2009 Kia Borrego problems & reliability
88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Kia Borrego, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Kia Borrego vehicles were involved in 10 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 16 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 15 | 17% |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 14% |
| Seat Belts | 11 | 13% |
| Unknown OR Other | 10 | 11% |
| Steering | 9 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 9% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 7% |
| Engine | 6 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 63,500 miles (middle 50% between 23,375 and 92,250 miles), based on 68 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The Car Transmission Shift Lever Panel dust cover breaks down and causes issues with the vehicle staying in gear while driving.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 30, 2026
“Something within the brake system is causing my shifter to not communicate with the brakes and will not allow my car to go into reverse or park. It stays stuck on drive or neutral. The only thing I can do is shut the car off and can’t do much except for move around the key until I can put the car into park. Then that…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Nov 21, 2025
“I have owned this car since it was new. Anchors Kia hung up on me 3x as I tried to get 2 recall items addressed. I then called the Kia hotline and got hung up on. All I want is my recalled item taken care of…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Nov 6, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
22 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Kia Borrego. The 10 most recent:
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…
TSB_BOD055_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2021
Tsb_tra027_closed: technical service bulletin closed
TSB_TRA027_CLSD · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2021
Tsb_bod041_clsd: technical service bulletin closed
TSB_BOD041_CLSD · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2021
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.
PS539 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 2018
TSB - IDENTIFYING HEAD UNIT SOFTWARE VERSION FOR DIRECT EXCHANGE - This bulletin provides the procedure on how to identify and record the head unit software level on various head unit platforms and generations.
TSBELE091R3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2017
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…
TSB-GEN085R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 18, 2017
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…
TSB-GEN085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 4, 2016
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…
PS443 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2016
"pitstop: egr/vvt readiness monitor drive cycle - on some borrego (hm) vehicles, you may be unable to complete egr readiness monitors, this condition may be caused by a recent battery replacement and/or resetting of the…
PS418 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 23, 2015
TSB: IDENTIFYING HEAD UNIT SOFTWARE VERSION FOR DIRECT EXCHANGE - Identifying Head Unit Software Version For Direct Exchange (ELE091) (Rev 1) - This bulletin provides the procedure on how to identify and record the head…
TSB-ELE091R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 12, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Kia Borrego has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Kia Borrego?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 63,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.