2009 Kia Rondo consumer reviews

I was so excited when I bought my 2009 Kia Rondo used a year and a half ago. This is the first car I've ever bought by myself. I loved how roomy it was. I had it off the lot less than 3 days when I noticed that the car didn't start sometimes when I turned the ignition. I was really concerned about this. The dealership I went through paid to have Kia look the car over and of course they found nothing wrong. I learned over time to make sure that I turned every thing off (radio, hear, phone charger) before I started my car. The problem has grown. I have electrical problems now when I go over any puddles or over any type of snowy weather conditions. I'll have lights come on and off. My breaks stop working and my car will not accelerate properly while this is going on. I have taken it in and no mechanic can replicate the problem I am having with this car. I have called Kia to complain. My warranty has run out. I am in trouble and from what I've been hearing I am not the only one with this sort of trouble. I am very disappointed in this car.

I bought this car when it was 1 year old. It's been one problem after the next since. Recently (2 mo ago) the cars check engine light came on and after 2 days I went to start it and it died right away. I tried to start it again and it made a horrible chain like sound and quit. My mechanic has had it apart twice to fix the timing chain only to find out it's a more serious problem, (defect) in the engine. Some kind of variable timing part in the engine. KIA is aware of this problem but never put a recall out because of the expense of having to replace all the engines. Basically, for KIA to fix it they want to charge me $9000. A used engine will cost me $1300 and the same problem will more that likely happen again. I still owe $9800 on this stupid car and have no idea what to do now. I don't have that kind of money just lying around. KIA should have to pay for their own careless mistakes not the consumer. Now I have a brand new well paying job with no car to get me there. Buy a KIA at your own risk. Check out all the problems that come with owning a KIA, not to mention that most of the parts have to come directly from the company and not an auto parts store. Very expensive. I will NEVER buy or lease a KIA again!!!!!

I bought a lightly used 2009 Kia Rondo about 4 months ago so it's too soon to comment on the vehicle's durability. So far, however, I am fantastically pleased with it -- though I can also see why Kia no longer sells the Rondo in the US. The Rondo is a genuine 7 seater -- 3 rows of seats, with the 3rd row folding flat for greater everyday storage. The good...and the bad...is that there is very little room behind that 3rd row of seats when they are folded up as seats. Now for someone like me who lives in New York City, the Rondo is absolutely fantastic -- it parks in the same size spot as your average sedan while having more true seating. And as a parent with 3 kids, this means that everyone can truly have a seat without being sardined 3-across in the 2nd row. However, if you live somewhere where there is an abundance of space, you'll probably want a true minivan that offers more internal storage in addition to that 3rd row. This is why I'm pretty sure the Rondo tanked in the US...and why it still sells OK in Europe. As for the rest of the vehicle, it is what it is. I got the 4 cyl because it has the lower maintenance timing chain (as opposed to the timing belt in the 6) and haven't noticed it to be appreciably noisier or slower than the 6. Let's face it, both vehicles are gonna be slow and not super quiet. Gas mileage is also distinctly mediocre, even with the 4. Ergonomics are great -- cup holders, pockets, everything seems to be just where they should be. The abundance of lighter sockets also ensures that you have power sprinkled throughout the vehicle. Overall, if reliability holds up, this will be a fantastic vehicle that I'll hold on to for years.

I am absolutely thrilled with my 2009 Rondo. The only think I am not satisfied with is the low-end gas mileage.

I purchased a 2009 Kia Rondo that seats 7. It had very few miles on it, so it was practically new. It is a great car, very zippy, very affordable. No bells or whistles. I traded in a 2009 CR-V for it and that had loads of bells and whistles, but it couldn't seat 7. I really enjoy driving the Rondo. It handles well. I haven't had it in the winter yet. We'll see how it does in that. It does sit a little low, so I'm concerned about its performance in deep snow. We'll see!

We purchased a 2008 Kia Rondo EX with the V6 two years ago after comparing it to the Hyndai Sante Fe, and Suzuki LX7. It's advertised mileage, and affordability was the determination. Overall, it's been a great family car for the four of us. We do use our 3rd row on occasion and it works great for the kids. We have taken the vehicle camping several times, and driven to NY and NC (from MN) on two separate trips with great success. As long as you have decent tires, it makes a fine winter car. There is nothing fancy about the Kia Rondo. It rides a bit like a minivan, but handles like a large car. We've enjoyed the leather seats, seat warmers, 6 CD changer (until it broke). The V6 gives you good power when needed, but if you are gentle, you can get almost 30 MPG. I also installed a hitch receiver myself for a small utility trailer for more cargo space when needed. We have had reoccurring issues with the dash lights not staying on when it is raining, which is freaky when you are driving at night. Kia has been unable to replicate it when we take it in, however, so that has been a constant annoyance. Our family highly recommends the Kia Rondo!

one problem after another...I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER KIA VEHICLE.....YOU COULDN'T GIVE ME ONE FOR FREE....

We own Rondo 2009 LX with seven seats and I must admit that car has been really good and more than pleasant surprise. It's not the best car out there but it is in up there (I've owned and drove many different cars, from Yugo to Mercedes). It's not a luxury car but it is a practical car! Looks: Well, it's not the prettiest car out there but definitely not the ugliest either. It's average for sure, but I think that looks were a compromise for practicality. Practicality: As mentioned above, it is very practical. Second and third row seats can fully recline and that is very good and useful. I've moved many things in this car that would't fit in majority or other sedans and some SUV's. And that is impressive, since this car is not longer than many sedans and not much bigger either. Five people can comfortably fit in first two rows (as in many sedans) but with more head and even leg room. And third row doesn't feel to cramp (for a average sized person on children). Actually, there is more head (space room) per person here then in Honda Pilot (other vehicle we were considering) to my surprise. Pilot is bigger and with one more seat and little bit wider but actual feel in vehicles is quite opposite of what we expected. Rondo did feel more spacious. Drive: Feels good to drive. 175hp is adequate and has no problem accelerating and passing when needed. Feels safe and stable and is safe and stable. We live in Idaho in mountain areas and it can get quite windy too. Car handles all that well. Does well on snow. Actually, not long after we got this car we were driving to a camp and it was late evening and got caught in a heavy snow storm, where snow was quite wet and slippery, and to make things worse we were diving uphill for some 2000 feet and this was my first time on that particular road. Well, we made it. Car did a great job, considering that it's not all wheal drive and ESP worked all the time and did a good job. We never lost control nor did we had to stop. Plus, all this happened with all season tires! So, that was the most impressive thing about it, if I had any reservations about this car up to that point, after that I had none. Interior: Is simple but practical. Well built too. I could tell more, but this is enough. Car is definitely worth considering and it's sad that Kia is not making them anymore. I guess people didn't realize how good this car is compared to many others. Seriously consider this one!

We have the base V6 model that has no third row seating which we prefer. Great value and super utility. Seats 4 large adults easily. The second row seats fold down perfectly flat for lots of cargo space. Visibility is excellent as is the braking. Getting 4 wheel disc brakes, stability control, and side air bags on a base model is a great value. But two characteristics are really irritating, both of which are related. The car is geared too low which is completely unnecessary given the peppiness of the V6 engine. The result is poor mpg for a car this size. We get only 23-24 mpg on highway driving. Mpg suffers dramatically at 70 mph. The other annoying thing is that it will not shift into 5'th gear under 40 mph which results in it feeling like you are driving with the brake on. As soon as you take your foot off the gas pedal it slows down noticeably unless you shift to neutral or keep your foot on the gas. This wastes gas also. These two issues take away from the fun of ownership. Check this out carefully when testing out this car.

I purchased 4 cyl. LX without the 3rd row seat a week ago. Got it used with 12,500 miles on it. I can't gauge reliability based on one week, but our family took the Rondo on a 600 mile trip (each way) so I have some basis for judging the vehicle. Very smooth, great braking, comfortable and quite roomy, yet it has fairly compact dimensions. It's no sports car but it is fun to drive. Lots of storage compartments - this is a very practical and utilitarian car with decent fuel economy and great value for the money, with a lot of safety features. So far I get around 27 mpg highway. I test drove a 2008 6 cylinder and there did not seem to be a great difference in power (2009 models have slightly increased HP and slightly better mpg for 4 cylinder). A little more power would be nice but I would not want to give up anything on fuel economy. Base stereo sounds very good and Sirius, aux input and USB port are nice touches. Good visibility and it is easy to get in and out of. I looked at several vehicles and went with the Rondo based on roominess, utility and price. Warranty is a bonus, even when purchased used there is a 5 yr 60,000 bumper to bumper warranty. Complaints are minor: when you open the hatch, dome light does not come on, and a cargo cover should be standard. Interior is well designed (I have black interior which looks very nice) but the plastic steering wheel is slippery and feels a bit cheap. Overall, I am quite pleased with the purchase and would recommend the Rondo. I think this car would appeal to a number of people as an alternative to an SUV or minivan and might also appeal to some who might be shopping for a sedan.