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 1997 Kia Sportage owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Kia Sportage. When the vehicle was stationary, the air bags deployed unexpectedly while the driver and passenger seats were occupied. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to Kia of wilmington (1603 pennsylvania ave, wilmington, de 19806, [phone]) where the contact was informed that the vehicle was too old to diagnosed why the air bags deployed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 176,620.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Kia Sportage. While the vehicle was stopped, the driver's side air bag deployed without warning or impact. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they would open a case for the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
I was concerned that my airbag had not deployed during my accident on August 7th. Since I suffered a front end collision, I wondered why it had not. I contacted Kia and after being put off for about 5 days, they finally instructed me to contact my insurance company to have them report the problem to Kia. State farm indicated that since the air bag was not deployed, it was not a part that had to be repaired. State farm indicated that their adjusters had no way of knowing why a part built by Kia was not working at that it was Kia's responsibility. Finally getting the car back from it's second trip to be repaired from the accident (another story all together), I took it in to central Kia in plano, tx and was told that it had a defective module which they would repair for $892 plus labor. …
When driving northbound on highway 682, up a steep hill and curve a car ran head on into my 1997 Kia Sportage. The car had damage in the front center, front left, and left side of the vehicle. The driver of the car that hit me stated that her car was sliding and she could not control it. 911 was called and the police and ambulance came to the seen of the accident. Both of us went to the hospital and she was given the ticket and found at fault for the accident at the point of impact, the drivers side airbags did not deploy. There are 2 airbags on the drivers side, one in the steering wheel, and one in the dashboard to protect the knee and leg areas. Neither one of the airbags deployed. I was restrained in a seat belt, but I did bump my head and bumped my knees and the left side of my body. I still have the knot on my head and my knees and left side continue to hurt.
Dt: driver's side air bag deployed while consumer was driving in reverse backing from a driveway at low speed. There was no crash or impact. This happened without any warning. No lights illuminated or warning signals. The car had been parked in a shaded area for about an hour when this occurred. Consumer's husband drove vehicle home after the incident. Have not taken this to a dealer for this issue, vehicle was parked afterwards and has not been driven since. No explanation or clue as to why this happened.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving in reverse, the driver's side air bags erroneously deployed from the steering wheel and from under the steering wheel area. The lower air bag struck the contact in the hip area and the steering wheel air bag struck the contact in the face, causing minor injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 125,226.
While driving 10-20 MPH applied on brakes and without warning brakes did not function. Consumer then tried to shift vehicle manually; however, transmission malfunctioned, resulting in a head-on collision. Driver sustained major leg injuries. Consumer adds that the accelerator was stuck. The air bags failed to deploy.
While driving at 10-15 MPH applied brakes and without warning, brakes did not function, driver had to run a red light, resulting in a head on collision, driver sustained major leg injuries. Consumer states that the airbag failed. Consumer also states that the accelerator and transmission stuck.
The SRS air bag light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. The cruise control failed to come on its own. The clock spring needed to be replaced. The air bag light had been on for a year. The consumer was informed that the front seat belts needed to be replaced.
While backing out of garage and without prior warning air bag knee bolster went off without physical contact blwe out dash and parts of the steering column under the steering wheel. Dealer notified stated it was not under warranty and would not repair it.
Airbag complaints in other Sportage years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1997 Kia Sportage?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the air bags of the 1997 Kia Sportage, 22% of the model year's 181 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Kia Sportage airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 1997 Kia Sportage, though it has 3 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 1997 Kia Sportage airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 104,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 21 crashes, 0 fires and 20 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.