2009 Kia Spectra Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 4%of 114 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 68,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the body and structure of the 2009 Kia Spectra, 4% of the 114 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 68,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I am filing this for my mom. She rear ended a car who had stopped the flow of traffic at a green light to let a vehicle out of a parking lot. My mothers air bags did not deploy and she received a double open fracture to her right ankle and a fractured sternum and intense chest traura. She was life flighted to a hospital in wv ruby memorial she underwent surgery and they saved her right foot they wher unsure if they could save and talked before surgery of possible amputation”
NHTSA complaint #10722372, filed 2015-05, 17,689 miles“While pulling my car out of a parking space, I drove forward at a low speed and heard a swooshing sound of water from behind the dashboard near the glove box area. As I continued to drive my car for a period of time, the sound became worse. I took my car to an authorized Kia dealership for diagnostic testing. The technician discovered it to be a clogged drain hose for the heater/air conditioning system. The final diagnosis was to remove the entire dashboard and repair/replace drain hose at a cost of $900 including parts, labor, and tax. …”
NHTSA complaint #10564535, filed 2014-02, 68,000 miles“January 2013 I noticed what looked like paint peeling off of the driver side mirror but realized that it was a clear coat over the paint. I went to a local Kia dealer and a mechanic looked at it and said that they were not responsible for this defect. The car was purchased in may of 2010 with less than 50 miles on it. Since that day there are several other places where this is happening. I have owned many cars and never had this happen to a vehicle. I believe that Kia should be responsible it is a very poor job done by the manufacturer. …”
NHTSA complaint #10509483, filed 2013-04, 36,000 miles“My daughter owns a 2009 Kia Spectra a friend getting in the rear seat tried to open the door and the outside handle broke-off. About 6 months later the front inside driver-side door handle stop working. About 1 year later on jan-31-2014 the front out-side drivers-side handle broke-off. Now no way to with no way to open the drivers door, this is very dangerous. With three handles broken there must be a recall on these handle. If there is not a recall, there should be one. Other problems with this, cam-shaft sensor had to be replaced, also the air-bag light is on. …”
NHTSA complaint #10562531, filed 2014-02, 95,000 miles“The contact owns a 2009 Kia Spectra. The contact stated that while attempting to exit the vehicle the front passenger's side door failed to open. The contact had to roll down the window and use the exterior door handle in order to exit the vehicle. The problem recurred twice. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the front driver's and passenger's side door latches needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 162,424. …”
NHTSA complaint #10632519, filed 2014-09, 162,424 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10201529Sep 13, 2021TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this…
- 10058518Jul 1, 2015Kia: an additional application of anti-corrosion protection will be applied on some vehicles underbody components to help prevent corrosion. Model 2004-09 spectra, 2006-10…
- 10037242Oct 1, 2010Kia: on some 2004-2009 spectras the doors are locking intermittently without the driver commanding them to.
- 10028348Nov 6, 2008Kia: doors locking intermittently without driver input from the rke transmitter or key switch may be caused by wear on switch contacts in door latch assembly resulting in high…
Body and structure: other model years
Other parts of the 2009 Kia Spectra
76 complaintsSeats
11 complaintsElectrical system
10 complaintsSeat belts
9 complaintsBrakes
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsEngine
5 complaintsFuel system
4 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2009 Kia Spectra
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology