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Body and structurePart report

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 miles

Related service bulletins

Body and structure: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
200954%
200843%
200764%
200699%
200566%
200423%
20031112%
200255%
200113%

Other parts of the 2009 Kia Spectra

Air bags
76 complaints
Seats
11 complaints
Electrical system
10 complaints
Seat belts
9 complaints
Brakes
6 complaints
Vehicle speed control
6 complaints
Engine
5 complaints
Fuel system
4 complaints
Engine cooling
3 complaints
Other or unknown
3 complaints
Steering
3 complaints
Wheels
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