2006 Kia Sportage

VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A CRASH. AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I GOT INTO MY CAR AND STAYED ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC A DAY OR TWO LATER. THEY CLEARED CODE AND RESET THE SYSTEM. AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO MY MECHANIC. THEY RESEARCHED PROBLEM AND DETERMINED THE ISSUE TO BE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE BELT TENSION SENSOR AND THAT THIS HAD CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEACTIVATE. MECHANIC TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO KIA BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE UNDER LIFETIME WARRANTY. KIA WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR BECAUSE I HAVE OVER 60,000 MILES ON MY CAR. I WENT BACK TO MY MECHANIC AND HAD THEM REPLACE THE BELT TENSION SENSOR - PART WAS ALMOST $400. MECHANIC SAID THAT ACCORDING TO KIA SPECIFICATIONS, IF THIS DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM, THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IF THAT DOESN'T FIX IT, THE ENTIRE SRS UNIT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO TEST TO FIGURE OUT SPECIFICALLY WHICH PART IS FAULTY. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M NOT SURE IF MY AIRBAGS ARE WORKING OR NOT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 KIA SPORTAGE. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY PEOPLE JUST CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON, MOST LIKELY UNAWARE THAT THEIR AIRBAGS ARE NO LONGER ACTIVATED AND WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. *TR

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT - MECHANIC AND KIA DEALERSHIP STATED IT WAS A SENSOR. CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, DEALERSHIP WILL CHARGE ME OVER $400 TO "FIX" THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT BUT WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THE FIX. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THIS WEBSITE AND OTHERS, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A DEFECT ON VARIOUS MODELS OF 2006 KIA'S. I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP FIRST STATED TO ME THAT MY CAR MUST HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, IT WAS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN. I WAS TOLD THAT IF THE "FIX" DID NOT WORK THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY FRONT SEATS FOR A COST OF OVER $1,200.00. KIA CANNOT GUARANTEE A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY RESEARCHING THE INTERNET. THIS IS A SAFETY ITEM AND NEEDS A RECALL. *TT

AFTER BEING FIXED BY THE DEALER, MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN WITHIN DAYS. TOOK IT BACK AND THEY TOLD ME THE SENSORS BUILT INTO THE SEAT ARE FAILING. AN INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THAT THEY ARE FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE. IF THE LIGHT IS ON THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. THE LIGHT WILL STAY ON AS LONG AS THE SENSORS ARE NOT WORKING RIGHT. THE SENSORS CAN ONLY BE REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE ENTIRE SEAT APPARATUS: ALMOST 1200$ JUST FOR THE PART! THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT ISN'T. NOTE THAT THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY SYMPATHETIC AND AGGRESSIVE IN TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, THOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PEOPLE THEY ARE TALKING TO AT KIA AREN'T BEING VERY FORTHCOMING WITH HOW PREVALENT THE PROBLEM IS. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 KIA SPORTAGE AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER GOING ON SIX TIMES NOW TO GET THIS FIXED. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE OCT 07 TO CURRENT. THE LAST TIME IT WAS FIXED WAS ON 08/07/2009. NOW I AM GOING TO DEALER AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED AND AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON AGAIN AND I AM CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY FOR MY FAMILY IF WE ARE IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN THEY NEED TO . SO FAR I HAVE HAD THE BUCKLES ASSY REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE AND THE SENSOR ASSY MORE THAN ONCE. PROBLEM MAY BE FIXED FOR A LITTLE WHILE THEN LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN AND I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

BOTH DRIVE AND PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHTS WERE LIT. THIS OCCURRED 5 TIMES, ALL OF WHICH I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP WAS "FIXED." THE SIXTH TIME THE DEALERSHIP HAD MY CAR FOR 72 HOURS, CLAIMED TO "BE FIXED" YET AGAIN, ONCE BOTH SEATS WERE SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED. WITHIN 2 WEEKS BOTH LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THE LIGHTS ARE ON, YET AGAIN, FOR THE SEVENTH TIME...I AM CONSULTING AN ATTORNEY! *TR

NO FAILURE/CRASH/INJURY TO MYSELF OR ANYONE I KNOW, BUT DESIGN COMPLAINT THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURY. MY 2006 KIA SPORTAGE RECEIVED GOOD CRASH TEST RATINGS, WHICH IS WHY I PURCHASED THE CAR. I HAVE 1 CHILD, UNDER 3, WHO'S CAR SEAT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK BECAUSE THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES CAR SEATS ARE UNSAFE ON EITHER SIDE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS. THE ONLY LOCATION FOR LATCH IS IN EITHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I AM ABOUT TO HAVE A 2ND CHILD, AND NOW HAVE NO SAFE WAY TO PLACE 2 CHILDREN IN THE REAR OF THIS VEHICLE. I KNOW IT IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT ALL VEHICLES HAVE LATCH IN THE CARS, BUT HOW LEGAL CAN IT ACTUALLY BE, IF THE LOCATIONS OF LATCH ARE NOT SAFE FOR THE CHILDREN? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-35 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT SUSTAINED BUMPS AND BRUISES OVER HER ENTIRE BODY CAUSED BY THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DETERMINED TO BE DESTROYED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 6,000.