At a glance

Reported mileage114,919 mi

LocationMo, USA

ColorRed

Last listed price$5,200

Open recalls1

Vehicle identity & specifications

Make

Kia

Model

Optima

Year

2009

Trim

EX

Body style

Sedan/Saloon

Vehicle type

PASSENGER CAR

Engine

2.7L 6-cyl

Cylinders

6

Fuel type

Gasoline

Doors

4

Assembly plant

HWASUNG, SOUTH KOREA

Manufacturer

KIA CORPORATION

What's a 2009 Kia Optima worth?

What comparable 2009 Kia Optima vehicles are listed for — a quick gut-check before you negotiate.

Low

$3,200

Typical price

$5,347

High

$7,400

Most 2009 Kia Optima listings fall between $3,200 and $7,400, from 74 comparable cars.

Is the seller's price fair? Get this exact VIN's current market value — retail, trade-in & loan value — in the full report.

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Full vehicle history report

$14.99 USD · one-time

What a full report checks for VIN KNAGE224995338036

⚠️ 1 open safety recall — shown above, free 🔒 Title & brand records 🔒 Accident & damage history 🔒 Salvage, total-loss & theft 🔒 Odometer & owner count 🔒 Liens & market valuation

A full report searches national title databases (NMVTIS) and licensed history providers for this VIN and shows whatever records are on file — not every vehicle has every record type. The decode, safety recalls and owner complaints above are always free.

📜 Title status Clean, salvage, rebuilt, junk, flood or lemon

🏷️ Title brand history Every brand ever applied, by state

🧾 Number of owners How many registrations on record

🛞 Odometer readings Reported mileage over time

🔎 Rollback check Mileage inconsistency / tamper flags

💥 Accident & damage Reported collisions and damage events

🚧 Total-loss records Insurance total-loss declarations

♻️ Salvage & auction Salvage-yard and auction history

🚓 Theft records Reported / recovered theft events

🏦 Liens & impounds Outstanding liens or impound records

🏷️ Sale & listing history Past marketplace and dealer listings

💰 Market valuation Estimated value for this exact spec

Unlock full report — $14.99 → or get up to 20 reports a month for $19.99/mo → One-time purchase · permanent access · VIN KNAGE224995338036

Safety recalls 1

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 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model…

Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.

NHTSA Campaign #13V114000 · 01/04/2013

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Common problems & what to inspect

Based on 116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Kia Optima, here are the most-reported problem areas — and exactly what to check before you buy.

💥 2 involved a crash 🔥 2 involved a fire 🚑 3 reported injuries

Engine 5 reports

🔍 Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.

Power Train 4 reports

🔍 Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.

Steering 3 reports

🔍 Steering should be tight and centered — no play, clunks or wandering. Test at low and highway speed; listen for power-steering whine.

Air Bags 2 reports

🔍 Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.

Service Brakes 2 reports

🔍 Brakes should feel firm and quiet — no grinding, pulsing or pulling. Check for an ABS light and uneven pad/rotor wear.

Exterior Lighting 2 reports

🔍 Confirm all headlights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights work, with no moisture inside the housings.

Pre-purchase checklist

Match the VIN on the dash, door jamb and title — they must be identical.
Cold-start the engine; listen for knocks and check for blue or white exhaust smoke.
Test-drive through all gears at low and highway speed — no slipping, shudder or pulling.
Confirm every warning light clears at startup (none should stay on).
Check fluids — oil, coolant, transmission — for level, color and leaks.
Look underneath for rust, fresh undercoating or signs of collision repair.
Always get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic.

Owner complaints 116

Complaints filed with NHTSA by owners of the 2009 Kia Optima.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2009 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking noise and then stalled. The contact stated that the battery and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the ve…

NHTSA ODI #11624035

STEERING,SUSPENSION

After 131,500 miles, struts, rotors and pads wore out. Lower ball joint and control arm also wore out, No injuries or accident.

NHTSA ODI #11554765

AIR BAGS

The airbags did not deploy while the car was being driven at 65 mph on Interstate 275 S and crashed into a wall barrier. Since the airbags did not deploy, the driver's head was thrown around because the rest of his body was held firm by the seat belt. The driver was transported by ambulance to the hospital. After several tests, it was determined that the dr…

Crash · 1 injured · NHTSA ODI #11433866

POWER TRAIN

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WHEN COLD THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS HARD INTO FIRST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. ALMOST AT SOMETIMES FEELING LIKE I HAVE BEEN HIT FROM THE BACK. MY NECK HAS STARTED HURTING FROM WHIPLASH. THIS IS A VERY HORRIBLE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. IN STATES WHERE ROADS BECOME WET, ICY, AND COVERED WITH SNOW, THIS CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE/ POSSIBLY DEATH.

NHTSA ODI #11405236

POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT VERY HARD FROM 2ND TO 1ST. DEALER RESET MODULE 10 MONTHS AGO. SOLVED PROBLEM. PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALER RESET MODULE BUT PROBLEM CONTINUES. CHECKED INTERNET, PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WIDESPREAD.

NHTSA ODI #11403684

POWER TRAIN

WHEN CAR IS SLOWING DOWN AND /OR APPROACHING A STOP SIGN IT GIVES A HARD JERK. EVEN IF TRAFFIC SLOWS DOWN ON THE EXPRESS WAY IT GIVES A HARD JERK. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE NOVEMBER 2020.

NHTSA ODI #11394898

SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE

LAST WEEK, ON AUG 29TH 2020, I TRIED TO MAKE A LEFT U-TURN ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I GOT SCARED AND JUST DROVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT STREET AND TURNED RIGHT ONTO THAT STREET. ON AUG THE 17TH, 2020 I HAD MY CAR INSPECTED. THE MECHANIC SAID THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO FIX THAT. APPROX 2 WEEKS LATER, SEPT 2ND, T…

NHTSA ODI #11353024

AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HIS DECEASED DAUGHTER WHO WAS DRIVING A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. THE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AND WENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED INTO A TREE HEAD ON WHERE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE EXACT EVENTS WERE UNCERTAIN. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT, THE DAUGHTER WAS TRANSP…

Crash · 2 injured · NHTSA ODI #11317876

+ 108 more complaints on record.