Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Kia Optima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 22 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE LIGHT FOR MY AIR BAG HAS BEEN STAYING ON AND MY HORN QUIT WORKING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO THE SHOP FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A CLOCK SWITCH (I BELIEVE I SAID THAT RIGHT) WHICH IS SOMETHING IN THE STEERING CONNECTED TO THE AIRBAG AND HORN. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG MIGHT ACTIVATE WHILE I AM DRIVING WHICH WOULD NOT BE GOOD. MAYBE EVEN NOT WORK IF I GET IN A WRECK.
MY AIRBAG CONTINUES TO HAVE PROBLEMS AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. THE CAR WAS JUST STARTED AND STATIONARY WHEN THE LIGHT WENT ON.
ONE MORNING I TURNED THE CAR ON AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS NOT GONE OFF! ; (
AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO REASON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THE DRIVER SEAT AND SUNROOF HAVE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WHERE THEY WORK THEN DON'T, FOUND THAT THE SWITCHES ARE BAD AND WORK SOMETIMES.
I STARTED THE VEHICLE THIS MORNING AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED AFTER TWO DAYS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CODES WERE CLEARED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
NEEDED TO REPLACE DOOR LATCH ON DRIVER'S SIDE. DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT DEPLOY. *TR
I NOTICED THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD GO OFF AND ON FROM TIME TO TIME, THEN IT WOULD JUST STAY ON. I TOOK IT IN TO THE SHOP, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SENSOR, THEY REPAIRED IT AND THE PROBLEM CAME BACK. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. *TR
2005 KIA OPTIMA AIR BAG LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON. *TR
I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN I NOTICED THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME STOP. I HIT THE BRAKES AND COULD NOT STOP IN TIME AND COLLIDED WITH THE REAR OF THIS PERSONS CAR. IT SMASHED IN MY FRONT BUMPER, FENDER, BENT THE HOOD ABOUT TWO FEET IN THE AIR, AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I DRIVE A KIA OPTIMA 2005. I THINK THIS CRASH DEFINITELY WARRANTED A AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *TR
APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS AGO MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I'VE LEFT MESSAGES WITH THE KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE AT LEAST 7 TIMES SINCE THIS PROBLEM RECURRED, WITH NO REPLY FROM KIA. LAST YEAR I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THIS OFFICE AND KIA FIXED THE AIR BAG PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND I BELIEVE THE AIR BAGS IN THIS CAR ARE DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. AGAIN, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT THE AIR BAGS WILL DEPLOY AND MY FAMILY IS IN DANGER IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR
RIGHT AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED MY AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED FLICKERING WHEN I WENT OVER A MINOR BUMP. IT IS NOW CONSTANTLY ON. I HAVE SEEN OTHERS POST THE SAME ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. *TR
I HAVE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS. I HAVE A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. MY AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME "ANYTIME ANYONE WITH ANY WEIGHT SITS DOWN ON THE SEAT IT WILL COME DISCONNECTED". I HAD IT FIXED ONCE AND NOW IT IS ON AGAIN. EVER SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THIS CAR I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. THE ONLY DEALERSHIP I CAN GO TO IS 2 HOURS AWAY BY FREEWAY. I AM AFRAID FOR MY FAMILY TO BE IN THIS CAR BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW IF WE WILL BE PROTECTED AS WE SHOULD BE. THE FIRST TIME THAT IT BROKE DOWN WAS A WEEK AFTER WE BOUGHT IT AND THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK, AND WHEN I HAD THE THROTTLE REPLACED THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT EVEN DO THE REPAIR CORRECTLY CAUSING THE CAR TO REV UP WHEN STOPPED. PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THE ISSUES I HAVE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR MONTHS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY EIGHT TIMES; HOWEVER, THE DIAGNOSTIC FAILS TO PRODUCE AN ERROR CODE EACH TIME. THE FAILURE ALWAYS RECURS AFTER A FEW WEEKS. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE PART IS DEFECTIVE AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD DEVELOP A PROPER REMEDY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. UPDATED 02/10/09. *LJ UPDATED 02/10/09. *JB
CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG LIGHT ON VEHICLE. REPORTED TO DEALER 9-25-06, 1-4-07, 8-7-07, 3-25-08. AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ON. *TR
PURCHASED 2005 KIA OPTIMA IN 7/06. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON IN SEPT 06. DEALER NOTIFIED AND FIXED. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN A SHORT TIME LATER AND SENT TO DEALER AGAIN, 1-4-07, FIXED. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN SENT TO DEALER ON 8-7-07, FIXED. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN SENT TO DEALER 3-25-08 AND FIXED. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN IN 6/08 AND LIGHT REMAINS ON AT THIS TIME. AIR BAG IS NOT WORKING AT THIS TIME. WE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE ON 7/07. IT WAS A FRONT END COLLISION AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
EIGHT (8) TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON; EACH TIME I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE REPAIRED AS MY FAMILIES SAFETY IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME. ON TWO OF THOSE OCCASIONS THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED A SEAT BACK PARTS THAT WORKED TEMPORARILY. THE OTHER OCCASIONS I WAS MOSTLY GIVEN A BUNCH OF NONSENSE ABOUT COMPUTER CODES AND THAT THEY CLEARED THE CODE (I ASSUME I HAVE AIR BAG PROTECTION). ALL OF THIS OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER IT'S 60,000 MILE WARRANTY. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I CALLED THE MANUFACTURE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE RECURRING PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH THE SEAT BELT LIGHT HAD OCCURRED AGAIN AND THAT MY MILEAGE WAS 58,880 AND THAT I WAS BRINGING INTO DEALERSHIP ASAP. TODAY WHEN I WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $155.00 TO HAVE THE "PIN TENSION RESET". I ARGUED WITH DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER ABOUT COVERAGE UNDER WARRANTY AND REFUSED TO PAY THE $155.00 AND HAD TO AGREE TO PAY A $53.00 DIAGNOSTIC FEE, WHICH I DID. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THEY HAD "CLEARED THE AIR BAG LIGHT FOR NOW". SO, I ASKED IF THEY HAD INDEED DONE THIS SUGGESTED REPAIR OF HAVING THE PIN TENSION RESET AND THE HE REPLIED NO, BUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS CLEARED FOR NOW. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONFIDENCE THAT MY AIR BAGS WILL DEPLOY AND 100% CERTAINTY THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL TURN BACK ON. MY FAMILY IS IN GRAVE DANGER IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AND I WOULD LIKE THIS INVESTIGATED FURTHER. *TR
I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 3/11/08. A WOMAN CAUSED ME TO REAR END HER GOING ABOUT 40-45MPH. MY CAR WAS BASICALLY TOTALED. I HAD MY 2 MONTH OLD TWINS IN THE CAR AND MY 3YR OLD SON. LUCKILY WE WERE ALL BUCKLED IN. I DIDN'T SUSTAIN ANY SERIOUS INJURIES. I HAVE FEW PAINS BUT DUE TO WORK I HAVE NOT SEEN A DOCTOR AS OF YET. MY CHILDREN ARE TO YOUNG TO COMMUNICATE IF AND WHEN THEY ARE HAVING PAIN RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT PHYSICALLY THEY LOOK FINE. THE AIRBAGS IN THE VEHICLE DID NOT DEPLOY AT ALL. I FEEL THAT IF WE WERE NOT BUCKLED IN AND WOULD HAVE RELIED SOLEY ON THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WE COULD HAVE INCURRED SERIOUS BODILY INJURIES. MY CONCERN IS THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING. *TR
SIX TIMES SINCE JANUARY 07 I'VE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX A AIR BAG LIGHT ISSUE. THEY SAY THAT ARE DOING WHAT THE COMPUTER TELLS THEM TO DO AND THE PROBLEM KEEPS RETURNING. I BELIEVE KIA IS NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A BIGGER PROBLEM WITH THE AIR AND DOES NOT KNOW IF IT IS FIXED OR NOT. SINCE THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAN NOT BE PREDICTABLE THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR
MY FIANCE WAS TRAVELING DOWN A ROAD WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MPH AND HE WAS BLINDED BY BRIGHT LIGHTS, HE RAN OFF THE ROAD AND LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR WHICH CAUSED HIM TO STRIKE A TREE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. HE HIT THE TREE AT ABOUT 50 MPH AND WAS SPUN AROUND AND NOSE DIVED DOWN A HILL. NOW HE INITIALLY HIT THE BACK PASSENGER DOOR WHICH MEANS IT WAS A SIDE IMPACT CRASH AND HIS SIDE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY.....WAS THIS A DEFAULT????? *TR
DT: 2005 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND WAS PUSHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HERS. THE VEHICLE THAT HIT HER WAS TOTALED. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE VEHICLE WAS SMASHED. THE HOOD, TRUNK AND THREE OF THE FOUR DOORS WILL NOT SHUT. THE CONSUMER STATED LOWER BACK WAS STRAIGHT WHERE IT SHOULD BE CURVED. SHE WAS NOT SURE THE EXTENT OF HER INJURIES. SHE WAS UNABLE TO GET INTO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE. HER SEVEN YEAR OLD STEP DAUGHTER WAS ALSO IN THE VEHICLE AND SHE HAD A BRUISE AND WAS SORE ON HER RIBS. *AK *JB
ON 8/27/05, ABOUT 1:30 P.M. ROBERTA SEALS WAS INVOLVED IN A SEMI-HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH AN 85 CHEVY BLAZER TRAVELING APPROXIMATLEY 35-40MPH. ROBERTA WAS AT AN ALMOST COMPLETE STOP, ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN. THE OTHER DRIVER HAS ADMITTED TO NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO HIS SPEED OR THE ROAD, HAVING REACHED DOWN FOR HIS CELL PHONE. THE IMPACT WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO THROW ROBERTA'S 2005 KIA OPTIMA APPROXIMATLEY 150 FT. INTO THE FRONT YARD, ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET. THE IMPACT OCCURED ON THE RIGHT-SIDE FRONT BUMPER, RESULTING IN THE FRONT BEING SHOVED, ACCORDIAN STYLE, TOWARDS THE DRIVERS WINDOW. THIS IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO THROW ROBERTA INTO THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING A MINOR BUMP TO APPEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF HER HEAD, BECAUSE THE AIRBAG IN THE VEHICLE DID NOT DEPLOY. ROBERTA WAS WEARING HER SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. SHE SUFFERS FROM CONTUSIONS AND SPRAINS ON BOTH OF HER KNEES, HER GLUTOS MAXIMUS AND RIGHT ARM. HER RIGHT ARM IS STILL SWOLLEN AND IN A SPLINT AND SLING AT THIS TIME. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AT THIS TIME TO THE VEHICLE. OUR MAIN ISSUE IS WITH THE AIRBAG NOT HAVING DEPLOYED ON IMPACT.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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