Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2019 Kia Optima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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
Car was affected by emergency theft system locked car down when moving and caused airbags to deploy in which fractured my spine vertebra causing spinal fusion
I brought my Kia Optima into the dealership in October 0f 2024, because my airbag light came on. It has not been there over 6 months because my passenger airbag module is not operable and rending all my airbags useless; it is also on backorder with no ETA. The dealership wouldn't help with my escalation it has taken me 6 months to get to the escalations department and now they will not offer additional support with payments or a buy back "due to warranty". I feel helpless and like my investment has been thrown in the trash and lit on fire as my car is sitting in the parking lot in the AZ sun, not being moved and not protected from the elements. They continue to offer no real resolutions and tell me to wait for a piece that has absolutely no ETA.
Diagnostic scan of car's computer showed trouble code B138400 Side Airbag Front PAssenger-Resistance Circuit Short to Ground.
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-30 mph approaching an intersection, an unknown pickup T -boned the vehicle on the driver-side quarter panel. While depressing the brake pedal, the attention level high / collision warning message was displayed. The air bag did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to her back and shoulder and she had several bruises. The contact was seen at the hospital where medical treatment was received. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and than to a tow lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 93,228.
On sept 1st I was in an accident. I hit a parked car. My car was totaled. I suffered a fractured sternum and possible concussion. All of airbags failed to deploy. PALO ALTO POLICE RECORD,22-02889
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, several deers intercepted the lane, to prevent impact with them, she turned the steering wheel and crashed head-on into a telephone pole. No air bags deployed. The contact sustained a concussion when she hit her head on an unknown surface and was transported by an ambulance to an Emergency Room to seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The contact towed the vehicle to an autobody center. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,596.
Struck by heavy vehicle in an intersection; t-boned in the left front — by the right front of other vehicle which ran a red light. I have numerous injuries to my left side, and I have a damaged heart because none of my airbags deployed during the crash. The corner where I moved from when the traffic signal turned green has a severely blocked view where I sat at a red light. There’s a highway barrier fence that stretches alongside the road I was traveling, and this fence extends beyond the stop line for that traffic signal; it even stretches up to the sidewalk/crosswalk. That fence is completely covered with the heavy cover of vegetation/vines. Even at night, there is no visibility through that fence, can’t even see headlamps of another vehicle at night.
Wow
TL* THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND OWNS A 2019 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A DEER THAT JUMPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK PAIN AND HIS DAUGHTER, WHO WAS SEATED BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT, SUSTAINED NECK PAIN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT BOTH OCCUPANTS WOULD BE TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR THEIR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY WAITING TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,168.
I WAS REAR ENDED ON THE FREEWAY. TRAFFIC CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS GOING 40-50MPH AND DID NOT STOP IN TIME AND REAR ENDED ME AND PUSHED ME INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.
I WAS DRIVING ONE NIGHT ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF MY CAR. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES BUT STILL HIT THE DEER WHICH DAMAGED MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FENDER AND LIGHTS. I WAS TRAVELING AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. I DIDN'T CALL THE AMBULANCE AT THE TIME BECAUSE I HAD TO GO RIGHT BACK TO WORK. AT THE TIME I ALSO DID NOT THINK THAT THE ACCIDENT AFFECTED ME BUT I BELIEVE THAT DUE TO THE WHIPLASH FROM SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES THAT IT DID IN FACT DAMAGE MY SPINE. I KEPT GOING TO THE DOCTOR'S AND HOSPITALS TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH MY BODY BUT NONE OF THEM REALLY HAD ANY DRAINAGE ANSWERS. JUST RECENTLY HAD AN EMERGENCY SURGERY ON MY UPPER BACK. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS SPINAL STENOSIS. I HAD NO PRIOR HEALTH PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT AND I WANT SOME ANSWERS TO THAT. ALSO AFTER THIS INCIDENT MY BACK TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO SPARE TIRE, FLARES FOR SAFETY OR ANYTHING WHEN I LOOKED IN MY TRUNK I AM SURE THIS IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE ALL TOGETHER BEFORE ALL OF THIS I HAD FAITH IN KIA AND NOW I DOUBT THAT KIA CARES OR IS CONCERNED WITH THE WELL BEING OF BUYING AND PAYING CUSTOMERS. KIA FINANCIAL TREATED VERY BADLY AS WELL. MY MOM, MY DAD AND MY STEP MOTHER ALL DRIVE KIA'S A'S WELL. IS IT TIME FOR US TO SWITCH UP CAR CHOICES?
PURCHASED 2019 KIA OPTIMA EX ON 4/27/2019 FROM A KIA DEALERSHIP IN HAGERSTOWN,MD. AFTER RESEARCH ON THIS WEBSITE WE FIND OUT THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION FOR AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING ON THIS VEHICLE IN CRASHES. THIS INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED BEFORE THE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE. HOW IS A DEALERSHIP ALLOWED TO SELL A VEHICLE WITH A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE? A DEALERSHIP/MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE TO LET THE PURCHASER KNOW BEFORE THEY BUY THE VEHICLE. WE WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IF WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS!
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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