Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Kia Optima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Power train: at low idle or while slowing down, the car will lose power for a minute until you get on the accelerator and it all comes back on. Alternator had been replaced. And is going to be replaced again soon. Not sure if it's just a bad part. Power steering pump was replaced. The pulley seized. Unrelated. Lighting: third brake light constantly flickers. All Lighting including head lights flicker on and off. Worse when slowing down. Lights on dash board, dome, rear light and head light Bulbs have been replaced. At night when the head lights flicker I cannot see the road. Airbags: the air bag light on dash is always on. Codes have been ran and there are so many. Tried resetting codes it comes back on soon after. Not sure how to go about trying to fix it. All of this has been happening since I purchased the car in November 2024.
Occupant airbag sensor doesn't recognize whether someone is sitting or not. The occupant airbag sensor light goes on and off whether there is a passenger sitting on the seat or not. Kia has extended warranty on this issue however it doesn't let customer know about this part is defected. I was doing my research how to fix the issue and learn that kia had extended warranty for 15 years from the first day of service. the warranty currently expired right now. if I knew there was a warranty, I would go to dealer to fix the issue the day that my wife bought the car.
This car have a Warranty Extension for OCS Sensor Mat. Warranty extension dated June 2016 Airbag light was first turned on in August 2020 Went to the dealer and said it was related to seat buckle and got it fixed Airbag light again turned on in August 2021 Went to the dealer and said it was related to clock spring and that the driver seat needs to be replaced, which would take time and did not get repaired In November 2021, the airbag light got turned off by itself I am very concerned whether the air bag for my car is really working.
I had my airbag light turned on last year and the dealership fixed the issue. Within a year, the airbag light got turned on again and now they say that it is related to the clock spring and is not covered in the extended warranty.This is a part that should not fail and very important for the safety and security of the driver and the other passengers.
have taken my kia to halleen kia sandusky dealership for safety recall driver air bags, and to assess my subframe. was turned away because they said the subframe of my car was too rusty and they "didn't feel safe letting their technicians do repairs as per safety recalls" and would not investigate the cars subframe.
Our son vehicle was driving on a 1 way street and crossing the 4 corner intersection on a green light when he was hit by a 2018 Chevy trax running a red light. The rear passenger door was hit hard, which caused the car to spin, 3 tires were blown, the rear axle was broken and the car was now facing the opposite direction. During this process his air bags (front,side) did not deploy, which was one of the reasons for purchasing the vehicle for safety. Now the other vehicle which hit him had front end damage, but only his side airs deployed. Based on the impact and body damage the vehicle was considered totaled.
I was driving southbound on sepulveda blvd on sep 6 at 0800 am and I was over halfway through the green light when I was struck by a Toyota making a left turn on a green light who did not yield. The driver [redacted] struck my car on the front and left driver bumper and fender causing extensive damage. He failed to yield, lied about it and the front and side air bags did not deploy.
My husband and daughter were involved in an accident where they struck a tree. The car was totaled and their was extensive damage to the front of the vehicle. The impact was more on the passenger front of vehicle. My daughter was the passenger and she is full grown so she should of been detected in the seat. The driver side airbag did deploy the passenger side did not. I am very grateful that she did not suffer serious injuries (just lacerations from seatbelt). I notified Kia motors and was given a case number. Somebody did follow up with me and asked that I send photos and told me someone else would be calling. I sent the photos. I did receive the second call from Kia and was told that the engineers incharge of the airbags would be on vacation for a couple of weeks and as soon as they came back and examined the photos, I would receive a call back. That was five weeks ago. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Kia Optima. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the air bag inadvertently deployed with substantial force and struck the contact in the face. The impact of the air bag deployment knocked the contact unconscious for several minutes, which resulted in the vehicle crashing into an unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to the head, neck and shoulder. The vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to an authorized dealer. A police report was filed of the incident. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 43,040. Updated08-30-12 updated 09/07/2012
Driver on opposite side if road crossed center lane and crashed into the drivers side of my car, damaging the entire drivers side from the headlights to the taillights. It is within $1000 of being totaled, but the low mileage is what saved us by bringing the value up. The driver was going approximately 25-30mph when her car struck mine and she did not apply the brakes at all. She hit my car and the car behind me as well. My side airbags did not deploy during the impact, as I feel they should have. There were no other passengers in the car, and there have not been any issues with the air bag system that I am aware of.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal
Kia motors America, inc. (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 Kia optima vehicles manufactured from September 29, 2005, through January 29, 2008, and model year 2007 and 2008 Kia rondo vehicles manufactured from September 13, 2006, through March 21, 2008.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vehicle's air bag clock spring contact assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on July 11, 2012.
Airbag complaints in other Optima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2008 Kia Optima?
NHTSA has 57 complaints about the air bags of the 2008 Kia Optima, 40% of the model year's 144 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Kia Optima airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-014 (frontal, Jan 17, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 Kia Optima airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 11 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries and 2 deaths to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.