IllustrationAIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. WILL STAY ON FOR WEEKS THEN GO OFF. HAS HAPPENED SINCE PURCHASE OF CAR. *TR
2007 Kia Spectra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2007 Kia Spectra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 96.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Spectra years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
270–25K
2125–50K
2550–75K
2275–100K
22100–150K
5150K+
122 reports with mileage · 30 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
22 crash reports6 fire reports15 injury reports
What owners actually said
152 reportsI WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST ALL POWER IN THE GAS PEDAL,( YOU CAN FLOOR THE PEDDLE AND IT DON'T GO OVER 2000 RPM ) ALMOST RESULTING IN A COLLISION. IT ONLY COMES ON WHEN IT WANT TO, I HAD THE CODES CHECKED AT AUTO ZONE AND THEY SAID ITS SAYING ALL THE SOLENOIDS ARE B…
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I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST ALL POWER IN THE GAS PEDAL,( YOU CAN FLOOR THE PEDDLE AND IT DON'T GO OVER 2000 RPM ) ALMOST RESULTING IN A COLLISION. IT ONLY COMES ON WHEN IT WANT TO, I HAD THE CODES CHECKED AT AUTO ZONE AND THEY SAID ITS SAYING ALL THE SOLENOIDS ARE BAD. I LOOKED UP THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND THERE ARE ALOT OF OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE IN THE SAME YEAR, +1 AND-1, AND WITH THE SAME APPROXIMATE MILEAGE, IT SAYS THAT KIA HAS COME OUT WITH AN UPDATE TO THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER TO REMEDY THE ISSUE, THE KIA DEALER WANTS AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER, WHEN DISCUSSING THIS WITH KIA CORPORATE THEY SAID WELL IF A RECALL IS ISSUED THEN WE CAN GET REFUND, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, AN UPDATE SHOULD BE FREE, THEY ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THE DEFECT, THERE FOR BECAUSE OF THE DANGER IT CAN CAUSE A RECALL IS IN ORDER... *TR
MY CAR WAS PARKED, IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND HAD RAN FINE THE DAY BEFORE. I WENT OUT AND STARTED THE CAR BUT COULD NOT GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE. I WAS UNABLE TO EVEN ROLL THE CAR A LITTLE BY PUSHING IT, WHICH INDICATES THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK WITH FORCE. I HAD MY NEIGHBOR COME OVER AND HE MANAGED TO, WITH A TON OF PR…
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MY CAR WAS PARKED, IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND HAD RAN FINE THE DAY BEFORE. I WENT OUT AND STARTED THE CAR BUT COULD NOT GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE. I WAS UNABLE TO EVEN ROLL THE CAR A LITTLE BY PUSHING IT, WHICH INDICATES THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK WITH FORCE. I HAD MY NEIGHBOR COME OVER AND HE MANAGED TO, WITH A TON OF PRESSURE, PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. SEEMS TO NOT BE AS HARD ON A FLAT SURFACE BUT MY DRIVEWAY HAS A SLANT TO IT. PUT CAR BACK IN DRIVEWAY AND TRIED TO LEAVE A COUPLE HOURS LATER AND SAME ISSUE. I HAD TO PURCHASE AAA AND HAVE SOMEBODY COME OUT TO PULL OUT OF PARK. LOOKED ON LINE AND THERE'S A TON OF RECALLS BIG MINE THE 2007 KIA SPECTRA. WHICH IS THE ONLY YEAR NOT BEING RECALLED. I WAS TOLD, BY KIA DEALERSHIP IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT PET MY RESEARCH, NO IT'S NOT. THEY WANT TO CHANGE FOR REPAIR YET EVERY OTHER KIA MAKE IS RECALLED. *JS
REPORTING 3 ISSUES: ***FUEL SYSTEM: IN JULY 2009, ONE MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED MY USED 2007 KIA SPECTRA (46K MILES), THE VEHICLE STALLED AT IDLE/LOW RPM WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. ONCE RESTARTED, IT CONTINUED TO STALL AT EVERY IDLE UNTIL A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS CONSUMED. ALMOST 5 YEARS LATER, THE PRO…
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REPORTING 3 ISSUES: ***FUEL SYSTEM: IN JULY 2009, ONE MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED MY USED 2007 KIA SPECTRA (46K MILES), THE VEHICLE STALLED AT IDLE/LOW RPM WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. ONCE RESTARTED, IT CONTINUED TO STALL AT EVERY IDLE UNTIL A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS CONSUMED. ALMOST 5 YEARS LATER, THE PROBLEM IS ONGOING. STALLING OCCURS IF THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED (TO THE POINT OF AUTOMATIC PUMP SHUT-OFF). THE TANK HAS NEVER BEEN "TOPPED OFF". IN AUGUST 2011, THE STALLING WAS SO FREQUENT AND HAZARDOUS DUE TO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS THAT THE DRIVER HAD TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL DOWN WHILE BRAKING IN ORDER TO RAISE RPM AND REDUCE STALLING. THE OWNER HAS HAD SOME SUCCESS IN AVOIDING THE ISSUE BY FUELING TO NO MORE THAN 80% OF TANK CAPACITY. THE REPEATED INTERMITTENT STALLING POSES AN ENORMOUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY ON CONGESTED ROADWAYS. ***AIR BAGS: ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED (INDICATING THE AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF) WHILE AN ADULT WAS SEATED. ***GEAR SHIFT AND IGNITION KEY: BEGINNING IN MAY 2012, AND IN NUMEROUS INSTANCES FOLLOWING, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK. MECHANIC DISCOVERED A BROKEN SAFETY LOCK IN THE SHIFTING MECHANISM. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED, BUT OVERRIDDEN BY ACCESSING THE PLASTIC LEVER UNDERNEATH THE CONSOLE AND PULLING WITH THE LEFT HAND WHILE SHIFTING. THE IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK FREQUENTLY (4 OUT 5 USES) EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK. *JS
THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH IS ON. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY SAID SENSORS IN SEAT ARE BAD AND WOULD COST $1400 FOR NEW SEAT. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS THIS SHOULD NOT GO BAD CAR ONLY HAS A 85000 MILES ON IT. THIS MEANS THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WONT WORK IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, SHE DROVE OVER A ROAD BUMP THAT CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH INTO A TREE. ALL OF THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. TH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, SHE DROVE OVER A ROAD BUMP THAT CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH INTO A TREE. ALL OF THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,921.
THE DOORS LOCK AGAIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER UNLOCK. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME. THE LOCKS ALSO LOCK AND UNLOCK REPEATEDLY WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BLOWER FAN MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE HEATING UNIT TO FAIL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BLOWER FAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE BLOWER FAN REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BLOWER FAN MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE HEATING UNIT TO FAIL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BLOWER FAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE BLOWER FAN REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,106.
DROVE CAR APROX.15 MILES, PULL THE CAR UP TO A STORE, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND WENT INSIDE. NEXT THING SOMEONE CAME UP TO ME AND SAID THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR NEAR THE BATTERY. TRIED TO OPEN THE HOOD, CABLE WAS MELTED AND THE HOOD WOULD NOT OPEN. TRIED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH HELP WITH 4 FIRE…
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DROVE CAR APROX.15 MILES, PULL THE CAR UP TO A STORE, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND WENT INSIDE. NEXT THING SOMEONE CAME UP TO ME AND SAID THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR NEAR THE BATTERY. TRIED TO OPEN THE HOOD, CABLE WAS MELTED AND THE HOOD WOULD NOT OPEN. TRIED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH HELP WITH 4 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, COULD NOT CONTAIN THE FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT FINALLY GOT TO THE SCENE AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO CUT PART OF THE HOOD OFF TO CONTAIN THE FIRE. *TR
Official recalls
111V256000 · Fuel System, Other:storage:tank Assembly:mounting
Apr 25, 2011
KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 SPECTRA LD VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 7, 2003, THROUGH MARCH 6, 2007, ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT CORROSION OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WHICH HOLD THE TANK MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALT. AS A RESULT OF THE CORROSION, ONE OR BOTH STRAPS MAY SEPARATE ALLOWING THE FUEL TANK TO CONTACT THE GROUND AND POSSIBLY DISRUPT THE INTEGRITY OF THE TANK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE FUEL TANK CAN FALL FROM THE VEHICLE AND STRIKE THE GROUND WHICH COULD CAUSE A FUEL LEAK. LEAKING FUEL CAN CREATE A FIRE HAZARD.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK STRAPS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE WITH NEW ZINC COATED PARTS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 6, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE15031 · Occupant Classification System
Opened Sep 1, 2015 · Closed Feb 11, 2016
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
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 be harmed by deployment of the passenger frontal air bag.The OCS may develop a failure due to an open circuit in the sensor mat caused by the mat cracking during use.An open circuit in the OCS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the system by the air bag diagnostic. A trouble code will then be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag warning light will be illuminated.If this fault is detected, the OCS will not suppress the front passenger air bag and in a crash of sufficient severity the front passenger air bag will deploy regardless of the nature or size of the child seat or occupant in the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the OCS sensor mat.Reports alleging only that the ?air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where no cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than an OCS malfunction.Kia's assessment was that the cracking was caused by owner abuse.The subject vehicles have been in service for an average of approximately eight (8) years.An analysis of Kia's warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar OCS failure investigations, indicates that the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.Kia has implemented an extended warranty program for the OCS sensor mat providing for free replacement for 15 years regardless of vehicle mileage and will send owners of the subject vehicles letters notifying them of the potential hazards posed by OCS failure as well as the terms of the extended warranty.Consumers whose air bag warning light is illuminated will have the opportunity to have their vehicle diagnosed and, if a fault is indicated, have the OCS sensor mat repaired at no charge.In view of the comparatively low complaint rate and Kia's implementation of an extended warranty with owner notification, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by Kia mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by OCS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Details on Kia's extended warranty program, including a copy of both Kia's letter to the consumer and Kia's letter to their dealers, for the subject vehicle population will be available in the public file for this investigation. The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at http://www?odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/ SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10789130, 10787308, 10785138, 10777856, 10765359, 10745773, 10746133, 10745528, 10721336, 10715846, 10712140, 10712046, 10706009, 10705387, 10681321, 10677080, 10673071, 10654873, 10654522, 10652472, 10651525,10643205, 10639671, 10638251, 10627289, 10621507, 10620724, 10615883, 10609000, 10607838, 10606252,10577842, 10568029, 10564527, 10561224,
Additional source detail variants (4)
Air Bags:frontal
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 be harmed by deployment of the passenger frontal air bag.The OCS may develop a failure due to an open circuit in the sensor mat caused by the mat cracking during use.An open circuit in the OCS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the system by the air bag diagnostic. A trouble code will then be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag warning light will be illuminated.If this fault is detected, the OCS will not suppress the front passenger air bag and in a crash of sufficient severity the front passenger air bag will deploy regardless of the nature or size of the child seat or occupant in the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the OCS sensor mat.Reports alleging only that the ?air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where no cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than an OCS malfunction.Kia's assessment was that the cracking was caused by owner abuse.The subject vehicles have been in service for an average of approximately eight (8) years.An analysis of Kia's warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar OCS failure investigations, indicates that the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.Kia has implemented an extended warranty program for the OCS sensor mat providing for free replacement for 15 years regardless of vehicle mileage and will send owners of the subject vehicles letters notifying them of the potential hazards posed by OCS failure as well as the terms of the extended warranty.Consumers whose air bag warning light is illuminated will have the opportunity to have their vehicle diagnosed and, if a fault is indicated, have the OCS sensor mat repaired at no charge.In view of the comparatively low complaint rate and Kia's implementation of an extended warranty with owner notification, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by Kia mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by OCS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Details on Kia's extended warranty program, including a copy of both Kia's letter to the consumer and Kia's letter to their dealers, for the subject vehicle population will be available in the public file for this investigation. The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at http://www?odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/ SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10789130, 10787308, 10785138, 10777856, 10765359, 10745773, 10746133, 10745528, 10721336, 10715846, 10712140, 10712046, 10706009, 10705387, 10681321, 10677080, 10673071, 10654873, 10654522, 10652472, 10651525,10643205, 10639671, 10638251, 10627289, 10621507, 10620724, 10615883, 10609000, 10607838, 10606252,10577842, 10568029, 10564527, 10561224,
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
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 be harmed by deployment of the passenger frontal air bag.The OCS may develop a failure due to an open circuit in the sensor mat caused by the mat cracking during use.An open circuit in the OCS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the system by the air bag diagnostic. A trouble code will then be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag warning light will be illuminated.If this fault is detected, the OCS will not suppress the front passenger air bag and in a crash of sufficient severity the front passenger air bag will deploy regardless of the nature or size of the child seat or occupant in the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the OCS sensor mat.Reports alleging only that the ?air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where no cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than an OCS malfunction.Kia's assessment was that the cracking was caused by owner abuse.The subject vehicles have been in service for an average of approximately eight (8) years.An analysis of Kia's warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar OCS failure investigations, indicates that the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.Kia has implemented an extended warranty program for the OCS sensor mat providing for free replacement for 15 years regardless of vehicle mileage and will send owners of the subject vehicles letters notifying them of the potential hazards posed by OCS failure as well as the terms of the extended warranty.Consumers whose air bag warning light is illuminated will have the opportunity to have their vehicle diagnosed and, if a fault is indicated, have the OCS sensor mat repaired at no charge.In view of the comparatively low complaint rate and Kia's implementation of an extended warranty with owner notification, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by Kia mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by OCS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Details on Kia's extended warranty program, including a copy of both Kia's letter to the consumer and Kia's letter to their dealers, for the subject vehicle population will be available in the public file for this investigation. The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at http://www?odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/ SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10789130, 10787308, 10785138, 10777856, 10765359, 10745773, 10746133, 10745528, 10721336, 10715846, 10712140, 10712046, 10706009, 10705387, 10681321, 10677080, 10673071, 10654873, 10654522, 10652472, 10651525,10643205, 10639671, 10638251, 10627289, 10621507, 10620724, 10615883, 10609000, 10607838, 10606252,10577842, 10568029, 10564527, 10561224,
Air Bags
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 be harmed by deployment of the passenger frontal air bag.The OCS may develop a failure due to an open circuit in the sensor mat caused by the mat cracking during use.An open circuit in the OCS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the system by the air bag diagnostic. A trouble code will then be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag warning light will be illuminated.If this fault is detected, the OCS will not suppress the front passenger air bag and in a crash of sufficient severity the front passenger air bag will deploy regardless of the nature or size of the child seat or occupant in the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the OCS sensor mat.Reports alleging only that the ?air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where no cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than an OCS malfunction.Kia's assessment was that the cracking was caused by owner abuse.The subject vehicles have been in service for an average of approximately eight (8) years.An analysis of Kia's warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar OCS failure investigations, indicates that the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.Kia has implemented an extended warranty program for the OCS sensor mat providing for free replacement for 15 years regardless of vehicle mileage and will send owners of the subject vehicles letters notifying them of the potential hazards posed by OCS failure as well as the terms of the extended warranty.Consumers whose air bag warning light is illuminated will have the opportunity to have their vehicle diagnosed and, if a fault is indicated, have the OCS sensor mat repaired at no charge.In view of the comparatively low complaint rate and Kia's implementation of an extended warranty with owner notification, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by Kia mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by OCS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Details on Kia's extended warranty program, including a copy of both Kia's letter to the consumer and Kia's letter to their dealers, for the subject vehicle population will be available in the public file for this investigation. The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at http://www?odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/ SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10789130, 10787308, 10785138, 10777856, 10765359, 10745773, 10746133, 10745528, 10721336, 10715846, 10712140, 10712046, 10706009, 10705387, 10681321, 10677080, 10673071, 10654873, 10654522, 10652472, 10651525,10643205, 10639671, 10638251, 10627289, 10621507, 10620724, 10615883, 10609000, 10607838, 10606252,10577842, 10568029, 10564527, 10561224,
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
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 be harmed by deployment of the passenger frontal air bag.The OCS may develop a failure due to an open circuit in the sensor mat caused by the mat cracking during use.An open circuit in the OCS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the system by the air bag diagnostic. A trouble code will then be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag warning light will be illuminated.If this fault is detected, the OCS will not suppress the front passenger air bag and in a crash of sufficient severity the front passenger air bag will deploy regardless of the nature or size of the child seat or occupant in the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the OCS sensor mat.Reports alleging only that the ?air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where no cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than an OCS malfunction.Kia's assessment was that the cracking was caused by owner abuse.The subject vehicles have been in service for an average of approximately eight (8) years.An analysis of Kia's warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar OCS failure investigations, indicates that the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.Kia has implemented an extended warranty program for the OCS sensor mat providing for free replacement for 15 years regardless of vehicle mileage and will send owners of the subject vehicles letters notifying them of the potential hazards posed by OCS failure as well as the terms of the extended warranty.Consumers whose air bag warning light is illuminated will have the opportunity to have their vehicle diagnosed and, if a fault is indicated, have the OCS sensor mat repaired at no charge.In view of the comparatively low complaint rate and Kia's implementation of an extended warranty with owner notification, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by Kia mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by OCS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Details on Kia's extended warranty program, including a copy of both Kia's letter to the consumer and Kia's letter to their dealers, for the subject vehicle population will be available in the public file for this investigation. The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at http://www?odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/ SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10789130, 10787308, 10785138, 10777856, 10765359, 10745773, 10746133, 10745528, 10721336, 10715846, 10712140, 10712046, 10706009, 10705387, 10681321, 10677080, 10673071, 10654873, 10654522, 10652472, 10651525,10643205, 10639671, 10638251, 10627289, 10621507, 10620724, 10615883, 10609000, 10607838, 10606252,10577842, 10568029, 10564527, 10561224,