2008 KIA Rondo Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Rondo years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 5 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 97 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 KIA Rondo. That ranks 2nd out of 5 Rondo model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (18 complaints, 19%), typically at around 75,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 11 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 97owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 KIA Rondo problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 18 | 19% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 16 | 16% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 11 | 11% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 11% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 11% | 64,250 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 10% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 8% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 6% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 6% | 98,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 6% | 13,600 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 6% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 5% | 11,600 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 4% | 66,550 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 4% | 87,289 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 4% | 33,122 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 3% | 64,328 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 2% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 68,712 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% | 18 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 166,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 KIA Rondo recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: 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 year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Kia motors america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 kia optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through january 29, 2008, and model year 2007 and 2008 kia rondo vehicles manufactured from september 13, 2006, through march 21, 2008. The clock spring contact assembly for the driver's side air bag supplemental restraint system (srs) may become damaged through usage over time. If the clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.
Risk: If the clock spring develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the drivers air bag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vehicle's air bag clock spring contact assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 11, 2012. Owners may contact kia customer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage
Problem: Kia is recalling 6,680 my 2008-2009 rondo lx and ex vehicles equipped with a 2.4 liter engine. The fuel pump may not operate properly resulting in not enough fuel getting to the engine. Poor engine starting, engine hesitation, and other impairment may result, and the check engine light may illuminate.
Risk: Unusually severe impairment while driving could expose the driver to the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump sub-assembly with an improved part. The recall began on september 22, 2008. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Rondo. The contact stated that while driving approximately 24 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to stop immediately as intended. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where…
After hearing a popping in my front end for two days I took my car into my mechanic. He took a look at it and said heâd never seen anything like it before. My stabilizer bar had completely ripped apart from my subframe. He said the metal was as thin as a few pieces of paper and there was rust. He…
My vehicle reves up high when i start it and when i'm on the highway it would just cut off and there's gas fumes i smellinside my kia, it also hesitates while driving.
My rondo speeds up while i'm driving it on the road, and it smells of gas inside my rondo, it runs high when i start it and there's a hesitation before it drives.
There is a smell of gas fumes periodically in the inside of my vehicle, i even smell it when my vehicle is parked and when i start my vehicle it hesitates to start and i have to restart it over.
Other KIA Rondo years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Rondo | 2 | 1 |
| 2010 Rondo | 9 | 2 |
| 2009 Rondo | 72 | 2 |
| 2008 | 97 | 3 |
| 2007 Rondo | 117 | 3 |
See all KIA Rondo problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 KIA Rondo?
Owners most often report air bags, fuel/propulsion system, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 18 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 KIA Rondo?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 KIA Rondo a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Rondo model years, the 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.