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2009 Kia Borrego

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

71 reports with mileage · 17 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

4 reports
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11,000 miles · Jul 24, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

FRONT ROTOR WARPED BEFORE 12,000 MILES, KIA DEALER REFUSED TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY. I WENT TO THE DEALER ON A SATURDAY MORNING, BUT THEY SAID THEY WERE VERY BUSY TO COMPLETE ALL THE ISSUES I HAD, A RECURRING VIBRATION AT 70-80, BRAKES VIBRATING AND AN OIL CHANGE, SO I RESCHEDULED. I MISSED THE RESCHEDULED DATE AND WHEN I…

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FRONT ROTOR WARPED BEFORE 12,000 MILES, KIA DEALER REFUSED TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY. I WENT TO THE DEALER ON A SATURDAY MORNING, BUT THEY SAID THEY WERE VERY BUSY TO COMPLETE ALL THE ISSUES I HAD, A RECURRING VIBRATION AT 70-80, BRAKES VIBRATING AND AN OIL CHANGE, SO I RESCHEDULED. I MISSED THE RESCHEDULED DATE AND WHEN I DID FINALLY MAKE IT IN I WAS OVER 12000 MILES AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO COVER THE BRAKES. I CONTACTED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AS I ALSO HAD TO ADDRESS THE VIBRATION BETWEEN 70 -80 MPH. KIA CONTACTED THE DEALER TO SEE IF A GOODWILL REPAIR OR EXCHANGE WOULD BE DONE, AND ARRANGE TEST DRIVE BY A REGIONAL MANAGER. THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER & REGIONAL PARTS MANAGER TEST DROVE MY VEHICLE. CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO TELL ME THAT THE VIBRATION IS INHERENT TO THE BORREGO BECAUSE THE REGIONAL MANAGE DRIVES THE SAME SUV AND IT HAS THE SAME VIBRATION? IT SO ANNOYING, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE PASSENGER SEAT VIBRATE. AGAIN THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE BRAKE REPAIR STATING NOTHING WAS WRONG, EVEN THOUGH I HAD A WRITTEN ESTIMATE FROM THEM TO CUT THE ROTOR. THE NEXT DAY I SCHEDULED SERVICE TO HAVE THE BRAKE ROTORS RESURFACED, AND THEY DID IT. HOW DO THEY EXPLAIN RESURFACING ROTORS THAT A REGION MANGER CLAIMS HAD NO BRAKE PROBLEM, AND I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE RESURFACED. AT 23800 MILES, THEY WARPED AGAIN, I PAID TO CUT THEM AGAIN. AT 33,000 THEY WARPED AGAIN, I PAID TO GET THEM REPLACED (KIA OEM). AT 41,000 THE ROTOR WARPED AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER, THE SAY TO PUT ON AFTERMARKET SLOTTED DRILLED ROTORS. I DISAGREE AS I DON'T WANT TO VOID ANY WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10414934

Mileage unknown · Jul 15, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

I HAVE HAD MY 2009 KIA BORREGO FOR 1.5 YEARS AND ALL 4 ROTORS ARE WARPED NOW, BUT NO OTHER PROBLEMS. BRAKE PADS ARE FINE. DISK ARE FINE. IF YOU RESEARCH WARPED ROTORS YOU WILL FIND THAT BAD BRAKE PADS ARE USUALLY THE CAUSE FOR WARPAGE. I READ IN SEVERAL FORUMS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 2009 KIA BORREGO, W…

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I HAVE HAD MY 2009 KIA BORREGO FOR 1.5 YEARS AND ALL 4 ROTORS ARE WARPED NOW, BUT NO OTHER PROBLEMS. BRAKE PADS ARE FINE. DISK ARE FINE. IF YOU RESEARCH WARPED ROTORS YOU WILL FIND THAT BAD BRAKE PADS ARE USUALLY THE CAUSE FOR WARPAGE. I READ IN SEVERAL FORUMS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 2009 KIA BORREGO, WHICH TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I STRONGLY DO NOT FEEL THAT "HEAT" SHOULD CAUSE ALL 4 ROTORS TO WARP AT THE SAME TIME. THAT IS WHAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT PROBABLY CAUSED THIS. I READ THAT SOMEONE ELSE WAS TOLD THIS TOO. I LIVE IN FLORIDA, IF THAT WAS THE CASE EVERYONE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THEIR ROTORS EVERY YEAR IN A HALF. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10412437

11,000 miles · Jan 26, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA BORREGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED CAUSING THE REAR END TO DRAG AND THE ROTORS TO OVER HEAT. THE FAILURE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA BORREGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED CAUSING THE REAR END TO DRAG AND THE ROTORS TO OVER HEAT. THE FAILURE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS BUT THE REPAIR WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

NHTSA ODI #10378774

20,000 miles · May 26, 2010
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA MOTOR BORREGO. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT ENGAGE; THE FAILURE RESULTED IN A CRASH. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP THAT WORKS WITH THE AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. THE…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA MOTOR BORREGO. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT ENGAGE; THE FAILURE RESULTED IN A CRASH. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP THAT WORKS WITH THE AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

NHTSA ODI #10332388

Official recalls

3

23V692000 · Structure:body:roof And Pillars

Oct 13, 2023

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Borrego vehicles. The headliner plates may not be secured properly, which can result in the plates detaching in the event of a side curtain air bag deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A headliner plate that detaches during a crash may strike an occupant, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will secure the headliner plates, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 30, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC286.

13V114000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Apr 1, 2013

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

12V245000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages

May 31, 2012

KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 BORREGO VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2, 2008, THROUGH JANUARY 20, 2009, EQUIPPED WITH NON-ADJUSTABLE BRAKE PEDALS. CERTAIN PEDAL MOUNTS MAY HAVE A FIBERGLASS COMPOSITION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BREAK OFF IN A COLLISION WHERE THE IMPACT HAS NOT IMMOBILIZED THE VEHICLE, WHICH WOULD THEN ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE DRIVER WOULD NEED TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITH THE PARKING BRAKE OR EXPERIENCE A POSSIBLE SECOND IMPACT, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: KIA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE PEDAL MOUNT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 15, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-333-4542.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.