IllustrationPASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR HAS GONE BAD ON MY 2008 KIA SPECTRA 5. CAR HAS 77,522 MILES. WAS TOLD BY KIA DEALER THAT SEAT BOTTOM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1700. SAFETY IS THE CAR MANUFACTURE'S BIG SELLING FEATURE. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED BY KIA IN MY OPINION.
2008 Kia SPECTRA5
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all SPECTRA5 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
Limited mileage data: 15 of 16 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
Seats complaints
2 reportsTHE 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 AI…
Read full complaint
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
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.