Problems · by component

2011 Kia Soul air bags problems

26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Soul cite air bags, 13% of all 194 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
26
13% of all complaints
Crashes
22
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
26
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the airbag warning light was illuminated, indicating that the airbag system was inoperative. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clock spring needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. A certified letter was sent to the manufacturer, requesting a goodwill refund; however, the request was denied due to the lack of recall coverage for the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 167,492.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 27, 2026Air bagsODI 11760046
“This vehicle had just passed a inspection for me to get it licensed and Kentucky. There was no light showing that the airbags would not work. Unfortunately, this vehicle is not available.I had reached out to kia multiple times. My fears I have another Kia the same year.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2025Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11670276
“The contact owned a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 63 MPH, an object hit the vehicle's front, driver-side tire which caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact crashed into a highway sand barrel as the vehicle flipped forward and rolled over onto the driver's side. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact exited the vehicle through the front passenger door with the assistance of a fellow motorist. The contact was taken by ambulance to the emergency room and was treated for head trauma, pain to both shoulders, neck, and back; as well as, scratches to the left elbow and right hand. A police report was filed. A couple of sand barrels were damaged which left sand scattered across the highway. The vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent tow yard where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 26, 2024Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11610837
“The contact owns a 2011 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. Additionally, the cruise control was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the driver's side air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 8, 2022Air bags, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11468146
“I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND ON AZ SR 95 AT 45 MPH. OTHER VEHICLE WAS NORTH BOUND AND MADE A "U" TURN IN FRONT OF ME. I COULD NOT AVOID HITTING HIM BROADSIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. AIR BAGS DID NOT INFLATE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 17, 2020Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11309755
“I WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AT ABOUT 40 MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A CAR FAILED TO YIELD CAME ACROSS THE INTERSECTION AND I IMPACTED THE PASSAGER SIDE OF HER VEHICLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2019Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11203152

Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.