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 2009 Kia Spectra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My mother rear ended another car on 3-6-18. My mom, [redacted], died 3-13-18 from injuries inflicted by an airbag deploying. It broke all her facial bones including her jaw. It tore an artery on the left side of her brain and bruised the right side of her brain. Brain surgery was done but she could not recover from her injuries. She was driving a 2009 Kia Spectra. I have read articles that Kia bags will deploy with greater force in some accidents. The wreck was her fault. That does not make it OK for her to be killed by the airbag. I am wondering how many people this has happened to. This is wrong and should not happen to anyone else. Please contact me at [redacted]. Thanks [redacted] see also odi 11155008.
When commuting on a freeway going the speed limit (65) approaching a bend, a car suddenly appeared around the bend that was broken down in the left lane. Unable to swerve because of a large truck next to me, I slammed on my brakes, only to hit ice and begin spinning uncontrollably on the freeway. Finally, the car hit completely head on into a concrete barrier and the seat belts locked up, causing a giant bruise from the impact, but even at the speed of hitting this concrete barrier, the airbags did not deploy at all. The car has since been totalled and taken away, but I fear for others safety that this May be an issue with other Kia spectras.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Kia Spectra. While driving 30 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle jumped a curb and crashed into two fences, four tombstones, and a stone pillar in a cemetery. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact suffered minor injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the manufacturer would send a field investigator to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was 70,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Kia Spectra. While driving, the contact swerved and lost control of the vehicle after trying to avoid a deer. The vehicle rolled over and struck a telephone pole. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. There was one injury that required medical attention. The contact suffered from lacerations to the top of the head that required six staples. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Kia Spectra. While driving 60 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. Prior to the crash, the passenger side air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact sustained head and shoulder injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.
I am filing this for my mom. She rear ended a car who had stopped the flow of traffic at a green light to let a vehicle out of a parking lot. My mothers air bags did not deploy and she received a double open fracture to her right ankle and a fractured sternum and intense chest traura. She was life flighted to a hospital in wv ruby memorial she underwent surgery and they saved her right foot they wher unsure if they could save and talked before surgery of possible amputation
Air bag sensor makes a working light stay on. The car has never been in an accident. When it was diagnosed by Kia dealership it said manufacturer failure. They said things happen and it's after 5 years so it's my job to fix this $2000 problem. ...updated 07-08-15 update (July 9, 2015): per the complainant, the sensor under the passenger seat is causing a mechanical failure warning. Per a Kia parts advisor: "there is a passenger weight classification sensor that is part of the passenger seat bottom that is part of the air bag system. This is something that has failed in the past on these cars and we are familiar with it. …
My car is a 2009 Kia Spectra ex. It was purchased in 2011 from enterprise car sales. The mileage at purchase was approximately 46K. In May of 2015, around 74K mileage, the air bag light would turn off and on sporadically. One day the air bag light never turned off. At this point, I decided to have the car inspected my a certified Kia dealer. The air bag code received from inspection was b1378 which indicated a problem with the 'side air bag - resistance too high'. The inspector than hooked up the air bag to side air bag connector and the air bag light went out indicating that the driver side air bag would need to be replaced. …
I was visiting my fiance in utah when a tan car hit my driver's side front end. We both were put into a spin and he hit me a secondary time. My car has since been totaled out and labeled as beyond salvage. The entire front end is missing and there is sever engine damage. The auto body shop and my insurance company said I needed to contact Kia and let them know about the airbag failure to deploy. Kia said my car is built to collapse a certain amount before airbags will deploy. They also said since I was put into a spin my car did not decelerate fast enough to trigger the airbags, but since I had decelerated while spinning that's what prevented them from deploying upon the second impact. They only investigated my car via photographs and my verbal statement to them. …
My airbag light had been flashing off and on intermittently, and I had thought that it was when there was no weight in the passenger seat to activate it. At some point after that, it stopped flashing and was on constantly. I brought my car in for its yearly inspection and it was not passed due to the fact that my air bag system had been disabled. This was due to a faulty sensor in the front passenger seat. This will cost me over $2000 to fix and is a safety hazard for my day to day driving. I was informed that if I were to get into a collision that my air bags would not deploy. I contacted several dealerships and the Kia company itself and was told that my warranty had just expired and that I would have to repair this in full myself. …
NHTSA investigations
Occupant Classification System
The subject vehicle population is MY 2007-2009 Kia Spectra vehicles.Consumers report that the SRS (air bag) warning light is illuminated in their vehicle.The focus of the investigation was the failure of the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor mat.This sensor mat is embedded in the front passenger seat cushion and is intended to detect child seats and small statured occupants who could…
Airbag complaints in other Spectra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2009 Kia Spectra?
NHTSA has 76 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Kia Spectra, 67% of the model year's 114 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Kia Spectra airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2009 Kia Spectra. 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 2009 Kia Spectra airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 15 crashes, 1 fire 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.