The passenger air bag has failed. The dash light stays on due to issue and the air bag itself stays off per the light on the airbag on/off alert. I contacted the dealership who quoted me over $100 just to take a look at it, but was told this seems to be an issue with Spectras that they see pretty commonly.
2008 Kia Spectra airbags problems
61 complaints (50% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 65,000. 17 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 61
- of this car's complaints
- 50%
- typical mileage
- 65,000
- crashes
- 17
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Frontal4
- Side/window3
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Kia Spectra airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Kia Spectra airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Occupant Classification System
The subject vehicle population is MY 2007-2009 Kia Spectra vehicles.Consumers report that the SRS (air bag) warning light is illuminated in their vehicle.The focus of the investigation was the failure of the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor mat.This sensor mat is embedded in the front passenger seat cushion and is intended to detect child seats and small statured occupants who could be harmed by deployment of the passenger frontal air bag.The OCS may develop a failure due to an open circuit in the sensor mat caused by the mat cracking during use.An open circuit in the OCS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the system by the air bag diagnostic. A trouble code will then be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag warning light will be illuminated.If this fault is detected, the OCS will not suppress the front passenger air bag and in a crash of sufficient severity the front passenger air bag will deploy regardless of the nature or size of the child seat or occupant in the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the OCS sensor mat.Reports alleging only that the ?air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where no cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than an OCS malfunction.Kia's assessment was that the cracking was caused by owner abuse.The subject vehicles have been in service for an average of approximately eight (8) years.An analysis of Kia's warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar OCS failure investigations, indicates that the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.Kia has implemented an extended warranty program for the OCS sensor mat providing for free replacement for 15 years regardless of vehicle mileage and will send owners of the subject vehicles letters notifying them of the potential hazards posed by OCS failure as well as the terms of the extended warranty.Consumers whose air bag warning light is illuminated will have the opportunity to have their vehicle diagnosed and, if a fault is indicated, have the OCS sensor mat repaired at no charge.In view of the comparatively low complaint rate and Kia's implementation of an extended warranty with owner notification, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by Kia mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by OCS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Details on Kia's extended warranty program, including a copy of both Kia's letter to the consumer and Kia's letter to their dealers, for the subject vehicle population will be available in the public file for this investigation. The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at http://www?odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/ Searchreference under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10789130, 10787308, 10785138, 10777856, 10765359, 10745773, 10746133, 10745528, 10721336, 10715846, 10712140, 10712046, 10706009, 10705387, 10681321, 10677080, 10673071, 10654873, 10654522, 10652472, 10651525,10643205, 10639671, 10638251, 10627289, 10621507, 10620724, 10615883, 10609000, 10607838, 10606252,10577842, 10568029, 10564527, 10561224,
PE15031
What 2008 Kia Spectra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The passenger airbag sensor started failing when I purchased the car in 2017 and has since completely failed, which has caused the airbag light to turn on. The kia dealership wants to charge $140 to run an airbag diagnostic and from what I have researched, I will have to replace the entire seat, which may cost more than the value of the car. My concern at this point is whether or not any of the airbags will be deployed in the event of a collision.
Yes so my air bag light when I got the car was off an it just popped up couple weeks ago! I have tried everything possible to try to fix it an still is on. I even brought a new driver seat an it still didn't fix the problem. My be hope has been parked since the air bag light has been on.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 kia spectra. The contact stated while a passenger in the vehicle travelling at 45 MPH, the vehicle was hit on the passenger side by another vehicle as a result the passenger and driver side air bags as well as the passenger side air bags failed to deploy. The passenger and the driver of her vehicle sustained back, head and arm injures while the driver sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. The contact stated that the occupants of the other vehicle sustained no injuries. A police report was filed. The car was drivable as the air bags failed deploy however, the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The approximate failure mileage 185,000. The VIN was not available.*dt*jb*dt*dt
Driver side air bag light is on
Air bag light (red warning light) started to stay on constantly. This means that air bag will probably not deploy in case of crash (to best of my knowledge when searching on google about this issue). Before this light turned on (red light on air-bag), I experienced an issue with "passenger air-bag off" light staying on - despite someone is present on passenger seat (meaning that air-bag will not deploy as computer is not sensing anybody seating there). I would need to stop-by on road side, then turn vehicle off completely, asked a person on passenger seat to go out - wait for a while - and then restart the vehicle and request a person to get back on seat. Later on, this way no longer working. Computer reset no longer working. Friends warned me that - it is sign of air-bag system failure and kia should get it fixed (it comes under safety). This issue is constant irrespective if vehicle is stationary or in motion.
My airbag light is staying on when occupied. I'm at almost 60,000 mls. Thought I saw something about a recall sometime ago so l was surprised that I couldn't find any considering the complaints l've been seeing. I don't have to many passengers as my children were always in back and just started riding in front. So I'm not sure how long it could have been going on. Just wanted to let someone know another 08' s light is lit. Thanks for your time.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 kia spectra. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact applied the brakes while approaching a red light. The engine shut down, and the steering and brakes failed. The vehicle crossed the intersection and crashed into the rear driver side of another vehicle. The brake and steering lights indicators remained illuminated. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The air bags failed to deploy. Two injuries were sustained, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 kia spectra. While the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The dealer diagnosed that the ocs sensor mat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to part unavailability. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Takata recall I am checking on my 2008 kia spectra and the air bags. My car has been wrecked 3 times. One of those accidents my daughter slid off the road in a snow storm and hit a tree. With all three accidents the air bags never went off. Was just concerned. I see no recalls on the air bags. I've attached pictures of the accident.
Questions about the 2008 Kia Spectra airbags
Does the 2008 Kia Spectra have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 61 complaints about the airbags of the 2008 Kia Spectra, 50% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2008 Kia Spectra airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 65,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Kia Spectra airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Kia Spectra have bad airbags?
The Kia Spectra model years with the most airbags complaints are 2009 (76 complaints), 2008 (61 complaints) and 2007 (56 complaints).
Other 2008 Kia Spectra problems
Acceleration 15Electrical 14Engine 11Lights 8Seat belts 8Brakes 6Fuel system 5Steering 5Body 4Transmission 4Locks 3Seats 2Tires 2Driver assistance 1Suspension 1Visibility 1Wheels 1
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