11 of the 558 complaints about the 1998 KIA Sportage are about the airbag system — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 70,000 miles.
11
Complaints
8
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DIAGNOSTICS REVEALED AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #10118115 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
VEHICLE HAD FOUR RECALLS AND AIRBAG LIGHT KEPT FLASHING. RECALLS WERE ON BRAKE HOSES, FRONT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY, ELECTRICAL WIRING AND MISSING LABEL. *LA WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG MODULE HAD FAILED. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE COILS WERE CRACKED. TRANSMISSION LINE WAS LEAKING.
NHTSA complaint #10051718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A DEER, HAD DAMAGE TO FRONT GRILL, THE HOOD SHIFTED WITH BIG DENTS FROM THE DEER, THE DEER HIT THE WINDSHIELD (60%) WAS GONE AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE RIPPED OFF. I WAS GOING ABOUT 30-35 MILES AND NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF.
NHTSA complaint #10020797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING A DEER APPEARED IN THE STREET. TO AVOID HIM, CONSUMER SWERVED AND HIT AN ENBANKMENT. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK CONSUMERS SEAT BELT POPPED CAUSING CONSUMER TO LURCH FORWARD AND AND HIT HER HEAD. CONSUMER SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES.
NHTSA complaint #8006184 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40 MPH WITH A LIGHT POLE AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK MANUFACTURER HAD NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME.
NHTSA complaint #8005133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WAS GOING SOUTH BOUND. SHE SAW A TRUCK THAT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A LEFT TURN. WENT ONTO THE SHOULDERS WITH DIRT KICKING UP. GRAVEL WENT INTO CONSUMER VEHICLE TIRES, AND GRAVEL PULLED VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. SHE HIT A FENCE AND A LIGHT POLE. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.
NHTSA complaint #888449 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHING, DEALER REPLACED AIR BAG. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #556790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP IN DRIVEWAY OF HOME, I WENT TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND IT JUST TOOK OFF, I TRIED BRAKING , BUT IT CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD STRAIGHT THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR AT A VERY HIGH SPEED, FRONT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED DEALER ABOUT PROBLEM, HAD CAR TOWED TO THEM. THEY STATED THEY HAD NEVER HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS . CONTACTED THE 1-800-4KIA HELP LINE AND WAS TOLD I WAS THE THIRD COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS. DEALER IS NOW TRYING TO TELL ME THIS WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM, IT IS NOT A BRAKE PROBLEM, FRONT BRAKES HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED BY AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR ESTABLISHMENT USING CERTIFIED PARTS FROM THE KIA DEALER. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING THE SOUND OF AIR IS COMING IN MAKING ME THINK A WINDOW IS DOWN , BUT NO WINDOWS ARE DOWN. THE CAR FAILED TO START ONE DAY AND WE CKECKED THE BATTERY, WHICH BY THE WAY THE MANUAL STATES IS MAINTENCE FREE, BUT IS NOT, YOU HAVE TO PUT WATER IN IT. I HAVE NEVER BEEN INFORMED OF ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE , BUT KNOW THERE ARE SOME. THE KIA DEALER IS TRYING TO PUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR ON EVERYTHING FROM THE BRAKES TO MY MISTAKE, I KNOW WHAT THE CAR DID AND THERE IS A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE THAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF.
NHTSA complaint #715096 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THREE TO FOUR TIMES, AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.
NHTSA complaint #836544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A FRONT END COLLISION.
NHTSA complaint #540351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHEN TRAVELING 50 TO 55 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, HITTING A GAURDRAIL. VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER, AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. ALSO, STATES THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #824122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.