2008 KIA Sorento Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2008 KIA Sorento, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 42,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (67% of reports).
- 66air bags complaints
- 42,000median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 11mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 47%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 44 of 66 complaints (67%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 20 of 66 complaints (30%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 53 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 66 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 11 an injury.
KIA Sorento air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sorento | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2024 Sorento | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2022 Sorento | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Sorento | 4 | 2% | 49,000 |
| 2020 Sorento | 4 | 3% | 23,000 |
| 2019 Sorento | 5 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2018 Sorento | 10 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2017 Sorento | 14 | 2% | 114,320 |
| 2016 Sorento | 17 | 1% | 59,151 |
| 2015 Sorento | 30 | 4% | 63,250 |
| 2014 Sorento | 51 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2013 Sorento | 60 | 6% | 85,000 |
| 2012 Sorento | 81 | 9% | 97,000 |
| 2011 Sorento | 183 | 12% | 95,300 |
| 2010 Sorento | 1 | 33% | 40 |
| 2009 Sorento | 21 | 38% | 25,482 |
| 2008 Sorento | 66 | 30% | 42,000 |
| 2007 Sorento | 58 | 38% | 10,000 |
| 2006 Sorento | 19 | 8% | 89,000 |
| 2005 Sorento | 43 | 14% | 65,000 |
| 2004 Sorento | 14 | 6% | 89,450 |
| 2003 Sorento | 30 | 10% | 60,100 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Kia is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 sorento passenger cars manufactured from june 15, 2006 through november 27, 2007. The front passenger air bag may be turned off when an adult is in the passenger seat. The front passenger air bag is designed to be turned off in limited circumstances including when children and small adults are seated in the front passenger seat, there is a child restraint in that seat or the seat is not occupied. The vehicle's occupant classification system (ocs), which classifies the occupant in the front passenger seat, may misclassify an adult passenger as a child or child seat and improperly turn off the passenger side air bag. When the air bag is deactivated the "passenger air bag off" light will illuminate on the center instrument panel.
Risk: The passenger side air bag is turned off when the ocs misclassifies an adult passenger. With the front passenger airbag off, the front passenger will not have the protection of the passenger air bags in some frontal collisions, thus increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: Kia will update the programming in the sorento ocs control module at no charge. The recall remedy is currently available under service campaign sc076. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sorrento. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the passengerâs side air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure also occurred with the driver's side air bag. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a…
I bought my sorento used and the airbag light is lit on the front dash in both where the guages are and under the stereo. It doesnt matter if someone is in the seat or not. I found that there was a recall years ago so when i called Kia they told me that my vehicle had been repaired and I told them…
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she contacted an independent mechanic who advised her that she needed a new OCS seat mat. The contact stated that she then contacted the dealer who advised her that there…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 KIA Sorentos have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 66 owner complaints about air bags for the 2008 KIA Sorento (30% of the 217 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 KIA Sorento air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 42,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2008 KIA Sorento?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 44 of 66 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (20).
See all 2008 KIA Sorento problems or air bags problems across all Sorento years.