2009 KIA Spectra Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2009 KIA Spectra, 67% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 71,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (55% of reports).
- 76air bags complaints
- 71,000median miles at failure
- 15mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,550typical repair cost reported by owners
- 26%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 42 of 76 complaints (55%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 26 of 76 complaints (34%)
- Airbag off: mentioned in 6 of 76 complaints (8%)
- Sensor mat: mentioned in 5 of 76 complaints (7%)
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 2009 KIA Spectra at $2,550, and half of them between $2,350 and $2,800.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2016), 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 62 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 76 complaints, 15 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 8 an injury.
KIA Spectra air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Spectra | 76 | 67% | 71,000 |
| 2008 Spectra | 61 | 50% | 63,500 |
| 2007 Spectra | 56 | 37% | 86,400 |
| 2006 Spectra | 46 | 46% | 56,500 |
| 2005 Spectra | 43 | 42% | 26,733 |
| 2004 Spectra | 26 | 37% | 33,000 |
| 2003 Spectra | 11 | 12% | 25,500 |
| 2002 Spectra | 22 | 24% | 47,102 |
| 2001 Spectra | 9 | 23% | 66,000 |
| 2000 Spectra | 9 | 39% | 1,819 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists air bags for the 2009 KIA Spectra. 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 airbag light is on and we think the ocs sensor mat is bad. Kia has an extended warranty for vehicles between the years of 2006-2009 to have a ocs sensor mat replaced for free for a period of 15 years regardless of mileage.
Airbag warning light is always on even if seat is occupied. In addition the airbag "off" message was displayed next to the clock and is always in the 'off', position. Both lights remain in that condition whether the vehicle is stationary mode (in park) or driving in motion. A safety inspection…
Letter from senator roberts re: inquiry on behalf of constitute in regards to her mother's 2009 kia spectra airbags deployed too much force and injured her mother. *as see also odi 11109673. *dsy the consumer stated the driver died as a result of injuries from the airbag during the crash. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 KIA Spectras have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 76 owner complaints about air bags for the 2009 KIA Spectra (67% of the 114 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 2009 KIA Spectra air bags?
No recall currently lists air bags for this vehicle.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 71,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2009 KIA Spectra?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,550 (half paid between $2,350 and $2,800), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2009 KIA Spectra?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 42 of 76 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (26).
See all 2009 KIA Spectra problems or air bags problems across all Spectra years.