2012 KIA Sorento Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2012 KIA Sorento, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 97,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (38% of reports).
- 81air bags complaints
- 97,000median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,700typical repair cost reported by owners
- 11%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 31 of 81 complaints (38%)
- Ocs mat: mentioned in 8 of 81 complaints (10%)
- Clock spring: mentioned in 8 of 81 complaints (10%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 8 of 81 complaints (10%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the 2012 KIA Sorento at $2,700, and half of them between $2,500 and $3,250.
Based on 17 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2022), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 53 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 81 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 7 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 (0)
No safety recall lists air bags for the 2012 KIA Sorento. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a service center, where it was diagnosed and DTC: V1481 was retrieved. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was…
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. There were several unknown warning lights…
The clock spring needs fixed no features including the horn is working in my airbag light is staying on. Also I now have a loud knock in my motor I understand this should fall under the extended 15 yr 150k warranty; 2012 Kia vehicles (specifically the Sorento) with V6 engines are covered under…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 KIA Sorentos have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about air bags for the 2012 KIA Sorento (9% of the 880 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 2012 KIA Sorento air bags?
No recall currently lists air bags for this vehicle.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 97,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2012 KIA Sorento?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,700 (half paid between $2,500 and $3,250), from 17 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2012 KIA Sorento?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 31 of 81 complaints, followed by “ocs mat” (8).
Other 2012 KIA Sorento problems
See all 2012 KIA Sorento problems or air bags problems across all Sorento years.