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 2006 Kia Sedona owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
New 2006, a few months after he bought the van, someone hit me in the rear on the stop light and the airbags never activated, the repair shop said it had no rear air bags, that is why do not active system. 2014 light "airbag" is lit and remains so since then, the dealer charges a fortune only to diagnose, 2014 I had an freeway accident, to prevent a truck hit me flywheel onto the shoulder, hitting the fence right boundedness and ending with the wall head-on collision in central divider ... Of course "airbags" never worked
This vehicle's "airbag" light sensor came on upon starting my vehicle routinely. I was not involved in any accident prior to the light illuminating. I received an estimate of $968.71 to repair two airbag sensors at the dealership. I then learned that the airbag light once illuminated shuts down the entire airbag system in the vehicle and that there are over 44 registered NHTSA complaints on the 2006 Kia Sedona models. I called Kia consumer assistance center and was issued a case number. I have allied the assistance center and Kia consumer affairs department of the western regional office over two dozen times beginning December 18, 2014 asking why there has not been a service campaign for this vehicle and they said one time that they would not pay for the repair and suggested I call the western regional office which I call daily with no return call from Kia's [redacted] . …
January 2007 we purchased a Kia Sedona because of the safety features for all passengers, an important feature because I transport children. In April of 2007 we were hit by a Mini van in the front passenger quarter panel. The accident caused thousands of dollars of damage and no airbags deployed, which was a concern. 2016 we were in another accident while turning a corner. This time we were hit in the rear (3rd row) passenger quarter panel by a pick up. We were hit hard enough to push our van into the other lane, ending up jumping a curb & landing in the grass. No air bags deployed, which really upset me! The rear hatch looked like someone had opened it then shut it with a light pole laying across it. Our insurance company totaled the van and asked us to go and get our things out. I put towels on all the seats to keep it clean. …
This complaint is regarding a single-owner 2006 Kia Sedona. Since 2006 I have had numerous electrical related problems. Over half the buttons and knobs on the stock cd player/radio have not worked for approximately eight years. I am having to replace headlight and turn signal bulbs every few months. The airbag indicator light is illuminated and will not shut off. I have not been involved in any accidents (yet) and would expect my airbags to deploy if and when necessary. My understanding is that the airbags will not function if the indicator light is illuminated. This is a major safety concern, as this is a family vehicle and I have three small children, and I take frequent road trips due to my job. As far as I know, there are no recalls associated with the airbag or electrical/lighting system for this vehicle. …
Shortly after warranty expired (early 2012), the air bag light went on our Kia Sedona. I took the van to our local Kia dealer to check and they told me that it was the weight classification seat sensor assembly (part 88610 - $1399.75 at that time) that had to be replaced. After labor cost and taxes it would be $2022!! Kia was having some recalls around that time, but none to address this issue. The main reason we bought this van for our family was because of high safety ratings involving all the airbags. Now we are driving without airbags and praying for extra angels around the van when we have to go on the highway. We would like to take long road trips, but that seems too dangerous without airbags. Please investigate and you will find out it is a common issue with this make and model. Kia needs to step it up and fix this issue; lives are at stake. Thank you!
After a few years of owning the van my battery died. I replaced the battery but because of the low battery voltage it caused the airbag light to illuminate [code: "b1102-ub (vb ?) low voltage (<8v)"]. When the is light on none of the airbags will function in an accident. Even though there is nothing wrong with the system, the light can only be shut off (and thus make the airbags functional) by clearing the code with a special reader that only the dealerships appear to have. The dealership will only do this if you pay $280. This is outrageous, there's no reason the airbag system shouldn't function after the code has been resolved. I feel like this is extortion from Kia. The federal government mandates that cars have to have airbags you would expect that they would be required to work if there is nothing wrong with the system.
Problem #1. At approximately 111,000 miles my Sedona's airbag light illuminated on my dash panel...and has stayed illuminated ever since. There was no accident or incident to provoke this light to illuminate. Kia of dartmouth (ma) said it's a drivers side seatbelt sensor that is "bad". Cost to repair $274.80! Why is a "bad" sensor not the responsibility of the manufacturer? It's faulty. There was no misuse or abuse by the consumer, in other words, why is there no recall on this item? Problem #2. At approximately 108,000 my Sedona's TPMS light and ( ! ) lights illuminated on my dash panel...and have stayed illuminated since. The tires are inflated to manufacture's specifications so there is no chance that the tires are under or over inflated. Again, there is a "bad" sensor(s). Why isn't there a recall on these faulty sensors?
After 100,000 miles, the airbag lights turned on and have remained on since then. Around the same time, the TPMS lights also turned on and have remained on. My car has not been in any accidents where the airbags were deployed and it was stationary before the sensor turned on. My car was parked in my driveway like any other day when the problem appeared. This is a safety hazard since the airbags will not deploy if I were to get into any accidents due to the sensor being nonfunctional with the light remaining on. I do not know if this is a problem due to the sensor being faulty, airbags being faulty or manufacturing issues. I believe this is a problem that should be fixed and a recall should be implemented to avoid any serious injuries.
My 2006 Kia Sedona airbag light would come on and then go off after driving for a few miles or a couple days and this happened periodically on and off for a couple years. It has now stayed on for the last 4 months. Turned on the van one day and the airbag light never went off. Was sitting in my driveway on a flat surface. My van had a hundred and fifty-one thousand miles on it when the light came on and now has a hundred and fifty-three thousand miles. I bought this as a new van in 2007. It was a left over. I have had to replace the headlight bulbs and turn signal bulbs on the front over 10 times since I've owned it. This also seems to be an issue that people have stated with a 2006 Kia Sedona.
2006 Kia Sedona with about 80000 miles on it. I have had the vehicle for over 3 years and have never been in an accident. My air bag light is on and it is due to a bad sensor under the seat which is not our fault. At the moment when this light is on no airbags work and this is a family vehicle. Kia needs to pay to fix these problems as they are their fault, there are thousands of people with the same make and model as me with the same issues. Kia needs to make a recall on all 2006 sedonas and pay for these faulty wires and sensors they installed. I do not have 900 bucks to fix something I did not cause, where are consumers rights!!??
Airbag complaints in other Sedona years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2006 Kia Sedona?
NHTSA has 80 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 Kia Sedona, 21% of the model year's 385 complaints. The component named most often is side/window (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Kia Sedona airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2006 Kia Sedona, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Kia Sedona airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 9 injuries 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.