There are 14 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2009 Kia Sportagein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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
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.
BRAKE LIGHT CIRCUIT DOESNT WORK
WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF AND PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE MOTOR. THE ENTIRE FRONT PART OF THE CAR WAS TOTALED.
LEFT SIDE FRONT CORNER UNDER THE HOOD STARTED SMOKING. HAD TO DISCONNECT BATTERY TO MAKE IT STOP. CAR WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF
A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE AT MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET I FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT THING. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT THE RECALL AND NOW MY VEHICLE IS TOTALED FROM THE LACK OF NOTICE.
ON TUESDAY AUGUST 28TH 2018 MY CAR WAS PARKED IN AN APARTMENT PARKING LOT, AND HAD BEEN OFF FOR 4 HOURS. I WOKE UP TO MY CAR ALARM GOING OFF AT 12AM. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND THE LIGHTS WERE NOT FLASHING ON MY CAR SO I DIDN'T THINK IT MINE. NOT MORE THAN 1 MINUTE LATER MY CAR STARTED ON FIRE. THANK GOODNESS MY BOYFRIEND WAS A FIREFIGHTER. HE CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH 15 MINUTES. HOWEVER MY CAR WAS DETERMINE A TOTAL LOSS. ALL THEY COULD TELL ME WAS THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT HAD I BEEN AT HOME THAT NIGHT IN MY DUPLEX WHO I SHARE WITH MY NEIGHBORS AND THEIR INFANT, AND PARKED IN MY GARAGE MY HOUSE WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNED AND I WOULD BE DEAD. IT WAS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE AND I HAD NEVER HAD A SINGLE ISSUE WITH THE CAR IN THE 9 YEARS THAT I OWED IT. I WAS THE ONLY OWNER SO I KNEW MY CAR WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. WITH KIA IN THE NEWS A LOT LATELY WITH CAR FIRES I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION.
THE CLOCK SPRING IS NOT WORKING WHICH DEACTIVATES THE AIR BAG SYSTEM AND HORN. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN A RECALL IMMEDIATELY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V815000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
OWNER DROVE VEHICLE ONE HOUR PRIOR TO FIRE. PARKED VEHICLE WITNESS CAME BY OWNERS HOME REPORTED FIRE. FIRE IN FRONT ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT LOCATION OF ABS MODULE. OTHER COMPLAINTS NOTED FOR ABS MODULE AND FIRES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH WAS LOCATED ON A CORNER CONNECTED TO THE STEERING COLUMN AND DASHBOARD. THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,498.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNALS, ALL THE ELECTRONIC DEVICES BLINKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THE MULTI FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER, WHO CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE REAR DASHBOARD AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
I OWN A 2009 KIA SPORTSTER SUV AND ONLY IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS CAN ONE READ THE INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE CLOCK. WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE SPEED TO BE WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT, IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET INTO A POSITION TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER THAT ONE CAN EASILY CROSSOVER INTO THE ONCOMING LANE OR OFF THE ROAD. AT NIGHT THE PANELS ARE VERY VISIBLE AND I MIGHT SAY ATTRACTIVE BUT DURING DAYLIGHT HOUSE THEY ARE USELESS. I REMOVED THE BLACK HOUSING SURROUNDING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND PAINTED IT SILVER. THIS HAS HELPED SOME BUT THE PANEL CAN ONLY BE READ AT TIMES WHEN THE EXTERNAL LIGHTING IS JUST RIGHT. I HAVE NOTIFIED KIA DEALERSHIP AND HOME OFFICE WITH ZERO RESPONSE.*TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026