I went to honk my horn as someone was backing up and didn’t see me as we were on an incline . This vehicle sits low and they were in a jeep. Due to the failure of my horn, I was unable to give a warning and they hit my car. No airbag was deployed and my seatbelt/airbag light is on. No injuries reported thankfully. I was told these things were related and repairs needed which is going to be extensive. The airbag may not deploy and horn does not work. I consider this a definite safety issue.
Kia Rio airbag light comes on
110 of the 1,296 owner complaints about the Kia Rio describe airbag warning light, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 110
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical repair cost reported
- $871
- typical mileage
- 70,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 2Oil consumption 2Door locks 2Check engine light 2Seat belt 1Misfire 1
Trouble codes mentioned
B1448 5B1513 1B1511 1
What owners say
The airbag warning light and the ABS warning light turned on simultaneously while driving. This is a severe safety hazard as both critical, life-saving safety features are currently compromised. I have already contacted Kia Customer Care regarding this issue, but I am filing this official complaint with the federal safety agency to ensure a proper safety investigation is documented for this vehicle.
The airbag warning light illuminated on the dashboard and has stayed on permanently. This indicates a malfunction in the supplemental restraint system (SRS). Because the warning light is active, there is a severe safety risk that the airbags may not deploy correctly or at all in the event of a crash, putting the driver and passengers at risk of serious injury. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request
srs light turned on and is illuminated when starting and driving the vehicle.
Took my car in as the airbag light on the dashboard kept turning on and off— with or without a passenger in the seat. The dealership ran a diagnostic inspection and turns out that the passenger side OCS Mat and ECU are faulty and need to be replaced (DTC codes B176700 and B17672F). I have not been in a crash and there are no obvious signs of damage to the seat that might have caused this. There’s no active recall for this but it does seem that one other person has reported issues with the passenger airbag system and I know other Kia models have had recalls in the past. The car had about 90,000 miles on it when this issue started and it’s up to date on all maintenance but I was quoted over $3000 to fix this which is essentially the value of my car now, totaling the vehicle even though it has no other issues. This is a major safety issue, when you buy a car you expect that the airbags and corresponding electrical equipment last you for the life of the car or until there is an accident.
My car is a 2018 Kia Rio that has a clean history and has never been in an accident. Recently my airbag light came on and I had a diagnostic run that showed a B1448 code indicating an OCS mat defect in the passenger seat. The 2015-2018 Kia Sedona models also had the same problem and were issued safety recalls. Due to this previous history I believe there could be a safety recall needed for the Kia Rio models as well.
Passenger air bag light on No accidents…. Light just recently turned on.
The contact owns a 2007 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the occupant classification system (OCS) seat sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 12V244000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 260,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Rio. The contact stated when he started the vehicle, he noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the air bag sensor on the driver’s side needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted but a diagnostic test was not preformed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.
My airbag light will not go off for my passenger side!!! I think it is absolutely ridiculous that my car is not included in the recall because it definitely should be! What everybody says about the 2005 to the 2008 Kia Rios and the 2001 to 2008 Kia Rios is the same thing that is happening with my Kia Rio which is a 2009... Can y please add my vehicle too??? Also in the latest class action lawsuit it talks about the passenger seat pad sensor being broken and that's what breaks the passenger airbag so how in the world is my car not included in this?
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- Kia is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 rio vehicles, manufactured from february 20, 2005, through december 9, 2007. The front passenger seat occupant sensor mat can experience fatigue cracking. If sufficient cracking occurs, the occupant classification system (ocs) will cease to function such that the system will not be able to detect whether a child passenger is in the seat and the airbag will deploy during a crash necessitating deployment.
- Risk
- Air bag deployment with a child in the front passenger side seat increases the risk of injury to that child.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ocs seat sensor mat, free of charge. The recall began on july 26, 2012. Owners may contact kia consumer assistance center at 1‑800‑333‑4542.
Recall number 12V244000 · Recall details
Questions about the Kia Rio airbag light
Why does the airbag light come on in the Kia Rio?
Owners who report it most often also describe engine stalls while driving, excessive oil consumption and doors won't lock, open or latch, and the codes they mention most are B1448, B1513 and B1511.
Which Kia Rio years have airbag warning light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (28 complaints), 2008 (16 complaints) and 2013 (16 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix airbag warning light on the Kia Rio?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $871 (median of 19 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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