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The 2009 Kia Borrego has 88 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
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The 2009 Kia Borrego has 88 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of October 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 14 complaints, typically surfacing around 65,452 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Borrego (this page) | 88 | 3 |
| 2010 Borrego | 2 | 2 |
| 2011 Borrego | 0 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: brakes is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 53,634 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 3 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.2/10 model. The priciest documented failure is powertrain (~$2,500) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Kia borrego. The contact stated that some of the seat belts in the vehicle would not latch properly without first depressing the release button on the seat belt. Once the seat belt was latched, it became unlatched again when the contact moved…
Driver's seat belt randomly discharges and disconnects. We began to be able to feel the difference when putting it on when it would latch vs when it wouldn't properly and securely latch. Sometimes it would take 3-5 attempts to make the belt feel secure. Often times, it would…
After starting the car then moving the shifter in to drive . As I get the shifter in the reverse position going to drive .. The car jerks forward like I have my foot on the gas.. It is very startling. Goes in reverse fine.. But when I move onto it drive it starts to…
Drivers seatbelt does not stay latched. Pops open driving down road without touching it. It happens driving straight on highways city streets going straight and turning. It has been an ongoing problem for at least a year now.
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
A headliner plate that detaches during a crash may strike an occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
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.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.2 out of 10 based on 88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Kia Borrego is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2009 Kia Borrego is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.2/10 — around the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 14 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 65,452 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.2 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 88 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 65,452 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 14 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 65,452 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 65,452 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 88 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.