Kia · Rondo · 2009
2
Recalls
72
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2009 Kia Rondo has 2 recalls and 72 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: steering (16 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
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 Status
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.
KIA IS RECALLING 6,680 MY 2008-2009 RONDO LX AND EX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.4 LITER ENGINE. THE FUEL PUMP MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY RESULTING IN NOT ENOUGH FUEL GETTING TO THE ENGINE. POOR ENGINE STARTING, ENGINE HESITATION, AND OTHER IMPAIRMENT MAY RESULT, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MAY ILLUMINATE.
Remedy Status
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP SUB-ASSEMBLY WITH AN IMPROVED PART. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Rondo. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the exterior brake lights remained illuminated. Additionally, the ESC warning light was illuminated while driving. The contact had to depress the brake pedal three times to turn off the exterior brake lights. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
I had to replace the tires on this car several times in 3 years. They alarm had a glitch that the car would not start and you had to take it specifically to a Kia dealer to have they alarm reprogrammed. Even upon repairs to your local mechanic. Costing them more money and me more money because they could not get in the car by pass they alarm without using kia first to reprogram it. The brakes locked up. The lights woukd go off for airbag and stay on. The anti lick brake light would stay on .. Very dangerous. I had to spend more money to because of they alarm. Even just replacing the battery in the alarm remote cost more money for the remote and the programming of the remote . You could not just replace the battery. The tires and brakes gave me several issues in 3 years To the tube of close 3000. And that's being fair.
I am reporting premature sub frame corrosion. The corroded area would cause a safety hazard if the corroded part of the frame broke all the way off as a result of hitting a large bump or perhaps a big pothole. Fortunately i discovered the problem when I was getting the tires balanced. I will no longer drive the vehicle until it is repaired safely.
No compression in cylinder 3 due to oil drainage in spark plug panel caused Loss of motive power and Almost a wreck so to vehicle shutting down on the interstate . As I look I see that this is in investigation already and needs to be took into consideration as soon as possible if our lives really matter to Kia as your customers . So very sad how the engines and fuel systems are on kias
Engine Star making very loud noise. Will driving. Mechanic told me engine is damaged and need replacement
MY HUSBAND WAS SITTING IN OUR KIA, IN PARK AND CAR TURNED OFF, WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD SNAPPING SOUND. CAR TOWED TO SHOP RESULTED IN MECHANIC STATING OUR FRONT DRIVER STRUT "EXPLODED" INTO SEVERAL PIECES. LUCKY WE WERE NOT DRIVING WHEN IT HAPPENED, HE STATED. NEVER HAD A CAR DO THIS BEFORE, EVER!
EVERY TIME I GO THROUGH A SMALL PUDDLE I LOSE CONTROL OF STEERING THE VEHICLE. IT HAS HAPPENED BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY NUMEROUS TIMES, LASTS A FEW MINUTES AND THEN I REGAIN CONTROL OF STEERING. FORTUNATELY, IT'S HAPPENED ON MY STREET FOR THE MOST PART. LAST WEEK, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020, I WAS ON A VERY BUSY MAIN ROAD WHEN I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO A SHOPPING CENTER. I TURNED RIGHT, WENT THROUGH A SMALL PUDDLE, AND LOST CONTROL OF STEERING. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME SO I SHIFTED BACKWARDS AND TRIED TO FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL WITH NO LUCK. I REPEATED GOING BACKWARDS AND AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS THE STEERING FUNCTION CAME BACK. I'VE HAD THE DRIVE BELT REPLACED SO THAT CAN'T BE THE PROBLEM. I'VE RECENTLY HAD AN ALIGNMENT, TWO NEW TIRES INSTALLED, AND TIRES ROTATED. NOTHING WAS MENTIONED ABOUT ANY ISSUES. I TAKE MY VEHICLE TO THE SAME REPAIR SHOP AND HAVE HAD EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT. I KNOW THE VEHICLE IS OTHERWISE FUNCTIONING WELL. I WAS ON-LINE SEARCHING TO SEE IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE. THERE ARE NO RECALLS BUT I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS ENOUGH PROBLEM THAT KIA SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND CORRECT.
WHEN I DRIVE IN WET CONDITIONS, SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL IS INOPERABLE FOR A FEW SECONDS. I'VE SEEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE SAY THEY'VE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR VEHICLE AND KIA CLAIMS THAT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND THEY NEED TO BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMETHING VERY BAD HAPPENS.
WHEN IT IS RAINING OR AFTER RAIN IF THERE ARE STILL PUDDLES IN THE ROAD, WHEN THE CAR GOES THROUGH ANY PUDDLES THE STEERING LOCKS UP FOR AT LEAST 45 SECONDS. I HAD MY DAUGHTER LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE AND THIS HAPPENED TO HER. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PUTTING MY CHILD AT RISK LIKE THIS ESPECIALLY WITH THE PRICE OF THIS CAR. I'VE HAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED AND IT STILL DOES THIS. MY ESC LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE I GOT THE CAR. SO ANY TIME I HIT THE SMALLEST BUMP OR WHEN TRYING TO STOP ON A BUMPY ROAD OR ON SNOW OR ICE, THE CAR LOCKS UP. THE BRAKES GO OUT AND ITS LIKE EVERYTHING IN THE CAR LOCKS UP FOR A FEW SECONDS. IT IS TERRIFYING ESPECIALLY WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT A LIGHT. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE EXPERIENCED SO MANY ISSUES IN A VEHICLE BEFORE OWNING A KIA RONDO. I HAVE HAD THE WHOLE FRONT END SUSPENSION REPLACED, NEW TIRES AND RIMS AND A MONTH LATER THE CAR IS WOBBLING AGAIN.
THE ESC LIGHT WENT TO ESC OFF STATUS. TRIED TO REPAIR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. BRAKE LIGHT PLUNGER STOPPER WAS BROKEN. CANNOT FIND REPLACEMENT STOPPER OF THIS TYPE. APPEARS THIS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY THAN ORIGINAL RONDO LX 2009. THERE WAS DEFINITELY A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. NEED ASSISTANCE IN MAKING SAFETY ISSUE CORRECTED. PARK POSITION CAN ALSO SLIP OUT WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE. BRAKE LIGHTS CAN STICK ON. NEED ASSISTANCE ASAP FROM KIA.
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND THE BRAKE LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT COME ON. THE CAR REMAINS ON. I COULD BE DRIVING STRAIGHT OR TRYING TO TURN. IT LASTS AT LEAST 10-30 SECONDS MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
TWICE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, BOTH THE POWER STEERING AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL, NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED. THE BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. AFTER 5-10 SECONDS, THE POWER STEERING AND THE BRAKES WOULD WORK AGAIN. THE WORST INCIDENT OCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN IN A BUSY INTERSECTION; THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT. THE OTHER INCIDENT WAS IN A SCHOOL CROSSING ZONE, WHILE CHILDREN WERE WALKING OR BICYCLING TO SCHOOL. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL IT CAN BE REPAIRED.
FRONT SPRINGS BREAKING AND IT IS NUMEROUS MODEL YEARS. KIA KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND HAS DONE NOTHING. WHEN YOU TURN THE SPRINGS TWIST AND BREAK. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME FOR ME THAT MY FRONT SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN. FOUND DURING A INSPECTION.
SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IN RAINY CONDITIONS THE CAR HAVE LOST THE POWER STEERING, MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE, ENGINE AND BATTERY LIGHTS TURN ON. VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AT ALL. ONLY OPTION IS TO STOP THE CAR, TURN IT OFF AND WAIT TILL IS OPERATIONAL AGAIN. IT HAPPENED WHILE HITTING PUDDLES OF WATER OR IN HEAVY RAIN. I DID CONTACT KIA ABOUT IT AND THEY ONLY SAID THERE IS NOT A RECALL.
ANY TIME THERE IS WATER ON THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING MY CAR LOSES STEERING AND BRAKING CAPABILITIES. DOESN'T MATER IF IT IS A SMALL PUDDLE OR A LARGE ONE, EVEN IF JUST DAMP ON ROAD. INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS COME ON AND A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE HAPPENS. LIKE THE CAR IS STALLING. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC TO BE LOOKED AT AND THEY SAID THE SHIELD IS IN PLACE AND THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING THEY PLACED THE BELT TENSIONER AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL HAPPENING. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES.
PASSING THROUGH WATER PUDDLES OR DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE STEERING LOCKS UP. I HAD THE POWER STEERING BELT REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I HAD IT LOCK UP WHILE MAKING TURNS. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS.
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT LOCK WHEN TRYING TO PUT IT ON; WHILE STATIONARY AND IN PARK. TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, AND LOTS OF JIGGLING, TO GET IT TO ENGAGE. IT SOMETIMES COMES UNHOOKED WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE MIDDLE BACK SEAT BELT IS FROZEN AND UNUSABLE. WHEN I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY 1989 TOYOTA COROLLA YEARS BACK, THE DEALER TOLD ME FEDERAL LAW SPECIFIED THE MANUFACTURER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING SEAT BELTS THAT WERE FAILING, EVEN WITHOUT A RECALL, FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. KIA HAS TOLD ME IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY. I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD NOT WANT TO RISK A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT IF I, OR MY FAMILY MEMBERS, WERE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED DUE TO SEAT BELT FAILURE.
STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A RAIN PUDDLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE GOING STRAIGHT AND TURNING.
ON THREE OCCASIONS WITHIN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS, I HAVE COMPLETELY LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. THE WHEEL BECOMES ALMOST UNMOVABLE (I AM A STRONG, ADULT MALE). ON ONE OF THESE OCCASIONS, THE WEATHER WAS DAMP AND THE ENGINE ALSO STALLED. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE AND COAST THE CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER WHERE I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE AWAY. ON THE REMAINING TWO OCCASIONS I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE POWER STEERING CEASED TO WORK. TERRIFYING AND DEADLY. LATEST EVENT WAS MAY 9, 2018.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 KIA RONDO. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISES TO THE CHEST AND RIBS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CALLED SOUTHWEST KIA-ROCKWALL AT(469) 402-2900 (LOCATED AT 1790 I-30 FRONTAGE RD, ROCKWALL, TX 75087) TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2009 Kia Rondo has 2 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 72 owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Kia Rondo.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2009 Kia Rondo.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2009 Kia Rondo are steering (16 reports), air bags (11 reports), seat belts (4 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 2 recalls on record for the 2009 Kia Rondo. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.