2009 Kia Sorento — Known Issues & Recalls

Your check engine, ESC (electronic stability control), and ABS (anti-lock brake) warning lights came on when you started your vehicle. An independent mechanic suggested moisture may have gotten into the ABS module, which is covered under a known recall (NHTSA Campaign 20V088000). Your dealer said the recall work was already done before you bought the car, but the lights are still on. The issue was never repaired.

Your car's electrical system is causing multiple problems: when your daughter turned on the wipers and radio at low speed, the engine stalled and warning lights appeared on the dashboard. When your husband tried to recreate the issue, the dashboard gauges went haywire and the engine wouldn't respond to the gas pedal—the problem only stopped when he restarted the car. This issue has happened before and was linked to a faulty electrical relay that also drained your battery. The fix will likely involve replacing the defective electrical relay and possibly the battery to restore normal engine and brake system function.

You received a recall notice for your 2009 Kia Sorento involving the electrical system and hydraulic brakes, but the repair parts weren't available. The manufacturer took longer than reasonable to provide the necessary parts for the recall fix. While you haven't experienced an actual failure yet, this delay in parts availability has prevented the recall from being completed. The repair will likely involve replacing electrical or hydraulic brake components once parts become available.

You received a recall notice for your 2009 Kia Sorento affecting the electrical system and service brakes, but the replacement part wasn't available from Kia or your dealer. The manufacturer has been notified that the repair parts remain unavailable despite exceeding what you consider a reasonable timeframe. While you haven't experienced an actual failure yet, your vehicle is waiting for the recall repair to be completed.

While driving on the interstate at 65 mph, your car suddenly shut off and caught fire. Smoke entered the cabin, so you pulled over to the emergency lane and evacuated the vehicle. Flames then erupted through the center console, completely engulfing the car and destroying it. All gauges were reading normally before the fire started, and no injuries occurred.

Your car is shifting into reverse unexpectedly, even when you've selected Drive or Park. This happened while you were trying to move forward, and now your car goes into reverse regardless of which gear you select. The transmission may need to be inspected or repaired to fix the shifter mechanism or internal transmission components.

Your dashboard lights all came on while driving (brake, airbag, tire pressure, engine, stability control, hill descent), and your tachometer and speedometer jumped around while the engine lost power. After restarting, most lights went off except airbag and tire pressure. The dealer found a loose wire under the seat and fixed it, but the same problem happened again a week later — this time your transmission wouldn't shift into reverse and wouldn't release from park while running. Your door locks started cycling on and off. The dealer believes your car has a known engine recall issue (you hear a noise, but it won't show up on their diagnostic computer), and you suspect they're delaying the repair until your warranty expires. The fix will likely involve the dealer diagnosing and repairing the electrical connection issue, investigating the transmission shifting problem, and properly addressing the engine recall.

Your car loses power and won't accelerate properly, even when you push the pedal to the floor—sometimes limiting you to just 10 mph. This happened less than a week after you got the car, was supposedly fixed under warranty (the dealer blamed the transmission), but the same problem returned on your second drive, forcing you to pull off the highway. The dealership hasn't returned your calls despite promising to do so.

Your car's engine suddenly loses power while driving — you were going 55 mph when power dropped to about 20 mph. This problem has happened 3 times over the past year, even after repair attempts, and mechanics have indicated it's related to the gas pedal system. The recurring nature of this issue makes the car unsafe to drive at highway speeds.

Your car's electronic stability control (ESC) system is unexpectedly activating while driving at highway speeds, causing your vehicle to suddenly slow from 65 mph down to 30 mph. This is happening 2-3 times daily and requires you to turn off and restart the engine each time it occurs, creating a dangerous situation where other drivers may not have time to brake. The dealer has confirmed there is no recall for this issue. Fixing this will likely require diagnostic scanning to identify the faulty sensor or control module causing the false activation.

While your car was idling at a traffic light, the brakes disengaged and the vehicle moved forward on its own. An independent mechanic found that the electronic stability control system was failing. This type of unexpected brake disengagement is a serious safety issue that needs immediate diagnosis and repair.

While driving at 67 mph, your check engine light came on and your vehicle suddenly lost power, dropping to about 30 mph. The dealer found that your throttle pedal assembly had shorted out and replaced it, but the same problem happened multiple times afterward. The throttle pedal assembly may need to be replaced again or inspected for ongoing electrical issues.

Your check engine light has been on for over 2 years and is preventing vehicle inspection. Your timing chain needs replacement, your battery won't hold a charge even after being replaced twice, and your tires leak constantly. The interior dome light is hanging loose and the rear door lights don't work, while both rear door handles are broken and won't open. Fixing this will likely require a diagnostic scan to identify the check engine code, timing chain replacement, battery testing or replacement, tire repair or replacement, and door handle and lighting repairs.

Your ESC OFF warning light is turning on and off randomly, and when it's lit, your car struggles to accelerate between 0-40 mph. You've had the accelerator pedal assembly replaced twice before (in 2015 and 2019) for the same problem, and it's happening again. This may require diagnosis of the accelerator pedal assembly or related electrical connections to determine if there's a recurring defect.

Your 2009 Kia Sorento stalled while driving out of your driveway after an "ASC-OFF" warning appeared on the dashboard. After this incident, multiple warning lights stayed on—including the ASC light, check engine light, and passenger airbag warning light—and the problem kept happening. Even after the dealer completed a recall repair for the electrical and brake system, these warning lights remained illuminated and the issue wasn't fully resolved.

Your passenger seat sensor pads and airbag module were replaced under warranty, but the underlying problem wasn't fixed. Now the dealer is asking you to pay $2,535.34 to install new sensors, and Kia says it's between you and the dealer. The issue is that warranty work replaced the parts without resolving the root cause. You may need to contact Kia directly or seek legal advice if the dealer won't address the original problem that keeps triggering sensor failures.

Your ESC (Electronic Stability Control) warning light came on while reversing and braking to shift into Drive. Previously, the same warning light appeared while turning a corner, and your engine stalled — though it restarted, acceleration was very sluggish afterward. The dealer diagnosed that the ESC system needed to be reset or replaced to fix the problem. The repair likely involved diagnosing the ESC module and either recalibrating or replacing it.

Your passenger side airbag off light frequently comes on on the dashboard even when an adult is sitting in the seat — it happens about 80% of the time, both while parked and while driving. The only way to turn the light off is to get out of the vehicle and sit back down, but it usually comes back on shortly after. The dealer has reset the computer and claimed the occupancy sensor is working properly, but the problem persists. You'll likely need the passenger seat occupancy sensor replaced or the airbag control module reprogrammed to fix this issue.

After your Sorento had a recall repair done on the electrical system and service brakes, you heard a loud abnormal noise while driving at 60 mph. The dealer diagnosed this as a failing air conditioner compressor that wasn't related to the recall work. Even after the compressor was replaced, the noise continued to occur.

You received a recall notice for an electrical system issue in your 2009 Kia Sorento, but the dealer confirmed that the replacement part needed to complete the recall repair isn't available yet. The manufacturer has been notified about the delay in getting this part. The repair involves replacing an electrical component as part of the recall.