RoadVitals

2009 Kia Borrego Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints 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.
9
Latest Mar 9, 2021
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 88 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Kia Borrego submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming steering

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Steering
Filed Mar 9, 2021

THE STEERING WHEEL, SINCE NEARLY BRAND NEW, WILL NOT RAISE OR LOWER AT TIMES. THIS IS DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY FOR SHORTER DRIVERS. IF THE AIRBAG WERE TO BE DEPLOYED THIS WOULD RESULT IN POSSIBLY FATAL HEAD/NECK INJURIES. THE STEERING WHEEL STAYS IN THE FULLY TILTED POSITION, EVEN WHEN DRIVING.

NHTSA ID
11399946
Incident
Sep 19, 2014
Mileage
18,000 mi
EngineOther / unspecifiedSteering
Filed Jul 30, 2020

MY MOTHER AND I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 6/27/20 AND IT WAS IN THE AFTERNOON. WELL I DROVE IT HOME AND IN THE WAY HOME THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AND THE LIGHT FOR THE TIRES. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT FIRST OF ALL THAT ALL THE TIRES WERE DIFFERENT TIRES. AND ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF TREADS. BUT THEN THE VEHICLE KEPT GETTING WORSE AND WORSE. THE MORE I DROVE IT THE HARDER IT WAS TO HOLD IN THE ROAD. THEN IT STARTED RAINING. I THOUGHT SERIOUSLY THAT I COULD DIE WITH THIS AS BAD AS IT WAS. AND TO TOP THAT OFF I TRIED TO TURN ON THE WIPERS AND THEY STARTED FALLING ABOUT FROM BEING DRY ROTTED. I WAS SCARED TO DRIVE . FOR MYSELF AND FOR OTHERS. SO THEN I TRIED TO CONTACT THE DEALER AND HIS DAUGHTER ANSWERED THE PHONE AND I ASKED TO TALK TO WHO SHE REFERRED TO AS HER FATHER. AND SHE SAID HE MAY NOT BE IN ALL DAY AND I TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. SHE SAID SOMEONE WOULD CALL ME BACK. I WAITED TILL WHEN THEY ALMOST CLOSE AND NO ONE CALLED . I TRIED TO CALL BACK AND THEY WOULD NOT ANSWER. AT WHICH TIME MY MOTHER GOT ON THE PHONE WITH HER CREDIT CARD PEOPLE AND ASKED THEM TO STOP THE PAYMENT ON THE VEHICLE AND THEY AGREED. AND TOLD US TO MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE GOT BACK UP THERE TO THEM. HONESTLY THAT WAS THE SCARED AS I EVER BEEN DRIVING SOMETHING. BUT I GOT IT BACK TO THEM. IT'S ONLY BEEN THE 3 DAY WHEN ALL THIS UNFOLDED. NOW THEY ARE SAYING THAT THEY ARE GONNA TREAT IT LIKE A REPOSSESSION. AND THREATENING MY 77 YEAR MOTHER. AND THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS. MY MOTHER TOLD THEM THE VEHICLE WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZZARD LEAKING ANTIFREEZE AND IT WAS DANGEROUS TO MY LIFE CAUSE IT WAS A WONDER THAT I DIDN'T GET KILLED THE LITTLE I DROVE IT. SHE DROVE BEHIND ME IN THE VEHICLE ON THE WAY BACK AND SEEN HOW THE VEHICLE WAS ALL OVER THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID
11342344
Incident
Jun 29, 2020
Mileage
109,000 mi
BrakesExterior lightingSteering
Filed Apr 1, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA BORREGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AND THE STOP LAMP SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V114000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC).THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,452.

NHTSA ID
10852923
Incident
Jan 16, 2012
Mileage
29,452 mi
Driver assistanceSteeringSuspension
Filed Mar 20, 2015

OUR KIA BORREGO HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE WE PURCHASED IT. A ROUGH RIDE AND DIFFICULT TO STEER. DOESN'T STAY ALIGNED AND TIRES WEAR EXCESSIVELY. WHEN EVER WE HAD VEHICLE SERVICED DEALERSHIP WOULD SAY"VEHICLE DRIVES AS DESIGNED, OR TIRE PRESSURE OUT OF SPEC, ONCE THEY EVEN HAD THE NERVE TO TELL US THE MANAGER DRIVES ONE AND AGAIN DRIVES AS DESIGNED. FUNNY THING IS THOU ON WORK ORDER THEY WROTE TEST DRIVE. FOUND VEHICLE DRIVES AS DESIGNED. BUT MILEAGE IS THE SAME WHEN BROUGHT IN 'EXACTLY'. WE HAVE HAD TO BUY 2 AND 1/2 FULL SETS OF TIRES. AND STILL VEHICLE IS HARD TO STEER AND ROUGH RIDE TO SAY THE LEAST. IT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO RIDE IN ,MY 4YR OLD PROTESTS EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE OTHER THEN CORNER MARKET. DOOR ACTUATORS ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE HAVE BROKE 2X. HAD TO WAIT FOR PARTS THEY SAID THEY WOULD CALL AND NEVER DID. INSTEAD WE CALLED TO FIND OUT PARTS HAD BEEN THERE. NOTIFIED DEALERSHIP POWER OUTLETS DO NOT WORK DEALER COULD NOT RESOLVE ISSUE. DRIVER SEAT BELT UNEXPECTEDLY UNLATCHES WHILE DRIVER INTERMITTENTLY. CLEAR COAT FINISH IS PEELING. INSIDE DOOR HANDLES METALLIC PEELING LEAVING SHARP EDGES.WE GET TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM KIA HAD CAR TOWED THERE 2X AND WERE NOT OFFERED RENT-A-CAR EITHER TIME. THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE AND I'M SURE THEIR ARE MANY MORE WITH THESE SAME ISSUES. HOWEVER KIA MOTORS DOES NOT WANT TO EXCEPT RESPONSIBILITY ON ANY LEVEL. 2 RECALLS ALREADY.I'M HOPING OTHER BORREGO OWNERS WILL MAKE COMPLAINTS IN ORDER TO GET INVESTIGATION OPENED. WE WOULD LIKE KIA MOTORS TO BUY BACK OUR VEHICLE, SO WE CAN PURCHASE SOMETHING OTHER THEN A KIA. *TR

NHTSA ID
10700772
Incident
Jan 16, 2012
Mileage
29,452 mi
Steering
Filed Oct 5, 2013

THE STEERING COLUMN DOES NOT TELESCOPE EITHER IN OR OUT. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE 90 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES LESS THAN 90 USED TO ALLOW NORMAL OPERATION. NOW IT DOES NOT TELESCOPE AT ALL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10546893
Incident
Jun 1, 2011
Mileage
20,000 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 14, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA BORREGO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60, SHE DROVE OVER A POTHOLE AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE OTHER TIME. A DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NHTSA ID
10498123
Incident
Jun 13, 2012
Mileage
40,000 mi
Steering
Filed Apr 2, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA BORREGO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE FASTER HE DROVE, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT BECAME TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TO FIVE TIMES BUT WAS TOLD THE STEERING WHEEL FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIE ROD ENDS AND THEN THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THE DEALER WOULD REPLACE THE STEERING WHEEL AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000. UPDATED 05/08/12*LJ

NHTSA ID
10453767
Incident
Apr 1, 2011
Mileage
28,000 mi
Steering
Filed Oct 24, 2011

I WAS DRIVING ON A FOUR LANE 35MPH STRAIGHT ROAD AND THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE--THE WHEEL SEEMED TO ALMOST LOCK UP. I SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY AND MANAGED TO GT OFF ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CAME TO A STOP, AND TRIED TO START UP AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. IT BEGAN TO STEER AGAIN AND I TOOK IT HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE AND MAY DO SO AGAIN. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON A CURVE IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10432655
Incident
Oct 24, 2011
Mileage
64,570 mi
Steering
Filed Sep 18, 2009

MY BRAND NEW 2009 BORREGO PULLS TO RIGHT AND I SHOULD KEEP STEERING WHEEL TO LEFT SIDE WHEN I WANT TO DRIVE IT STRAIGHT FORWARD. THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT FIVE TIMES BUT FAILED. THEY ROTATED THE TIRES AND CHECKED ALIGNMENT AGAIN WITH LITTLE DIFFERENCE. AFTER ALL THE ATTEMPTS THEY INSIST THAT PULLING TO RIGHT SIDE IS NATURAL BECAUSE OF ROAD SHAPE( CROWN PHENOMENON? ) *TR

NHTSA ID
10284554
Incident
Aug 18, 2006
Mileage
52 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .