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Model file · KiaUpdated · 8 sources

Selling an old or junk Kia Borrego

The Borrego was close to a one-year SUV in the US. Wikipedia says Kia dropped it in the middle of the 2009 model year after weak sales and rising fuel prices, and kept selling it in Canada through 2011. That is why, of the 92 NHTSA complaints on record at our October 10, 2026 pull, 88 name the 2009.

A silver 2009 Kia Borrego SUV on a dealer lot beside a cornfield, seen from the front left
Photo: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Owner complaints to NHTSA
92
Complaints on the 2009
88
Recall campaigns
4
Engines (Wikipedia)
3.8 V6, 4.6 V8
Frame
Body-on-frame
Successor in North America
Kia Telluride

A 2009 is now an old body-on-frame SUV. If yours has a failed engine or transmission, or has simply sat too long, we buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

What owners reported on the 2009

Wikipedia lists a 3.8-liter V6 and a 4.6-liter V8 among the Borrego's gasoline engines, with rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. On the 2009, owners named the power train most (12 complaints), then the electrical system (11) and seat belts (9). Eight 2009 complaints report a crash and three an injury. None report a fire or a death.

Three recall campaigns reach the 2009:

  • 12V245: 2009 Borregos built May 2, 2008 to January 20, 2009 with non-adjustable brake pedals. Some pedal mounts contain fiberglass, and dealers replace the mount free of charge. 21,912 vehicles.
  • 13V114: the brake light switch. This was a broad Kia campaign of 980,377 vehicles that also covered the Rondo, Sedona, Sorento, Sportage, Soul, Optima and Forte, so most of that number is not Borregos.
  • 23V692: headliner plates that may not be secured and can come loose if a side curtain air bag goes off. Dealers secure them. 22,768 vehicles.

The 2010 and later Borregos

Only a handful exist in the data: 2 complaints on the 2010, both naming the power train, and none after it. These years fall under 23V692 and under 23V652, the park-outside campaign for the anti-lock brake control unit (HECU) fuse. Its 1,730,192-vehicle total spans a long Kia list, from the Forte and Soul to the K900.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Model yearComplaintsRecall campaignsWhat owners named
200820Seats 1, unknown or other 1
2009883Power train 12, electrical 11, seat belts 9
201022Power train 2
201102None filed

Complaint totals were counted in NHTSA's records on October 10, 2026. The two 2008 complaints are listed that way by the owners who filed them. Each recall counts in every year it covers.

Keep it or let it go

Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup before paying for brake or air bag work; the recall fixes are listed as free at a dealer. Power train complaints lead the list on the 2009. The junk truck or SUV guide and old or high-mileage car help with that call.

Selling it as it sits

  1. Note the VIN, the engine (V6 or V8) and whether it runs.
  2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Describe the spot it's in and the state of the tires, since a full-size SUV needs the right truck.
  4. Keep the Borrego in one piece; flag any part someone already took off.
  5. Have the title ready. Lost it? See selling with no title.

Questions people ask

Why are almost all Borrego complaints on the 2009?
In the US the Borrego was dropped in the middle of the 2009 model year, Wikipedia says, and later years were sold mainly in Canada. Of its 92 NHTSA complaints, 88 are on the 2009; the 2008 and the 2010 have 2 each.
Does a 2009 Borrego still have open recalls?
It may. Four campaigns reach the Borrego, including 23V692 for headliner plates and 12V245 for brake pedal mounts. NHTSA's VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls lists anything still open on yours.
Will you buy a Borrego that has sat for years?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Let us know whether it sits on flat tires and where it's parked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data (Borrego 2WD and 4WD, 2009-2011) fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA complaints flat file, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 12V245: brake pedal mounts, 2009 Borrego nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 13V114: brake light switch, many Kia models nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 23V652: HECU fuse, many Kia models nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 23V692: headliner plates, Borrego nhtsa.gov
  8. Wikipedia: Kia Borrego (engines, US discontinuation) en.wikipedia.org