RoadVitals

2009 Kia Amanti Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Jan 29, 2023
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Kia Amanti, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Driver assistance240.0%
  • Brakes120.0%
  • Electrical120.0%
  • Visibility120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

When pulling into a parking spot and with my foot on the break, the car suddenly accelerated. The car did not react to my breaking. The car kept moving forward over a sidewalk, over the curb on the street, into the back end of a pickup parked on the road I was facing, and started heading across the street toward another parked truck. Luckily there was no one on the sidewalk, no one was hurt. This has not happened before or since. No warning signs. When I took the car in to get an alternator replaced, the initial shop said they could not fix it bacause of codes that came up concerning the electrical system. I then had the car towed to a Kia dealer. They fixed the alternator but never mentioned the other codes. Suspecious.

NHTSA ID 11504280 · filed Jan 29, 2023

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA AMANTI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY FORTY FIVE MINUTES THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE BEFORE THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,300. UPDATED 09/15/11 *BF

NHTSA ID 10411747 · filed Jul 11, 2011

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH RECALL NUMBER 13V114000 WAS PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE ON DEC.5, 2014. 52098 MILES. ON JUNE 22, 2016 THE SWITCH FAILED WITH 66,219 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS IN STORAGE UNTIL SEPT. 12, 2016 WITH 66,219 MILES. I HAD IT TOWED TO EARNHART KIA BY AAA. THE SWITCH WAS REPLACE FOR $239.42. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE OF TIME AND MILEAGE. I CALLED KIA CASE #3274275. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THE SAME AS THE DEALER. MY GRIPE IS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND KIA SHOULD REPLACE THE SWITCH AT NO OR VERY LITTLE COST I HAD NO WARNING THAT I HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS UNTIL I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SHOP BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. SOMEONE COULD HAVE HIT US WITHOUT BRAKES LIGHTS WORKING. THAT IS WHY WE HAD THE CAR TOWED. IT IS THE SAFETY THAT CONCERNS US!

NHTSA ID 10906365 · filed Sep 14, 2016

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

When pulling into a parking spot and with my foot on the break, the car suddenly accelerated. The car did not react to my breaking. The car kept moving forward over a sidewalk, over the curb on the street, into the back end of a pickup parked on the road I was facing, and started heading across the street toward another parked truck. Luckily there was no one on the sidewalk, no one was hurt. This has not happened before or since. No warning signs. When I took the car in to get an alternator replaced, the initial shop said they could not fix it bacause of codes that came up concerning the electrical system. I then had the car towed to a Kia dealer. They fixed the alternator but never mentioned the other codes. Suspecious.

NHTSA ID 11504280 · filed Jan 29, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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

NHTSA ID 10569226 · filed Mar 13, 2014

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .