Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
My son & his friend were hit on the passenger side by a young man who intentionally ran a red light. He HID my son so hard that our 2009 Kia Rondo flipped 3 times and not one of the driver side airbags deployed. They did deploy on the passenger side only. The car has since been destroyed by the insurance company, however I still have pictures. I think this should be checked in other rondos so no one else has to endure what my son who was driving did. As you can see from the picture that although the passenger air bags deployed, the steering wheel in in tact and none of the driver side air bags deployed. Seems impossible since the car flipped over 3 times. He was driving on a city street.
Nothing unordinary happened. However I believe it May have been around the time I had a new battery installed in my car. It went from one day to the next, where all of a sudden the airbag light can on and hasn't gone off since. I've had no accident, no major repair, nothing out of the ordinary. Now, I'm looking to take it to the Kia dealer, who wants to charge me $120 just to get codes and determine why the light is on. I feel this is something that should be covered under warranty, being that there is nothing a driver could do to cause a malfunction or disconnection with the airbags and how they function. I've seen three other posts on here where the airbags didn't deploy when they were suppose to. The big determining factor for my purchase of the Kia Rondo, was it's safety features, and all the airbags that are throughout the vehicle. …
Brought my car to Kia dealership upon re-call 6/2012 to replace clock spring assembly. 12/28/2015 - brought car to same Kia dealership and found that the clock spring assembly had to be replaced again since the air bag light continues to stay on. Called Kia same day to let them know that the assembly had to be replaced and that they should be responsible for payment. They stated that it was not under warranty and since the dealership replaced the original assembly during the re-call, I would have to pay the cost for the defective assembly that was replaced during re-call with the newly installed assembly on 12/29/2015. I believe it is the Kia corporations responsibility to absorb payment for the defective clock spring assembly that controls deployment of the driver side air bag. I will have to pay $271.00 plus tax in order for the dealership to release my car. …
I was involved in 2 separate vehicle collisions in my 2008 Kia Rondo on 2 separate occasions. I was sitting in the stopped vehicle when another vehicle crashed into the passenger's side door/rear of the vehicle. The second vehicle was traveling at an unknown speed upon impact. The air bags failed to deploy on both occasions. As a result, I sustained neck and back injuries. The vehicle was drivable and not towed, but driven to a dealer/private mechanic. The failure could not be replicated. The air bags were not repaired or recalled at time of either incident/accident. The air bag light illuminated after first accident and was on at time of second accident. The dealer/manufacturer was contacted about this issue and I was advised there was no air bag recall at this time. The vehicle was repaired for structural damages caused by the accident. …
The contact owns a 2007 Kia Rondo. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the traction control warning light and driver's side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact became aware of Kia Independent Recall Campaign Number: SC094 (Clock Spring Assembly Replacement). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was a Canadian VIN. The contact was referred to Kia Canada for recall information. The contact then contacted Kia Canada who informed her that the vehicle was previously serviced under the independent recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Kia Rondo. While driving approximately 80 MPH, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed head on into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed and the driver was fatally injured. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Related recalls (1)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Rondo years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (18), 2007 (16) and 2009 (14) model years. Airbag complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for Kia Rondo airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 12V-014 (frontal, Jan 17, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Rondo airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (6 mentions), followed by the side/window (3).
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.