AI Damage2007 KIA Rondo: common problems
Owners of the 2007 KIA Rondo filed 117 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 117
- involving a crash
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 16% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electronic stability control 12% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- Engine: 24 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 19 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 16 complaints (14% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 15 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electronic stability control: 14 complaints (12% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 2.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 117 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed and the driver was fatally injured. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 150,000.
This whole situation has really frightened me because I am essentially driving a ticking time bomb. The brake lights are out, and the red "air bag" light is on (therefore determining that the air bags do not work; nhtsa campaign number: 12v014000), and the yellow "esc off" light is on, and does not go off.
I was in an accident caused by unexplained and unexpected acceleration. While braking, and turning into a parking spot behind my office building, the car accelerated so quickly and unexpectedly the car jumped the park curbs and hit the building with enough force to break through the cinder block wall while only…
I believe that I was knocked out for a few seconds as I do not recall hitting the windshield. It is my belief that I was thrown from my seat into the passenger side windshield. I had a knot on my head and the next day during the day light, it was clear the windshield was hit as it was shattered.
They had difficulty getting me out of the car because the airbags did not deploy. They could not cut the bar between the front and back seats because it was loaded with undeployed airbags. Had a broken leg/hand and neck, chest and back injuries. Notified kia to find out why the airbags did not deploy.
He screamed from his window "check your lights", now I understand that this accident could have been the result of the brake lights not working causing another vehicle to hit me. I was not able to find the driver and was forced to pay for the repairs myself.
Tl contact owns a 2007 kia rondo. On eight separate occasions, while driving at any speed, the emergency brake icon illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle began to drag as if the emergency brake had been engaged. The emergency brake had to be released in order for the vehicle to correct itself.
2.4L Theta engine has developed a knocking sound at 155,600 miles. Oil consumption is excessive. Currently vehicle has Pennzoil Platinum High Mileage 5W20 oil. It has been approximately 5600 miles since last oil and filter change, and vehicle was 2 qts low.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,192 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Rondo has 59 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 117, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 KIA Rondo?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, air bags. Total complaints: 117. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (16%), seat belts (9%), rust, corrosion (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 KIA Rondo?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2007 KIA Rondo from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2007 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.