KIA AMANTI · model year

2009 KIA AMANTI

5 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009KIAAMANTI carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 AMANTI is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by visibility:sun/moon roof assembly (1) and service brakes (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2009 AMANTI, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

5
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1
SERVICE BRAKES1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1

Recalls (1)

13V11400001/04/2013

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 201

Recent Complaints

20230129CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

20230129CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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.

20160914SERVICE BRAKES

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!

Mileage: 66,219

20140313VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

WHILE TRAVELING ON AN EXPRESSWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH IN APPROXIMATELY 65 DEGREE SUNNY WEATHER I FELT A HUGE EXPLOSION AND FIRST THOUGHT I HAD BEEN SHOT OR THAT A HUGE ROCK HAD BOUNCED AND HIT ME. IT FELT SO STRONG THAT I THOUGHT THERE HAD BEEN A NEARBY BOMB EXPLOSION OR DYNAMITE BLAST, WHEN I THEN NOTICED THE HUGE GRAPEFRUIT SIZED HOLE IN MY SUNROOF AND THE SHATTERED GLASS COMING IN ALL OVER ME AND THE FRONT SEAT OF MY CAR. THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS NEAR ME SO I COULD NOT BLAME A BOUNCING ROCK AND THE CLOSEST 18 WHEELER WAS MORE THAN 100 YARDS AWAY 3 LANES TO MY RIGHT. IT WAS FRIGHTENING AND I DID NOT HAVE MY INTERIOR SHIELD CLOSED. SINCE I WAS TRAVELING ON BUSINESS I HAD TO REACH MY DESTINATION AND CALLED SAFELITE IMMEDIATELY BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT IN STOCK. THEY SUGGESTED I CALL THE KIA DEALERSHIP TO ORDER. I HAD TO DRIVE THE 250 MILES HOME WITH A CARDBOARD TAPED TO MY CAR AND HOPE THE PAINT DOES NOT PEEL OFF WHEN IT IS REMOVED. I KEPT TRYING TO FIGURE THIS

Mileage: 26,100

20110711VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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

Mileage: 20,300

Compare 2009KIAAMANTI to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 KIA AMANTI have?
The 2009 KIA AMANTI has 5 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 KIA AMANTI?
Yes, the 2009 KIA AMANTI has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 KIA AMANTI?
The most-complained component for the 2009 KIA AMANTI is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2009 KIA AMANTI safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.