2003 Kia Sorento Air Bags

For some reason, KIA has halted production of the Air Bag Clock Spring mechanism for 2003 Kia Sorento's EX with cruise control. In my opinion, this was a vital component of the Air Bag safety system for any vehicle. So why the halt in the production of this vital part. Kia part #93490-3E160. Maybe the NHTSA can get an answer to this. I'm sure I not the only one driving a 2003 with the Air Bag light illuminated.

TAKATA RECALL. MY CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THE AIRBAGS. THE CAR HASN'T BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND I'M TOLD IT WILL NOT INFLATE. I WAS TOLD TO CHECK FOR RECALLS.

AIR BAGS COIL SPRING HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND KIA REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW IF THE AIR BAGS WILL DEPLOY IN CASE OF A ACCIDENT. THIS IS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM THE DAY I PURCHASE THE CAR. I DON'T KNOW THE MAKER OF THE AIR BAG SISTEM.

AIRBAG INDICATOR TURNED ON AND HAS BEEN ON SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. I HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE SINCE THE INDICATOR LIGHT TURNED ON IN FEAR OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING ON THEIR OWN WHILE I'M DRIVING OR NOT DEPLOYING IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS.

4 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE USED OFF DEALERSHIP LOT, I WAS HAVING 4 NEW TIRES INSTALLED FOR WINTER. WHEN I CLIMBED BACK INTO THE CAR AND TURNED OVER THE IGNITION, THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY LIT EVER SINCE. *KB

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING A 2003 KIA SORRENTO AND FELL A SLEEP AT THE WHEEL AFTER COLLEGE EXAMS. SHE DROVE INTO THE REAR OF A TRACTOR TRAILER TANKER AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. SHE HAD A CONCUSSION AND A CRACKED STERNUM. STATE FARM INSURANCE DECLARED THE CAR A TOTAL LOSS DUE TO A BENT FRAME, ENGINE MOUNT FAILURE AND A TOTALED FRONT END. AFTER CONTACTING KIA, THEIR RESPONSE TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT THE ANGLE THE CAR HIT THE TRAILER, WAS SUCH THAT NONE OF THE SENSORS WAS COMPROMISED , THERE FOR THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. BASICALLY IS WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT OF THE CAR. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON. VEHICLE HAS 74,000 MILES ON IT HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED OR OFF ROAD. THIS IS SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FOR LIFE. I HAVE NO ACCESS TO THE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS IN MY VEHICLE. *TR

THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE SRS SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (AIR BAG) KEEPS GOING OFF WENT OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY AT 80,000 MILES IT STARTED AROUND 80, 800 DEALER WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS. LIGHT IS NOW CONSTANT AND WHEN I WAS SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOUND SAME COMPLAINTS WITH THE SRS. *TR

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WITHOUT WARNING. NOW I'M TOLD MY AIRBAGS WON'T WORK. THE DEALER STATES I NEED A NEW CONTROL MODULE. IT IS COMING UP AS A SEAT POSITION ERROR. THEY SAID IT IS COMMON. THIS IS A REQUIRED SAFETY ITEM ON NEW CARS, THE AIRBAGS. IF IT IS A COMMON DEFECT WHY NO RECALL. KIA WON'T HELP. *TR

REFERENCE NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10015248 -- TSB# 029 2003 KIA SORENTO -- AIR BAGS PURCHASED CAR IN 8/2003 AND HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG COMING ON AND OFF OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS. NOW THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS THREE MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT INCLINED TO COVER THE EXPENSE TO REPLACE THE "ADU" BUT RATHER WISHES TO CHARGE ME MORE THAN $500. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A SCARY ACCIDENT AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

IN SEPTEMBER, 2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 55200 MILES, THE AIRBAG FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSIS BY THE DEALER ON 5 SEPT 2006 (INVOICE 107484) REVEALED "ORDERED DRIVERS AIR BAG, FAULT B1346, 1ST STAGE RESISTANCE TO [SIC] HIGH." ON 25 SEPT 2006, AFTER FIRST ORDERING THE WRONG PART(INVOICE 107945), THE DEALER REPLACED THE DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG (INVOICE 108174). ON 31 JULY 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 59200 MILES, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER ON 1 AUGUST, AND ON 2 AUGUST THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG. THE DEALER INVOICE INDICATES "56910R00 REPLACED DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG. RESISTANCE TO [SIC] HIGH." (INVOICE 119075). ON THE MORNING OF 3 AUGUST 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 59220 MILES, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. THE AIR BAGS HAVE NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ONLY 4-1/2 YEARS ONLY. DESPITE THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG BEING REPLACED TWICE, THE CAR IS INDICATING FOR THE THIRD TIME THAT THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG HAS FAILED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED STREET AT 35 MPH, THE DRIVERS SIDE-IMPACT AND BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT IMPACT ANYTHING TO CAUSE THE DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AND SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. UPON INSPECTION, THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST INDICATED THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN A MAJOR COLLISION. THE DEALER IS AWAITING APPROVAL FROM THE MANUFACTURER BEFORE REPAIRS ARE MADE. UPDATED 5/22/2006 - *NM

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. TOOK TO KIA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED 2003 KIA SORENTO (NEW) WAS TOLD THAT THE "CLOCK SPRING" NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WAS VERY COMMON THAT THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIR. I ASKED IF IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE A LOT WHY HAD IT NOT BEEN A "SAFETY ISSUE" AND A RECALL BEEN ENACTED. THEY DID NOT KNOW. *NM

THE AIR BAG SENSOR LOCATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT DID NOT ENGAGED WHEN A PASSENGER SAT IN THE, SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *JB

THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON AFTER BEING SERVICED NINE TIMES. *JB

THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT-END ACCIDENT. *BF AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING, THE CONSUMER SUFFERED NECK AND BACK INJURIES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND TURNING SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

1. (11/03/03 1ST INCIDENT) "AIR BAG" SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JEFFERY KIA FOR REPAIR. I WAS CALLED TO PICKUP VEHICLE TWO DAYS LATER. (UNAWARE AT THE TIME THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM HAD BEEN DISABLED) WEEK LATER RECEIVED CALL THAT AIR BAG WAS IN AND TO RETURN VEHICLE FOR AIR BAG REPLACEMENT. REPAIR COMPLETED AND VEHICLE RETURNED NEXT DAY. 2.) (2ND INCIDENT) ON VACATION IN STARKE, FA., DECEMBER 24, 2003 "AIR BAG" SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. TOLD TO RETURN TO DEALER (KIA HOTLINE) DROVE 16 HOURS 12/25/03 TO GET VEHICLE TO JEFFERY KIA AND DELIVERED TO DEALER 12/26/03. I AM DISTURBED THAT VEHICLE WAS INITIALLY RETURNED TO ME IN UNSAFE CONDITION AND UNSATISFACTORILY REPAIRED AND PLACED MY GRAND CHILDREN IN JEOPARDY.*AK

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *JB