There are 4 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2012 Kia Sportagein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2 MONTHS AGO MY DAUGHTERS KIA DIED AT A STOP SIGN, IT WOULD START BUT NOT IDLE OR DRIVE. HAD IT TOWED TO MIDTOWN KIA HERE IN TULSA WHERE ALL, AND LOTS OF PROBLEMS, HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. GAVE THEM THE ISSUES AND PAID THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW FROM A DEALER IN COLORADO BUT ALL REPAIRS WERE DONE AT LOCAL DEALER. TOOK A WEEK AND MY CALLING THEM TO BE TOLD THE STARTER WAS BAD AND IT WOULD TAKE $424 TO REPLACE IT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THE STARTER WORKED FINE WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN AND THE STARTER DOESN`T NEED TO BE WORKING TO PLUG IN THE OBD READER TO CHECK FOR FAULT CODES! HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK HOME, I AM MECHANICALLY INCLINED AND HAVE PROPER TOOLS. I BORROWED AN OBD READER AND IT RETURNED FAULT CODE FOR CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS, I REPLACED THOSE AND STILL WOULDN`T RUN. CLEARED THE CODES AND GOT FAULTY CRANKSHAFT SENSOR CODE, REPLACED THAT AND STILL NO SUCCESS. CLEARED CODES AND GOT FAULTY VALVE TIMING SOLENOID CODE, REPLACED THOSE, CAR STARTED AND RAN 2 DAYS BEFORE ENGINE LOCKED UP. REPLACE OIL AND FILTER REGULARLY WITH MOBIL 1 SYNTHETIC, TOOK PROPER CARE OF VEHICLE AS REQUIRED. VEHICLE HAS 180,000 MILES.
I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY ONTO A MEDIAN DIVIDED STREET THAT RUNS EAST/WEST. I WAS STOPPED AT THE LIGHT, IN A DOUBLE TURN LANE, ONCE THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I PROCEEDED TO TURN WEST GOING ABOUT 5 MPH, IMMEDIATELY I WAS HIT BY A WOMAN TO THE LEFT OF ME IN THE PARALLEL TURN LANE IN MY FRONT DRIVER SIDE QUARTER PANEL. HER CAR HIT AT NEARLY A 90 DEGREE ANGLE WITH ENOUGH IMPACT TO ROCK THE SPORTAGE, IT BUCKLED THE HOOD AND KNOCKED OFF SEVERAL OF THE GRILL PANELS. NOT UNTIL I MOVED THE CAR AND EXITED DID I REALIZE THAT THERE WAS A THIRD CAR INVOLVED THAT IMPACTED THE CAR THAT HIT ME DRIVING HER INTO MY CAR WITH ENOUGH FORCE THAT HER WINDOWS SHATTER AND BENT HER FRONT WHEEL IN. HER AIRBAGS EMPLOYED IN HER VM JETTA CONVERTIBLE, IN ADDITION, TO THE ROLL BARS DEPLOYING. I AM CONCERNED THAT NONE OF MY FRONT AND/OR SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE CRASH. MY PASSENGER AND MYSELF SUSTAINED BRUISING FROM THE IMPACT AND SEAT BELT RESTRAINT. WHY DIDN'T THE BAGS DEPLOY? IT WOULD APPEAR THEY ARE DEFECTIVE? *TR
I WAS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND DID NOT SEE A CAR DUE THEIR HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ON. WE HIT AND NONE OF MY AIR BACK DEPLOYED THE WHOLE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS SMASHED AND I HIT MY HEAD ON THE DOOR JAM AND MY VEHICLE HAS SIDE AIR BAGS ALSO. I HAVE CONTACTED KIA AND INITIALLY GOT A CASE # AND STUFF. THE CASE # IS [XXX]. I DID RECEIVED ONE MESS FROM THEM REQUESTION STUFF BUT THEY DID NOT LEAVE ANY KINDOF RETURN # OR ANY FAX # OR EMAIL FOR ME TO SEND THE REQUESTED INFORMATION BACK TOO. I HAVE CALLED KIA APPROX. THREE TIMES A WK WITH NO ANSWERS OR RETURN CALLS TODAY I CALLED AND WAS ABLE TO GET A FAX #. I WAS PERFECTLY HEALTHY PRIOR TO MY WRECK NOW I HAVE TO TAKE PAIN MEDS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY AND I CAN NOT DO HOUSE WORK OR PICK UP MY TOW YEAR OLD. SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I SWERVED TO HIT A DEER, HIT THE DEER THEN WENT IN TO THE DITCH AND DROVE HEAD ON INTO A TREE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND I AM WONDERING WHY. *TR
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