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 2005 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driving across a 4 lane expressway, barely made it across, the vehicle sputters and comes to a stop after fighting with the power steering losing all control. Crankshaft pulley has damaged the engine so severe, that a new engine was put in at our expense ($5,000), gas tank was discovered to have a hole and leaking gas. Air bag light comes on and off just depends on it's mood, the display on the radio, etc. Goes away in cold weather, and now have a constant thump thump when driving as if the tire is flat. Driving for 5 months with new engine, I pressed on the accelerator quickly to pass a truck when a loud noise (sounding like the engine blew) from the engine was heard then something comes loose and hits the undercarriage so hard I can feel it through the floorboard. No smoke, no elevation in temperature. …
On 4/30/08 my Kia Sorento was hit from behind on the interstate. We were pushed into the car ahead of us who also hit the car ahead of them. We were on an extended on ramp so I estimate our speed was 35 MPH. As the traffic ahead of us began to stop quickly I applied my brakes, therefore the exact rate of speed at the time of impact is unknown. However we hit car enough that my daughters lid covered soft drink hit the dash. Neither of my cars front air bags deployed. My car sustained major rear and front and driver side damage. The car was totaled. Our seat belts did hold us in. However I received bruising from the seat belt in the check and waist area as weak as an injury to my right knee where it hit the lower dash area.
We had issues from the beginning with a fire in the center console of our pre-owned Kia. Then we noticed the light for the passenger side air bags was intermittent on picking up whether there was a passenger in the seat. Our clock would go in and out on the lighting especially over bumps. Then we were rear ended on the highway. No air bags went off. The seat belt did not engage and hold either me or my husband back. Then when I fell back against the seat the seat did not stay in place and I fell backwards. I went to the hospital for muscle spasms. The vehicle is being repaired for the physical damage and then will be brought to the dealership.
I just bought this car few months ago as a used car, whenever I start the car , passenger and driver air bags lights is always on. I went to Kia service center to address the problem, they told me it's not included on a recall list, I even showed them a paper which stated a group recall sc076. And also read on a Kia forum that that there is another recall which is sc045, stating a group recall also. Kia must do something about it because it's matter of life & death if they do not fix this problem.
Passenger seat sensor failed, vehicle is otherwise in perfect condition. The repair is almost 2000.00. With this repair needed the vehicle won't pass inspection, so what is otherwise a perfectly fine vehicle is now scrap. The passenger seat was hardly used ( maybe 20% of the vehicle use ) so a failure of an expensive occupancy sensor like this is not acceptable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Kia Sorento. While operating the vehicle, the front passenger side air bag sensor illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the floor mat sensor was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 123,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Kia Sorento. The contact was driving on an icy roadway and crashed into a guard rail. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact and a passenger sustained minor injuries and were transported to the hospital. A police report was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
I was traveling north on white bridge road in west nashville when a car ran a stop sign hitting me on the passenger side, which totaled my car the impact was so hard that it knocked the car several feet facing the opposite direction. The air bags did not deploy during the crash neither driver or passenger side.
My 2005 Kia Sorento hydroplaned . The SUV flipped over 3 times and hit an concrete wall. My airbags and seat belt failed to secure me . Kia says that my car does not have roll over airbags that they are not responsible for my injuries. I feel that Kia should own up to the poorly made SUV that they design .
Seat sensor on my Kia Sorento for the airbag light does not work. When a passenger sets in the front passenger seat the airbag off light stays on. You put the vehicle in gear, you drive and the light stays on. City or highway travel, the light stays on all the time indicating the passenger airbag if off.
Airbag complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Kia Sorento, 14% of the model year's 307 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › sensor/control module (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Kia Sorento airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2005 Kia Sorento. 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 2005 Kia Sorento airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 10 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.