2009 Kia Sportage Airbags Problems

Your airbag warning light has turned on and off multiple times over the past 6 months—it came on for 2 days, went away, came back on again for 2 days, stayed off for 5 months, and is now on again. While it could be just an electrical issue with the warning light itself, a malfunctioning airbag system poses a serious safety risk if the airbags don't deploy properly in a crash. A dealer diagnostic will need to scan your airbag system's computer to identify whether it's a sensor problem, wiring issue, or actual airbag malfunction.

At around 40,000 miles, your clock spring (the component that allows your steering wheel to connect to the airbag and horn systems) malfunctioned, which disabled both your airbags and horn. This means your airbags won't deploy in a crash and your horn won't work. The fix will involve replacing the clock spring assembly.

Your car was in a collision with a deer that caused significant front-end damage requiring radiator, cooling fan, and battery replacement. The airbags did not deploy during the impact, even though the crash was severe enough to warrant their activation. You also noticed that morning that the passenger airbag light on the dashboard was flickering on and off, suggesting a potential electrical or sensor problem with the airbag system.

Your passenger side curtain airbag has a defective control module and won't deploy properly in a crash. Your vehicle has only 53,375 miles and is regularly garaged, well within the normal 5-year/60,000-mile warranty period. Kia has recalled over 507,000 vehicles for airbag defects dating back to 2010, but the dealer denied your warranty claim because you use an independent mechanic instead of their service department. Fixing this will require replacing the airbag module, which costs around $1,956 plus labor and taxes.

THIS IS COMPLAINT 1 OF 2. COMPLAINT 2 IS UNDER A SEPARATE CATEGORY "ESC". THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "OFF" INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON, WITH AN ADULT PASSENGER SITTING IN THE SEAT (VEHICLE IN MOTION OR STATIONARY). AT FIRST IT WAS RANDOM, AND THEN IT STARTED STAYING ON ALL THE TIME. THEN THE "AIR BAG" WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAME ON. THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT WILL ALSO LOCK, AND NOT RELEASE AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO. AT THIS POINT I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS AFTER RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS: "AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SENSOR IS BAD AND THE PASSENGER SIDE OCCUPANT SENSOR IN THE SEAT IS BAD." THE DEALER GAVE A VERBAL QUOTE OF $2,200 TO REPLACE THE SEAT SENSOR, AND AN ADDITIONAL $575 TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SENSOR. THEY GAVE A WRITTEN ESTIMATE OF $2,212 FOR THE SEAT SENSOR, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE A WRITTEN ESTIMATE FOR THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SENSOR. I REALIZE THE VEHICLE IS 9 YEARS OLD, BUT IT ONLY HAS 42,647 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I CANNOT AFFORD NOR JUSTIFY INVESTING NEARLY $2,800 ON A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. KIA DID A RECALL FOR THE 2006-2008 RIO MODELS ON 5/31/12 "12V244000" FOR THE SEAT SENSOR AND HAS ALSO EXTENDED THE WARRANTY OUT TO 15 YEARS FOR OTHER MODELS. VERY FEW PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO SPEND THIS TYPE OF MONEY FOR A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY KIA. NOW I HAVE A VEHICLE WITH A FAULTY AIR BAG SAFETY SYSTEM, AND HAVE NO IDEA IF THE AIR BAGS WILL DEPLOY IF AND WHEN NEEDED. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION IS ATTACHED.

ON 12 JULY 2018 AT 0530 AM I WAS DRIVING DOWN COUNTY ROAD 26 MANKATO MN TO PICKUP MY SEMI AS I WAS APROACHING 3RD AVE STOP SIGN I APPLIED THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR I WENT THROUGH INTERSECTION SLAMMED INTO A BOULDER WALL HEAD ON AT AN ESTIMATED SPEED OF 40-45MPH. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY,SEAT BELT TENSIONER BROKE,WONT RETRACT BACK INTO HOLDER. AFTER GETTING CAR TOWED CAN SEE THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS CRUSHED BUT NO DEPLOYMENT SPENT 2 DAYS IN HOSPITAL. THANKFULLY NOTHING BROKE JUST ALOT OF BRUISING. CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY BRAKES DIDNT WORK ENDED UP USING EMERGENCY BRAKE TO TRY SLOWING DOWN IMPACT.

THE CLOCK SPRING IS BROKEN WHICH CAUSES AN AIR BAG AND HORN MALFUNCTION.

WE REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG, WE WERE ON ROUTE 19 N. AT HICO,WV AND WE TURNED ONTO A SIDE ROAD,THE CAR SLED ON THE GRAVEL WE HIT THE BANK AND TURNED ON OUR SIDE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF AND WE COULDN'T GET THE SEAT BELTS TO RELEASE SO WE WERE TRAPPED IN THE CAR.THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS.

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN. NOT SURE IF IT IS THE SENSOR OR IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAGS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND AFTER TAKING IT TO A AUTHORIZED KIA DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THE ERROR CODE INDICATED HIGH RESISTANCE AND THAT THE AIRBAG WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPACED

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

THIS IS MY 82 YEAR OLD MOTHER IN LAW CAR SHE SAYS THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND STAYING ON SO SHE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY CHARGED HER $150.00 TO LOOK AT IT. THIS WAS ON NOV 4 2014 THE CAR HAD ONLY 57047 MILES ON IT. SO IN MARCH IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN SO ON MARCH 27 2015 SHE GOES TO THE DEALER THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T CHARGE HER BUT TOLD HER IT WOULD COST $2,600.00 DOLLARS TO FIX. THE CAR ONLY HAS 59312 MILES ON IT. SHE IS FREAKED OUT SCARED TO DRIVE HER CAR AND IS ON FIXED INCOME. THE TWO CODES THEY FOUND WERE (B1489 OCS MATT DEFECT) AND (B1495 BELT TENSION SENSOR). MY SON SAYS HE THINKS THAT THE KIA RIO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND GOT RECALLED. I WILL GIVE MY INFO NOT MY MOTHERS THANK YOU *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR KNOW REASON. TO IT TO THE DEALER CHARGED ME$100 TO "LOOK AT IT". THE REPAIR WOULD COST $2500. CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT, APPEARS MANY OTHERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY,THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WILL DISENGAGE ITSELF BECAUSE OF MOVEMENT IN THE SEAT. SO,I END UP PULLING OVER AND RESTART THE CAR SO THAT THE LIGHT ON THE DASH,TELLING ME THE AIR BAG ISN'T SET, RESETS TO THE ON POSITION. SOMETIMES I MAY NOT NOTICE IT RIGHT AWAY. IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. AFTER REPORTING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE,THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT NOT ONLY CAN THEY NOT MAKE IT MORE SENSITIVE,BUT THAT THE PASSENGER MUST SIT PROPERLY IN THEIR SEAT. OVER TIME,PEOPLE TEND TO SHUFFLE ABOUT IN THEIR SEAT AND THEREFORE I FOUND THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPECT SOMEONE TO SIT STILL FOR A LONG DRIVE.I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO ASK THE PASSENGER TO REPOSITION THEMSELVES IN THEIR SEAT AND THE AIR BAG WILL RESET,SOMETIMES IT DOES,BUT FOR THE MOST PART, I END UP PULLING THE CAR OVER AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE. AS,YOU CAN IMAGINE,IT HAS NOT ONLY BEEN A DISTRACTION ON THE HIGHWAY,BUT ALSO A BIG PAIN IN THE [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR