Most common 2009 Kia Rondo problems
Share of the 72 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Kia Rondo complaints by model year
Best Rondo years: 2010, 2009. Years to avoid: 2007, 2008. Compare all years →
2009 Kia Rondo recalls (2)
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.
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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage
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: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2009 Kia Rondo:
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
What 2009 Kia Rondo owners say
Steering all 31 →
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
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. …
Air bags
My son & his friend were hit on the passenger side by a young man who intentionally ran a red light. He HID my son so hard that our 2009 Kia Rondo flipped 3 times and not one of the driver side airbags deployed. They did deploy on the passenger side only. The car has since been destroyed by the insurance company, however I still have pictures. I think this should be checked in other rondos so no one else has to endure what my son who was driving did. As you can see from the picture that although the passenger air bags deployed, the steering wheel in in tact and none of the driver side air bags deployed. Seems impossible since the car flipped over 3 times. He was driving on a city street.
Nothing unordinary happened. However I believe it May have been around the time I had a new battery installed in my car. It went from one day to the next, where all of a sudden the airbag light can on and hasn't gone off since. I've had no accident, no major repair, nothing out of the ordinary. Now, I'm looking to take it to the Kia dealer, who wants to charge me $120 just to get codes and determine why the light is on. I feel this is something that should be covered under warranty, being that there is nothing a driver could do to cause a malfunction or disconnection with the airbags and how they function. I've seen three other posts on here where the airbags didn't deploy when they were suppose to. The big determining factor for my purchase of the Kia Rondo, was it's safety features, and all the airbags that are throughout the vehicle. …
Electrical system
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.
While driving 30 MPH, through a puddle, the car lost all ability to steer. Power felt as if it shut off for approximately 1 minute. Not the first time this has happened. Can you please investigate or do recall for whatever parts need to be replaced???
2009 Kia Rondo engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Kia Rondo a good car?
Based on 72 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Rondo rates average: 32% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Rondo at the same age. It is one of the best Rondo years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Kia Rondo?
The steering — 31 complaints, 43% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (14) and electrical system (10).
How many recalls does the 2009 Kia Rondo have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2009 Kia Rondo, the most recent from April 1, 2013 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Kia Rondo?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007 and 2008. See the full Kia Rondo years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Kia Rondo problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 84,000 miles; 16% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.