ports and 12V power outlets to connect/charge mobile phones. Customers may experience issues with their head units that may be related to the use of aftermarket USB charging cables, including; * Electrical interference and limited or no functionality when attempting to play music, or when charging a device through the USB port * Excessive static or noise when listening to the audio source * Malfunctions and screen freeze of the head unit screen * Slow down of the sys |
| 10133170 | PITSTOP - ENGINE COMPONENT RE-USE GUIDELINES - In general, parts and components removed during engine repairs should be considered serviceable, and should be thoroughly cleaned and transferred to the new engine. |
| 10109812 | TSB: MANDATORY REPLACEMENT OF LOCKING/SECURITY HARDWARE - By design, certain fasteners, which are designed to lock into place once fully attached, are utilized in various Kia models and are strictly intended for ?one time use.? Some examples are: axle shaft nuts with stake collar, cotter pins, washers with locking tabs and other similar hardware, including threaded fasteners with pre-applied ?thread-locking adhesives.? It is critical for technicians to be aware that ALL such locking fasteners, regardless of type, are for ?one time use? only. |
| 10109777 | TSB: MANDATORY REPLACEMENT OF LOCKING/SECURITY HARDWARE - By design, certain fasteners utilized in various Kia models are strictly intended for ?one time use?. Though not limited to the following, some examples are: axle shaft nuts with stake collar, cotter pins, washers with locking tabs and other similar hardware, including threaded fasteners with pre-applied ?thread-locking adhesives.? |
| 10090713 | TSB: WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP INLET FILTER REPLACEMENT - THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION RELATING TO POSSIBLE FOREIGN DEBRIS ACCUMULATION ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP INLET FILTER. OVER TIME, SOME KIA VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A LIMITED APPLICATION OF WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID WHEN THE WASHER FUNCTION IS USED. LIMITED APPLICATION OF WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID CAN BE CAUSED BY FOREIGN DEBRIS ON THE WASHER PUMP INLET FILTER. TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION, REPLACE THE WASHER PUMP INLET FILTER AND PERFORM THE WINDSHIELD WASHER RESERVOIR FLUSHING PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THIS TSB. |
| 10044560 | KIA: DUE TO DESIGN OF DRAIN HOLES IN VALLEY OF LAMBDA V6 ENGINES, A MISDIAGNOSE OF A POSSIBLE OIL LEAK SOURCE IN REAR MAIN SEAL OR OIL PAN, WHEN ACTUAL LEAKS COMING FROM ENGINE VALLEY,OIL FILTER HOUSING, OIL PRESSURE SWITCH, AND/OR GASKETS. *PE |
| 10037693 | KIA: THERE MAY BE ERRATIC SHIFTING, SHIFT SHOCK, AND A MALFUNCTION LIGHT ON WITH STORED TROUBLE CODES. THIS IS CAUSED BY A PROBLEM WITHIN THE TRANSFER MOTOR. *RM |
| 10037347 | KIA: THERE IS A PROCEDURE TO RESET THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL VALUE. *RM |
| 10034496 | KIA: PROVIDES THE PROCEDURE TO UPGRADE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) ON SOME VEHICLES WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE IDLE IRREGULARITY WITH BRAKE PEDAL APPLIED/DEPRESSED. *PE |
| 10033464 | KIA: ECM UPGRADE WITH TP SENSOR REPLACEMENT-MIL ON WITH DTC P2135/P0638. INFORMATION RELATED TO ECM SOFTWARE AND TP SENSOR UPGRADE ON SOME VEHICLES WITH 2.7L ENGINES WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) SYSTEM RELATED DTC P2135 OR P0638 OR P2A00 OR P2A03. *PE |
| 10032792 | KIA: INFORMATION RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM) UPGRADE FOR CERTAIN MODELS. VEHICLES WITH 3.3L ENGINE MAY EXPERIENCE A BUMPING SYMPTOM DURING ENGAGEMENT OF THE DAMPER CLUTCH (TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK UP CLUTCH), AND A BUCKING SYMPTOM WHEN THE DAMPER CLUTCH IS FULLY ENGAGED. *PE |
| 10032617 | KIA MOTORS: SOME VEHICLES WITH A 3.8L ENGINE MAY EXPERIENCE A BUMPING SYMPTOM DURING ENGAGEMENT OF THE DAMPER CLUTCH (TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK UP CLUTCH), AND A BUCKING SYMPTOM WHEN THE DAMPER CLUTCH IS FULLY ENGAGED. *PE UPDATED 8/16/10. *PE |
| 10030365 | KIA MOTORS: RELATING TO OIL CONTROL VALVE (OCV) USED IN CONSTANT VARIABLE VALVE TIMING (CVVT). IF AT ANY TIME OCV IS SUSPECTED AS A CAUSE OF ROUGH IDLING, POOR ACCELERTION, CAMSHAFT TIMING MISALIGNMENT RELATED TROUBLE CODES, MISFIRE RELATED TROUBLE CODES ETC., ON THE VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THE CVVT SYSTEM, BE SURE TO PERFORM THE OCV INSPECTION PROCEDURE BELOW BEFORE REPLACEMENT. NO MODEL YEARS SPECIFIED. *PE |
| 10030292 | KIA: ON SOME VEHICLES WITH 2.7L ENGINES, THE ECM SOFTWARE AND TP SENSOR UPGRADE MAY EXPERIENCE A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) SYSTEM RELATED DTC P2135 OR P0638 OR P2A00 OR P2A03. *PE |
| 10030290 | KIA: LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY LABEL REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO COMPLY WITH FMVSS 110. PROVIDING INFORMATION FOR THE NEW REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY (LCC) WHEN CERTAIN ACCESSORIES ARE ADDED TO A COMPLETED VEHICLE PRI0R TO FIRST RETAIL SALE. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation