Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Seat belts reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Nov 3, 2015
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 120 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Kia Spectra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.
Owner reports naming seat belt
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
AirbagsElectricalExterior lighting+1 more
Filed Nov 3, 2015
DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND NOTHING I TRIED--SCANNER, CALLING THE DEALER, AND INSPECTING IT MYSELF--SEEMS TO BE ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. I SEE MULTIPLE PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING SIMPLER SYMPTOMS. THE LIGHT ILLUMINATES AS USUAL UPON IGNITION AND SHUTS OFF AS NORMAL. IT THEN COMES BACK ON AROUND 10 TO 20 SECONDS AFTER THE CAR STARTS, AND IT DOES NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL I TURN OFF THE CAR. THE IT SOUNDS LIKE A WARRANTY ISSUE.
NHTSA ID
10787951
Incident
Nov 1, 2015
Mileage
103,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Apr 18, 2014
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT SENSOR HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. UPDATED 06/10/14*LJ THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2007 AND 2006 MODELS FOR THE SAME FAILURE. UPDATED 06/11/2014 *JS
NHTSA ID
10583467
Incident
Apr 18, 2014
Mileage
23,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 5, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED TO LOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000. *TR
NHTSA ID
10523367
Incident
Jun 5, 2013
Mileage
112,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jun 5, 2013
EVER SINCE BUYING THE CAR IN 2010, THE REAR SEAT BELTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOCK-UP FOR NO REASON. NOW, NEITHER REAR OUTBOARD RETRACTOR WILL UNWIND. THE CENTER SEATBELT STILL WORKS FINE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10515286
Incident
Mar 2, 2013
Mileage
90,000 mi
AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Mar 26, 2013
I STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH MY SEAT BELT'S AND I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND AN ISSUE I CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEM'S TOOK IT BACK SEVERAL TIME'S AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING NOW MY SEAT BELT'S IN THE BACK OF MY CAR DO NOT WORK AT ALL I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THEN AFTER THAT I STARTED HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT AND AIR BAG THE LIGHT ON THE DASH NEXT TO THE CLOCK WOULDN'T GO OFF OR IT JUST FLICKERED AND THE AIR BAG ICON WITH THE PERSON ON IT CAME ON AND HASN'T WENT OFF I TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS WELL AND THE SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM BUT NOW THAT THE LIGHT NEXT TO THE CLOCK HAS GONE OUT AND THE PERSON ICON WITH THE AIR BAG ON MY DASH JUST STAY'S ON I TOOK IT TO THEM AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO BUY A PASSENGER SEAT FOR $1,900.00 BECAUSE MY WARRANTY FOR THAT PART WAS UP. I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD FIX THESE ISSUES BECAUSE THEY ARE A SAFETY ISSUE AND I TRANSPORT SMALL CHILDREN IN MY CAR. *TR
NHTSA ID
10504605
Incident
Mar 10, 2011
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Feb 6, 2012
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED TWO FRACTURED COLLAR BONES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED FOR THE FAILURE NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,207. UPDATED 03/05/12*LJ UPDATED 03/08/12
NHTSA ID
10446870
Incident
Feb 2, 2012
Mileage
103,207 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 27, 2011
THE REAR SEAT BELTS LOCK UP WHEN YOU START TO PULL THEN AROUND YOU AND THEY WILL NOT TURN LOOSE SO YOU CAN GET THEN ON. *TT
NHTSA ID
10427576
Incident
Sep 27, 2011
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Apr 3, 2009
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR REMAINS ILLUMINATED WHEN AN OCCUPANT IS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER TESTED THE AIR BAG SENSOR BY PLACING A 200 LBS. MECHANIC IN THE SEAT. THE INDICATOR DIMMED; THEREFORE, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS FINE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID A DEER AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER FAILED WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. KIA REPLACED THE AIR BAG COMPUTER, SENSOR, AND SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE WERE LABELED AS DEFECTIVE AND AFTER ALL THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE INAPPROPRIATELY. RECENTLY, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO AVOID A DEER AND ANOTHER CRASH OCCURRED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED AND IS CURRENTLY AT AN AUTO BODY SHOP WAITING TO BE APPRAISED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 10,000.
NHTSA ID
10264069
Incident
Dec 8, 2008
Mileage
10,000 mi
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own