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Kia Sportage airbag light comes on

90 of the 4,730 owner complaints about the Kia Sportage describe airbag warning light, most of them for the 2006 model year.

owner complaints
90
worst model year
2006
typical repair cost reported
$2,000
typical mileage
74,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

Often reported together

No deployment 8Stalling 5Seat belt 4Check engine light 4Wipers 2Adaptive cruise 2ABS 2Pulling 1

Trouble codes mentioned

B1495 2C1513 1B1515 1B1511 1B1489 1B1375 1

What owners say

Filed Sep 16, 2026 · Airbags, Seat belts · OR

The SRS/airbag warning light illuminates and flashes, accompanied by a seat belt warning chime while the driver seat belt is fastened. I scanned the SRS module and retrieved DTC B1511-00 (Driver Seat Belt Buckle Switch Open Or Short To Battery) and B1515-00 (Driver Seat Belt Buckle Switch Defect), logged across two events. I purchased this vehicle used from a franchised dealer. I took it to that same dealer for diagnosis. Their technician found that the wiring harness under the driver seat had been cut and twisted back together. That splice was present before I purchased the vehicle. The dealership inspected and resold the vehicle to me in that condition and did not disclose any prior repair or modification to the restraint system wiring. As a result, the driver airbag and seat belt pretensioner may not deploy correctly in a crash. The dealer has denied warranty coverage on the basis of tampering and quoted over $2,000 for the part. The removed harness is in the dealer's possession and should be available for inspection.

Filed Jan 22, 2026 · Airbags · WI · crash · 2 injuries

On November 15, I was traveling with my mother and seated in the front passenger seat of a 2023 Kia Sportage while she was driving approximately 65 mph on the interstate when the vehicle struck a deer. The impact caused significant front-end damage, including the bumper, radiator area, and underbody components. I was wearing a seatbelt. Despite the severity of the collision and the high rate of speed, neither the driver nor passenger airbags deployed. No airbags deployed in any position in the vehicle. I sustained injuries, including a right shoulder sprain and having the wind knocked out of me, and required medical care. As a result of this crash, my mother developed post-traumatic stress symptoms, including fear of driving and anxiety related to the accident. The component that failed appears to be the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)/airbag system, which did not deploy in a crash that should have met deployment thresholds. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This failure put our safety at risk by leaving us without the primary restraint protection designed to prevent head, chest, and upper body injuries in a high-speed frontal collision. The issue has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle has been seen by insurance, but no airbag system inspection or explanation has been provided. There were no airbag warning lights or dashboard messages prior to the crash. If there were any faults stored in the system, they were not displayed to the occupants. I believe this is a serious safety defect involving airbag non-deployment.

Filed Nov 20, 2023 · Brakes, Wheels · AZ

My ESP button stays on and including the air bag light and I've tried everything trying to turn it off as well as my engine light and my hard parking brake which keeps turning on and won't turn off while driving and it feels harder to press the gas and I lost complete control on the freeway some how but I believe its due to my ESP button, idk much about cars so this is the best way I can describe it, not many cars around on the freeway but I would've died if there was.. the fuel system is always having issues as well amd ive changed it many times but I'm more worried about the fact that I lost control and the fact that when i use my parking break that the car won't hold completely so please please launch an investigation so I can get my car fixed, thank you.

Filed Aug 8, 2023 · Airbags · 47,000 miles · FL · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle collided with another and the air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the impact was on the driver's side of the vehicle. The air bag warning light was not illuminated. The driver sustained head and back injuries. Medical treatment was needed and a police report was taken. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that unknown parts needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

Filed Jun 6, 2023 · Airbags · FL

Airbag light came on. Was inspected by dealership. They informed me that the front side airbag needs to be replaced, as it is not grounded properly, and it could randomly deploy, or not deploy if accident occurs.

Filed Oct 18, 2022 · Airbags · OH

Air bag light has been on. Service department looked into it and said it requires a new airbag control module, but the part is on back order and they don't know when it would be available. They said that if a crash occured, the airbags probably wouldn't work.

Filed Sep 4, 2022 · Airbags · FL

One week after purchasing the 2023 KIA Sportage EX, the airbag light came on. I took it to a local dealership who deemed the vehicle "unfit to drive" and kept it for 12 days. After 12 days, the vehicle was released to me and I was told the airbag issue had been resolved. However, a mere two days later, the airbag light came back again. I do not feel safe in this vehicle and have requested both the dealership and KIA to buy back the vehicle since it is brand new, but both have refused. After being told by the dealership that the vehicle was unsafe to drive when I took it in for the first time after the airbag light came on, I am afraid to drive the vehicle and will have to again take it back to the dealership but I will never feel safe in this vehicle.

Filed Apr 18, 2022 · Airbags · NE

My airbag light has been on since I got my vehicle. The dealership said it is the front side impact sensor that is failing. If I were to get into an accident my front airbag would not deploy. The dealership has seen the light and confirmed the problem.

Filed Apr 14, 2022 · Airbags, Engine · FL

I have a airbag warning light they said it was a sensor with the driver side seat belt. Is this not a safety issue? Vehicle is equiped with the "theta ii" engine which is under a class action law suit against engine fires I had the oil changed at 70k miles at hollywood kia I checked the car at 73k and it was 1.5 quarts low I added 1.5 quarts low I added another half quart at 74k it was a quart low at 75k when I got the next oil change also, I had to add a quart at 77k, 78k and 79k just filed a complaint with kia corporate case # 14755737 I am going into gunther kia next week to get my 80k oil change I left a voice message with service manager anthony decarlo as well engine oil light never comes on could this also be related to the engine fire issues ?

Filed Feb 15, 2022 · Airbags · NY

6 months ago air bag indicator light came on for 2 days. That went out and another one came on (can't remember which one) and that stayed on for 2 days. Then all was good for 5 months. Now air bag indicator light is on again. Yes, it's available upon request. Have appt with dealer on 2/25/22. Of course the air bag indicator light could cause risk if there is something wrong with the bags. I'm wondering if it is just an electrical problem with the lights.

Related recalls

Air bags: side/window: curtainReported November 28, 2022 · 76,918 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The side curtain air bags may have been twisted during installation.
Risk
A twisted air bag can deploy improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 28, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC257.

Recall number 22V878000 · Recall details

Questions about the Kia Sportage airbag light

Why does the airbag light come on in the Kia Sportage?

Owners who report it most often also describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, engine stalls while driving and seat belt won't latch or retract, and the codes they mention most are B1495, C1513 and B1515.

Which Kia Sportage years have airbag warning light problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2006 (28 complaints), 2005 (9 complaints) and 2007 (9 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix airbag warning light on the Kia Sportage?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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