NHTSA Complaint #11404100 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

2012 OPTIMA 45,000 MILES BOUGHT IN 2013. REGULAR ON TIME SERVICE AT LITHIA KIA OF ANCHORAGE WHERE PURCHASED. AIR BAG LIGHT TRIGGERED AFTER OIL CHANGE. DESPITE WARRANTY AND EXTENDED BUMPER - BUMPER COVERAGE, HAD TO PAY $150 TO HAVE THE AIR BAG CODES READ AND RESET. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO PERFORMED A RESET FOR THE PASSENGER WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THE SRS SYSTEM IS DEACTIVATED WHEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. IN MY CASE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD DEACTIVATED DUE TO UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. HISTORICAL CODES THAT WERE PULLED BY THE DEALER'S KIA SRS READER SHOWED LOW POWER CODES AND THE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT MALFUNCTION. I SHOULD NOTE MY INTERSTATE BATTERY IS 1 YEAR OLD AND BOTH BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR ARE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. MY VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THE CURRENT RECALL, HOWEVER KIA AND MY DEALER SKIRT FIXING THE PROBLEM BY THE FACT THAT I AM HAVING A CODING AND PROGRAMMING ISSUE AND NOT A BROKEN MODULE OR CLOCK SPRING. THE SERIOUSNESS OF A NON FUNCTIONING AIRBAG (SRS) SYSTEM IS A BIG DEAL AND A BIT SCARY. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SKIRT RECALLS UNDER TECHNICALITY AND SHOULD BE HELD FULLY LIABLE IF THE SYSTEM FAILS LEADING TO INJURY. ESPECIALLY AS METICULOUS AS MY WIFE AND I ARE ABOUT MAINTAINING OUR VEHICLES. RECALL NUMBER : SC165 THANK YOU.