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 2010 Kia Optima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. GERVAIS KIA (6 INDUSTRIAL AVE, LOWELL, MA 01851, (978)454-1202) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND SAYS I NEED TO REPLACE THE AIRBAGS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. NOW AIRBAG SYSTEM IS DISENGAGED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE DRIVER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS IT INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER HAD TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER FOR IT TO STOP. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND LEFT LEG INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. *TT *TR
THE PASSAGE SEAT AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON STEADY CODE STORED B1448 OCS MAT IS DEFECTIVE CAR WAS PARKED IN YARD
AIR BAG LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF DEALER RESET BUT CAME BACK ON SOON AFTERWARDS. ANOTHER DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND PART WAS OVER $1000. MULTIPLE DEAD CAR BATTERIES DUE TO RUNNING LIGHTS NOT TURNING OFF AFTER YOU PARK THE CAR. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GOOD IN THIS WORLD JUST RECALL AND FIX ALREADY.
TAKATA RECALL. LIGHT ON CLOCK AREA SHOWED AN OFF FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE SUDDENLY ON OR ABOUT 3/6/2016 AN INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWED AN AIR BAG WARNING. I TOOK IT INTO CHAMPION AUTOMOTIVE CARE PLUS. THEY INSPECTED THE INDICATOR LIGHT AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE AND STATED TO REPLACE THE PART IT WOULD COST OVER $1000.00. THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHT WENT OUT. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER A MESSAGE CAME UP THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAGS WERE OFF. MY ENGINE WAS TURNED ON, WHEN I PUT IT IN GEAR THE OFF LIGHT WENT ON. DUE TO THE LOUSY LIGHTING THE ONLY THING YOU COULD SEE WAS THE OFF LIGHT. THE ONLY TIME I WAS MADE AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM IS WHEN THE INDICATOR LIGHT WENT ON.
NOTICED AN AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON ON THE DASH. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR HAD FAILED AND THE COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1800. REPAIR WAS NOT PERFORMED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG, ABS, AND BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,400.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,100.
WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, A VEHICLE REAR-ENDED MY 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE DRIVER HIT MY KIA SO HARD, I HIT THE MUSTANG IN FRONT OF ME. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON EITHER IMPACT. KIA WAS DRIVABLE, BUT THERE WERE NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY THE CAR DROVE (I.E. STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT, WHEEL SHAKING, ETC). THIS WAS THE EVENING OF 01/23/2014. ON 01/29/2014, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND COLLIDED WITH A PARKED VEHICLE (TOTALING THE KIA) @ 28-30 MPH. AGAIN AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND THE IMPACT LIFTED ME UP AND MY HEAD SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE TOP. SEAT BELT WAS IN USE, BUT DID NOT LOCK UPON IMPACT, FAILING TO SECURE MY BODY. MAJOR CONCUSSION RECEIVED ALONG WITH MULTIPLE BRUISES, CUTS, AND SCRAPES. INVESTIGATION UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE STEERING MALFUNCTION DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SEAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000. UPDATED 09/25/13*LJ
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A 1 CAR ACCIDENT WHERE IT WENT OFF THE ROAD, INTO THE DITCH AND ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS BROKEN DURING THE ACCIDENT AND WAS ALL THE WAY RECLINED RENDERING THE SEAT BELT INEFFECTIVE. THE INJURIES COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE THAN THEY ACTUALLY WERE GIVEN THE FACT THAT NO BAGS DEPLOYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS OF LITTLE HELP WHEN CONTACTED AND DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE THAT THEIR PRODUCT COULD BE DEFECTIVE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED IT TO TRAVEL OVER A CONCRETE LANE DIVIDER. THE TRUNK SPACE AREA WAS CRUSHED UP AGAINST THE REAR SEATS IN THE VEHICLE. THE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT DID NOT CAUSE THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUFFERED FROM SEVERE WHIPLASH AND BACK PAIN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SAVAGE FACILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE AIR BAG DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,008. UPDATED 12/11/12*LJ UPDATED 12/14/2012 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE WARNING CHIME SOUNDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE CUSHION ASSEMBLY IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE CUSHION ASSEMBLY AND THE COMPUTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY AND AS HE CLOSED THE DOOR, ALL OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE AIR BAGS UNDER WARRANTY. THE PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THEY WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 09/15/11 *BF UPDATED 10/24/11
TL* THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING A RENTED 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE WHILE THE GEAR WAS IN DRIVE, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, BUT IT WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE GEAR SHIFT HAD LOCK UP AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL OR THE PARK POSITION. SHE STATED THE MANUAL READ TO START CAR, THE GEAR SHIFT MUST BE IN THE PARK POSITION AND THE FOOT MUST BE ON THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER STATED AS SHE SLIGHTLY MOVED THE KEY, THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH HIGH SPEED AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A BUILDING. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED AND THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,750. UPDATED 12/01/10. *LJ
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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