2008 Kia SPECTRA5

PURCHASED A 2008 KIA SPECTRA 5 IN 2009. FOR 3 YEARS IT WAS A GOOD COMMUTER CAR. THEN WEIRD THINGS STARTED HAPPENING OUT OF THE BLUE. FIRST, THE CAR WOULDN'T ALLOW US ACCESS BY USE OF THE KEY FOB. IT WOULD UNLOCK THEN LOCK. THE VEHICLE FLIP THE DOOR UNLOCK LEVER BACK AND FORTH LIKE A GHOST WAS MOVING. SECOND, THE CAR WOULD BLOW A FRONT HEAD LAMP ALMOST EVERY 6 MONTHS LIKE CLOCK WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE FROM PARK. THIRD, THE FRONT CONSOLE CONTROLLING THE FAN, HEAT ETC. WOULD JUST STOP WORKING ONLY TO START WORKING A FEW HOURS OR DAYS LATER. ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC IN WINTER. FOURTH, THE OCS SENSOR MAT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG HAS MALFUNCTIONED. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING OR STATIONARY. IN ADDITION THE CAR HAS A DANGEROUS LAG IN GAINING SPEED WHEN TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEEDS ON INTERSTATES. I GUESS I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE NEXT GREMLIN TO APPEAR. WILL NEVER OWN A KIA AGAIN.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS STAYING ON AND FLICKERS BACK AND FORTH WHEN SOMEONE LIGHT SITS IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE AIRBAG IS NOT GOING TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AND IM AFRAID MY LOVED ONES WILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTIONING SAFETY FEATURE. KIA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REFUNDING ME THE $2100 IN EXPENSES FOR THIS AIRBAG SENSOR AND LABOR TO REPLACE IT. I WILL NEVER BUY A KIA VEHICLE AGAIN. IT IS CORPORATE-SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT KIA LACKS. THEY CHOSE NOT TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART THAT IS SO IMPORTANT IN PROTECTING THEIR CUSTOMERS. THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO CARE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS' WELL-BEING. *TR

PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD TURN ON AND OFF WHEN THERE WAS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE LIGHT BEGAN TURNING ON AND OFF EVEN IF THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS EMPTY. NOW THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON, BUT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON AND HAS BEEN FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK. THIS IS A 1 OWNER VEHICLE AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY TYPE OF COLLISION.

MY CAR HAS BEEN IN A FENDER BENDER OR TWO (ALWAYS BEING HIT FROM BEHIND) BUT NEVER ENOUGH IMPACT TO CAUSE THE AIRBAGS TO GO OFF. MY LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR WELL OVER A YEAR AND WHEN I CONTACTED MY CAR DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT, THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO REPLACE MY AIRBAG SYSTEM COSTING SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF $2000 TO $3000. I HAVE PUT MY CAR IN THE SHOP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ANYTHING TO BE MAKING THIS LIGHT STAY ON. I HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER KIA OWNERS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE BUT KIA IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS MALFUNCTION. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY RECALLS CONCERNING AIRBAGS BUT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN AND READ, THERE REALLY SHOULD BEFORE SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENS. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE FROM KIA AGAIN. THEY ARE VERY HARD TO DEAL WITH AND DO NOT KEEP THEIR PROMISES OR MAKE GOOD ON THEIR VEHICLES.

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD GO ON AND OFF WITH NOBODY IN IT. AFTER 3 MONTHS OF THAT THE LIGHT QUIT DOING THAT. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE RED WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. I WENT TO SELL THE VEHICLE BUT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE NEW BUYER THAT IT IS THE OCS PAD IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. CODE B1448. COULD YOU INFORM ME WHAT BAGS WILL NOT GO OFF WITH THIS LIGHT ON. I SEE THERE IS A BYPASS SWITCH YOU CAN BUY TO AVOID THIS SO THERE MUST BE A FEW OF THESE OUT THERE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT IN THE DASHBOARD STAYS ON AT ALL TIMES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE COST TO REPAIR IS OVER $1,600. I AM GETTING IT REPAIRED, SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIR BAG WARRANTY IN THE WARRANTY MANUAL. AS A SAFETY ISSUE, THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. *TR.. .UPDATED 07/21/15 *BF THE AIR BAG LIGHT WARNING LIGHT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS THE ISSUE. IT DID NOT MATTER IF SOMEONE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR NOT, THE TYPICAL WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER WAS 150 POUNDS. THE DEALER FIXED THE ISSUE BY REPLACING HE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT AND AIR BAG SENSOR. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $1,700. KIA PAID 1/2 OF THE COST. UPDATED 07/28/15