NHTSA Complaint #10160467 — 2001 KIA OPTIMA

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING & WOULD GO OUT REPEATEDLY. WHEN I CALLED THE KIA 800 NUMBER WAS TOLD PROBABLY NOTHING. BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SCHEDULE IT IN WITH YOUR LOCAL DEALER. I ASKED "DO I NEED TO BE CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT DEPLOY UNEXPECTEDLY". HE SAID PROBABLY NOT, IF YOU ARE CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT DEPLOY YOU ARE BETTER OFF NOT DRIVING IT. I TOLD HIM I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AIRBAGS, HE REPEATED,"IF I BELIEVE THERE IS REASON TO BE CONCERNED, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY JUST PARK IT." I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR CENTER THAT IS NEAR MY HOME & WAS TOLD THAT THE "CLOCK SPRING" IN THE STEERING COLUMN HAD BROKEN & THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, THAT THE AIRBAG COULD DEPLOY AT ANYTIME WITHOUT CAUSE OR IN A COLLISION IT MAY NOT DEPLOY AT ALL. I CALLED THE 800 NUMBER BACK & ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS ON THE AIRBAG FOR A 2001 KIA OPTIMA LE & WAS TOLD THEY WILL NOT DISCUSS RECALLS WITH ME AT ALL WITHOUT THE VIN #. I ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AIRBAG PROBLEMS FOR THE OPTIMA 2001& TOLD HIM I DIDN'T HAVE THE VIN# BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE SHOP. HE STATED THEY WOULD NOT DISCUSS ANY RECALLS WITHOUT MY NAME, ADDRESS AND/OR THE VIN#, I SAID I WOULD FIX IT THEN SUBMIT CHARGES IF RECALLED THE 800# SAID THAT IF IT IS RECALLED AFTER I REPAIR IT I MAY NOT GET REIMBURSED IF IT WASN'T DIAGNOSED BY A DEALERSHIP. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SCHEDULE IT, THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN. I TOLD THEM I WOULD BE TOWING IT IN & THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHY TOWED IN. I TOLD THEM THE REPAIR CENTER SAID THAT THE AIRBAG COULD DEPLOY WITHOUT NOTICE, THEY SAID IT COULD BUT NOT NECESSARILY. I BELIEVE THAT KIA HAVE NO CONCERN FOR THE FACT A PERSON COULD DIE OR BE SERIOUSLY INJURED IF THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS PROBLEM AROSE WITHOUT ANY INDICATION & I ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM & NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, I HOPE THE NHTSA WILL. *NM