Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2019 | 3 | 14% | 36,000 miles |
| 2018 | 5 | 18% | 54,000 miles |
| 2017 | 3 | 10% | 6,000 miles |
| 2016 | 4 | 5% | 51,000 miles |
| 2015 | 5 | 10% | 21,000 miles |
| 2014 | 7 | 13% | 35,000 miles |
| 2013 | 34 | 22% | 74,000 miles |
| 2012 | 12 | 22% | 78,000 miles |
| 2011 | 5 | 21% | 41,000 miles |
| 2010 | 12 | 46% | 62,000 miles |
| 2009 | 17 | 44% | 76,000 miles |
| 2008 | 27 | 59% | 65,000 miles |
| 2007 | 21 | 46% | 60,000 miles |
| 2006 | 50 | 68% | 65,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 11% | 85,000 miles |
| 2004 | 3 | 8% | 90,000 miles |
| 2003 | 4 | 5% | 30,000 miles |
| 2002 | 21 | 16% | 38,000 miles |
| 2001 | 33 | 15% | 25,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Victim was hit head on by a truck. Victim was going 10-15mph truck faster. Victim was t-boned on the driver side at the front tire. The entire front fender and frame were damaged. Victim sub-stained a bad shoulder injury and ptsd. Air bags did not deploy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2019 Kia Rio, the contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 42 MPH, while in the left lane to go straight. Another vehicle was in the turning lane to make a left turn, the vehicle made a right turn instead and crashed into the vehicle left front tire causing the tire to explode with impact. The driver lost control of the vehicle, the other vehicle pushed the vehicle at high speed, the vehicle landed into a ditch and came to a stop. As a result, the driver hit her head against the steering wheel. The air bag failed to deploy. The driver sustained back, arm head, foot and right wrist injuries that required medical attention. The other driver did not sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for a diagnostic testing. …
The first problem part is the airbag. The clockspring was fixed twice under warranty. Then the dealership said they wont keep doing it and blamed me wrongly. I had a private mechanic repair the same part twice due to the code it was giving but it turns out thats not what's wrong with it. The entire airbag and electrical components are bad, that is why the two repairs the dealership as well as the private mechanic made did not work. We also have some engine problems they wont continue to fix because my warranty is now surpassed. The car burns through 20 quarts of oil in between changes, it has no leaks. It has so much carbon buildup. They replaced a gasket and thats another part that has continually needed replaced but they did not fix the issue that has caused it to go bad. …
Took my car in as the airbag light on the dashboard kept turning on and off- with or without a passenger in the seat. The dealership ran a diagnostic inspection and turns out that the passenger side OCS Mat and ECU are faulty and need to be replaced (DTC codes B176700 and B17672F). I have not been in a crash and there are no obvious signs of damage to the seat that might have caused this. There's no active recall for this but it does seem that one other person has reported issues with the passenger airbag system and I know other Kia models have had recalls in the past. The car had about 90,000 miles on it when this issue started and it's up to date on all maintenance but I was quoted over $3000 to fix this which is essentially the value of my car now, totaling the vehicle even though it has no other issues. …
Was envolved in a wreck to where I went off the road hit a stop sign,,a telephone box,,a oak tree then a pine tree and none of the airbags deployed now my wife has a broken back and chest bone,,I got a busted up knee a sprang sholder neck and back
The air bags malfunction they didn't go off and seatbelt didn't lock on impact. Yes my safety was at risk. I keep calling them and they not do pick up the phone I get transferred back to the receptionist. The insurance company is doing their inspection the police as well. No warnings.
On September 16, 2016 at approximately9:12 pm, I [redacted] , had just picked up a passenger was involved in a car accident . Where as I was rear ended while at a complete stop at a signal light at the intersection of southwestern and mockingbird with the passenger in the car. There was a police report filed the number is [redacted] the airbag did not deplore .....updated 10/26/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Kia Rio. While driving 7 MPH in traffic, the contact depressed the brake pedal to the floorboard, but the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle and used the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt failed to engage. As a result, the contact's body struck the steering wheel. The contact sustained chest, neck, shoulder, and knee injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to bill byrd Kia (2435 e 15th st, panama city, fl 32405, phone number: [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the ABS module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. …
Related recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Kia is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 rio vehicles, manufactured from February 20, 2005, through December 9, 2007. The front passenger seat occupant sensor mat can experience fatigue cracking.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ocs seat sensor mat, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2012. Owners May contact Kia consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA investigations
Air bag non-deployment frontal crash
In addition to the December 2001 fatal crash reported to odi that provided the basis for opening pe02-022, Kia provided odi 29 additional reports of allegations of non-deployment of the air bag in a crash.no additional fatal crashes are reported.an engineering analysis has been opened to conduct further analysis of the subject vehicle's air bag system.
Air bag non deploy
This investigation identified a total of 82 reports alleging non-deployment of the dual front air bags.of the 82 reports, only one incident, the fatal crash that was the basis for opening the investigation, has been identified as a moderate to severe crash in which the automotive restraint controller issued a command to deploy but the air bags did not deploy.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this…
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Rio years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (50), 2013 (34), 2001 (33), 2008 (27) and 2002 (21) model years. Airbag complaints make up 68% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Kia Rio airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 12V-244 (sensor/control module-inactive, May 31, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Rio airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles; 41% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (48 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (8).
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.