NHTSA Complaint #10162003 — 2002 KIA SEDONA

BACK IN 2003, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON MY VAN CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO AWAY. IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE. THAT WAS REPLACED. NOW IN 2005 THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO AWAY AGAIN. MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, SO I TRIED FINDING OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS MYSELF. IT WAS THE SAME PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE. THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN WIRE IN THE HARNESS TO THE SENSOR. THE CAUSE WAS A METAL CLIP THAT PINCHES THE HARNESS, AND WITH THE MOVEMENT OF PUTTING THE SEAT BELT ON AND OFF, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO THE WIRE BREAKAGE. THAT I FIXED MYSELF AND AIRBAG LIGHT WENT OUT. IN 2006, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND WOULD NOT GO OUT. THE PROBLEM NOW IS THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE, ONCE AGAIN A BROKEN WIRE AT THE CLIP. ONCE AGAIN MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED SO I AM GOING TO FIX IT MYSELF. THIS KIND OF PROBLEM CAN BE FIXED IF THE CLIPS ARE REMOVED, EXTENDING THE LIFE OF THE SENSING UNIT. I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THAT SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS DEFECT FIXED. *JB