Selling an old or broken Kia Rondo
Air bags top the Rondo's complaint list. Owners named them in 46 of the 297 complaints they filed with NHTSA, and the one front air bag recall, for the clock spring, covers the 2007 and 2008. The EPA's records for the Rondo end with the 2012 model year, so even the newest one is well over a decade old.
- Model years (EPA)
- 2007-2012
- EPA class
- Midsize station wagon
- Complaints to NHTSA, 2007-2011
- 297
- Year with the most complaints
- 2007 (117)
- Component named most
- Air bags (46)
- Recall campaigns
- 5
At that age a big repair rarely makes sense. You can sell the whole car as it sits: we buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
Complaints and recalls by model year
These are owner complaints in NHTSA's database as tallied on October 10, 2026. The last column shows the part owners listed most often that year. One recall can cover several years.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Injured | Recall campaigns | Component named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 117 | 13 | 8 | 3 | Engine (19) |
| 2008 | 97 | 14 | 11 | 3 | Air bags (16) |
| 2009 | 72 | 5 | 5 | 2 | Steering (22) |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Service brakes (3) |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Electrical, service brakes (1 each) |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | none on file |
Nearly all of the complaints, 286 of 297, are on the 2007-2009 cars.
What went wrong, year by year
We have no generation history for the Rondo beyond the EPA's years, so this follows the complaint data.
2007-2008: air bags, the engine, the fuel pump
No Rondo year draws more complaints than the 2007, and its top component is the engine (19), with air bags close behind (15). The 2008 flips that: air bags first (16), then fuel and propulsion (12). The 2007 also holds both of the Rondo's reported fires and its one reported death.
Under 12V014, dealers fitted a new air bag clock spring contact assembly to 2007 and 2008 Rondos. Its 145,755 vehicles include 2006-2008 Optimas, so that figure is not the Rondo's alone.
Recall 08V459 is Rondo-only: 6,680 2008-2009 Rondo LX and EX models with the 2.4-liter engine. The fuel pump may not deliver enough fuel, which the filing says can mean hard starting and hesitation. Dealers replaced the fuel pump sub-assembly with an improved part.
2009: steering
On the 2009, owners named steering more than anything else: 22 of 72 complaints. None of the Rondo's five recalls is a steering recall.
Brake light switches, 2007-2010
The stop lamp switch may malfunction, and two recalls address it. Under 09V130 dealers replaced the switch at no cost. Recall 09V130 covered the 2007 Rondo among 139,844 Kia vehicles, including the Sedona, Sportage, Sorento and Amanti. Recall 13V114 covered 2007-2010 Rondos inside a campaign of 980,377 vehicles across many Kia models.
2010-2012: quiet, with one late recall
Only 11 complaints across the last three years. But in September 2023 Kia added the 2010-2011 Rondo to recall 23V652, a 1,730,192-vehicle campaign that also covers the Borrego, Forte, Sorento and other Kia models. Until dealers swap the HECU fuse, Kia wants these cars parked outdoors, clear of buildings.
Fix it or sell it?
- Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. On a 2010-2011, check whether recall 23V652 is still open.
- Air bag light on a 2007 or 2008? Ask a Kia dealer whether the clock spring recall was done.
- Hard starting on a 2.4-liter 2008-2009? The fuel pump recall is the first thing to rule out.
- Anything bigger, like an engine or transmission, on a car this old usually costs more than the Rondo is worth running. See old or high mileage and repairs cost more than it is worth.
Selling your Rondo whole
Ask for an offer or call (877) 421-6008. Give us the VIN, mileage and what's wrong. Say if it rolls on its own wheels and where it is, behind a house, on a street or in a field. Leave every part on it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US. Lost the title? Start with selling with no title.
Other older Kias: the Soul, Sorento and Optima, or every Kia we cover.
Questions people ask
- Which Rondo year has the most NHTSA complaints?
- The 2007 tops the list at 117 (NHTSA's tally on October 10, 2026), ahead of 97 for the 2008 and 72 for the 2009. The 2010 and 2011 have 9 and 2, and NHTSA's file lists none for the 2012.
- Does the park-outside recall apply to my Rondo?
- It can, if you have a 2010 or 2011. Recall 23V652 covers those Rondos along with many other Kia models. Kia's advice is to keep the car outdoors, clear of any structure, until the dealer fits a new fuse in the anti-lock brake control unit at no cost. Check your VIN on NHTSA's site.
- Will you buy a Rondo that hasn't run in years?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Let us know where it's been sitting and if the tires are flat.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- EPA fuel economy data: Kia Rondo model years and class fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Kia Rondo, counted October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 08V459: fuel pump, 2008-2009 Rondo 2.4 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 09V130: stop lamp switch, 2006-2007 Kia models nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 12V014: air bag clock spring, 2006-2008 Optima and 2007-2008 Rondo nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 13V114: brake light switch, 2007-2011 Kia models nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 23V652: anti-lock brake control unit fuse, 2010-2019 Kia models nhtsa.gov