There are 36 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2006 Kia Sportagein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I HIT THE SIDE OF A CAR I DIDN'T SEE WHILE PULLING OUT OF A CAR PARK ONTO THE ROAD, SO I WAS MOVING SLOWLY FORWARD. A CAR HAD APPEARED FROM BEHIND 2 TURNING CARS AND I HIT THE SIDE OF IT. NEITHER THE AIR BAG OR THE SEAT BELT IN MY CAR STOPPED MY HEAD FROM MAKING CONTACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD. I WAS VERY SHAKEN AT THE TIME AS ANYONE WOULD BE. THE FOLLOWING DAY I NEEDED TO REST, AND 2 DAYS LATER WENT TO ER WHERE I HAD A SCAN AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CONCUSSION. OVER 2 WEEKS LATER, I AM MUCH BETTER BUT NOT YET FULLY RECOVERED. I RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE ATTENDING POLICE OFFICER FOR CARELESS DRIVING. I HAVE CONTACTED CORPORATE KIA TO ASK WHY BOTH THE AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT FAILED TO HELP ME AVOID INJURY. I ATTACH A PHOTO OF THE FRONT OF MY CAR AND THE POLICE REPORT.
I WAS RIDING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. TWO DAYS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY MECHANIC THINKS IT IS A SENSOR FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. HAVING TROUBLE WITH COVID-19 GETTING THE PART, BEEN WAITING FOR OVER A WEEK. MY MECHANIC HAS RECOMMENDED ME TAKING THE CAR TO A KIA DEALER SHIP WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMING ON. HE THOUGH FOR SURE IT WOULD HAVE A RECALL BUT I DO NOT SEE ONE LISTED.
AIR BAG NOT ENGAGED LIGHT IS ON
DEALER DIAGNOSTICS CAME UP WITH CODES B1495 PODS, B1495 BTS & C1513 ABS AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN STARTING & STAYED ON. HAD BRAKE SWITCH REPLACED PER RECALL A FEW MONTHS AGO & KNOW HAVE A ABS CODE THAT COULD BE THE SWITCH AGAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED RANDOMLY. THE FAILURE SOMETIMES OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AND OTHER TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS JUST STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN EXHIBITING THE FAILURE FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,685.
I WAS DRIVING DOWNHILL A CITY STREET AND BEGAN TO TURN RIGHT. AS I WAS SLOWLY TURNING GOING ABOUT 15-20MPH USING THE BRAKES, ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-40MPH, HIT MINE ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE DAMAGING FROM THE HEADLIGHT TO THE DRIVERS DOOR. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AT TIMES. I AM CONCERNED THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR
2006 KIA SPORTAGE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIRBAG FAILURE. *SMD CONSUMER SENT ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE. *SMD CONSUMER SENT ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE ON 1/23/15. *SMD THE CONSUMER WANTED A WAIVER FOR THE AIR BAG FAILURE, DUE TO THE FACT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. *JB THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE SEAT SENSOR WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY AND IT WOULD COST $1800. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THE REPAIR WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 07/01/15. *JB UPDATED 07/06/15. *JB
THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR. THE DEALER RESETS THE CODE/LIGHT AND CLAIMS I NEED TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SEAT REPLACED FOR APPROX. $2,000! THERE ARE OTHER 2006 KIA MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR FAULTY PASSENGER SEATS BUT NOT THE SPORTAGE. MY FAMILIES SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED AND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE A RECALL. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY OUT OF MY OWN POCKET TO REPAIR A FAULTY SAFETY ITEM. IF IT'S A BIG ENOUGH ISSUE TO HAVE A REPAIR BULLETIN ISSUED IT SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. *TR
MY AIR BAG CAME ON AROUND JUNE OF 2014 AND NOW REMAINS ON. I AM TOLD BY MY MECHANIC IT IS THE AIR BAG IMPACT SENSOR SWITCH #95930 2E000. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS $268.15 WITH A $39.00 REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT FEE. THE DIAGNOSTICS IS $32.50. IF THIS PART IS FAULTY AS INDICATED IN MY WEB SEARCH, WHY AM I PAYING OUT OF POCKET TO A FAULTY SAFETY SWITCH? WHERE IS/ARE THE RECALL LETTER(S)? *TR
THE AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED BLINKING, THEN STAYED LIT. I TOOK MY CAR TO KIA DEALER AND HAD DIAGNOSTIC. THE COST WAS $60. THEY FOUND THAT FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SEAT HAD AN ERROR CODE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SENSOR FOR FRONT SEAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I LEFT DEALER THE LIGHT FOR AIR BAG WAS OFF, BUT CAME BACK ON A WEEK LATER. AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON. *TR
I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CORRECTED. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TESTAND TOLD ME THAT IT MIGHT BE A SENSOR THEY THEN RESET THE AIRBAG LIGHT. FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND HAS STAYED ON. FROM WHAT I HAVE GATHERED THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH KIAS. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE COSTTO HAVING THIS REPAIRED. *TR
THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS SUDDENLY ON WHILE DRIVING. TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND TURNING IT ON BACK, THE LIGHT IS STILL ON. IT HAPPENED BEFORE ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO, AND HAD THE WHOLE PASSENGER BELT REPLACED, BASED ON THE SHOP RECOMMENDATION. NOW THE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN, FOR NO REASON. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS/CASES FOUND THROUGH SEARCHING THE INTERNET, KIA SHOULD MAKE A RECALL AND FIX IT. IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON AND IT IS EXPENSIVE TO HAVE IT FIX. THE DEALER CAN NOT GUARANTY THAT CHANGING THE BELT/SENSOR ETC WILL FIX IT, WHICH TRANSLATES THE COST WILL ONLY KEEP INCREASING UNTIL IT'S FIXED. *TR
STARTED THE VEHICLE ONE EVENING AND THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE. I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO AND CARFAX GUARANTEED NO ACCIDENTS. NO ONE IS SURE HOW IT CAME ON OR WHAT TO DO TO TURN IT OFF. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG FAILED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE DEALER RESET THE AIR BAG LIGHT HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE 34,400. UPDATED 09/06/13*LJ
THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THEN CAME ON CONSTANT. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY WERE NOT SURE WHAT WOULD FIX IT. THEY RESET LIGHT AND IT STAYED OFF UNTIL PASSENGER RAISED UP TO GET SOMETHING OFF DASH AND PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE DRIVERS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON AGAIN. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT IN JAN THE OPTIMA AND RIO HAD TOTAL RECALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THEY DID NOT INCLUDE THE SPORTAGE. I BELIEVE FROM WEBSITE RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A LOOMING LARGE SCALE PROBLEM WITH KIA'S AIR BAG SYSTEM ESPECIALLY IN THE 2006 MODELS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL SINCE THIS IS AN ASTRONOMICAL COST TO HAVE REPAIRED AND THE DEALERS WON'T GUARANTEE THE REPAIRS SINCE SO FAR THE REPAIRS DON'T FIX OR KEEP FIXED THE FAULTY SYSTEM. IF ALL REPAIRS ARE DONE THAT WERE EXPLAINED TO ME THEN JUST GETTING THEM "POSSIBLE" REPAIRED COULD COST AS MUCH AS $5000.00 TOTAL. PLEASE ISSUE A DEMAND FOR RECALL ON THE 2006 KIA SPORTAGE. *TR
I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AT A GROCERY STORE INSIDE SHOPPING AND CAME OUT TO FIND MY VEHICLE WAS HIT IN THE REAR BUMPER AND THE OTHER DRIVER DROVE OFF WITHOUT LEAVING THERE INFORMATION. I GOT IN THE CAR AND STARTED IT NOTICED THAT MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND DID NOT GO OFF. *TR
THE SEAT BELT SENSOR FOR THE AIR BAGS HAS GONE OUT 3 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME HAPPENED ABOUT 2500K MILES AND WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND TIME WAS AFTER 60K MILES AND WE HAD TO PAY FOR IT ABOUT $100, THE THIRD TIME IT WENT OUT WAS ABOUT 80K MILES. I WAS QUOTED $300 TO HAVE IT REPLACED AGAIN BUT WHEN I COMPLAINED THEY OFFERED TO DO IT FOR $100. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT APPEARS TO NEED A RECALL ON THE PART. I DO NOT THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED AND IN THE MEAN TIME WE ARE DRIVING AROUND WITHOUT THE SENSOR WORKING FOR THE AIR BAG. GOOD JOB KIA! *TR
DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG LAMP WILL COME ON WHILE DRIVING. ONCE STOPPED AND ENGINE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE LIGHT WILL NOT BE ON. THEN OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING THE LAMP WILL AGAIN COME BACK ON. *TR
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. NOW IT IS ON ALL THE TIME. APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, INTERNET SEARCHES CLAIM THE PROBLEM IS LIKELY IN THE SEATBELT SENSOR. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 36 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026