2012 Kia Forte Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 37 airbag complaints for the 2012 Kia Forte, 13% of all complaints filed for the year. Owners report airbags failing to deploy in frontal and rear-end crashes, sometimes with fatal or serious injuries. A related recall (18V363000) covers the airbag control unit on 2010-2013 Forte models.
- Airbags complaints
- 37
- 13% of 292 complaints
- All complaints this year
- 292
- Crashes reported
- 15
- Fires reported
- 2
- Injuries reported
- 12
- Median mileage
- 74,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy in moderate-to-severe frontal collisions, sometimes with fatal or serious injuries to occupants.
- Airbags fail to deploy in rear-end impacts even when the vehicle is pushed into another car ahead.
- Some owners report only partial deployment, such as the steering wheel airbag firing while side airbags do not.
- Owners say the airbag control module recorded no fault codes and no crash data after a non-deployment event.
- Several owners connect the non-deployment to the airbag control unit recall and say they were never notified by Kia before the crash.
When 2012 Kia Forte airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Oct 17, 2012, latest Aug 28, 2026.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Kia Forte
- NHTSA 18V363000Jun 1, 2018Airbags507,587 vehicles
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
Risk: If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.
Airbags complaints by Forte model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How common are airbag complaints on the 2012 Kia Forte?
- NHTSA has logged 37 airbag complaints for the 2012 Forte, making up 13% of the 292 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Kia Forte airbags?
- Yes. Recall 18V363000 covers 2010-2013 Kia Forte and Forte Koup models for an airbag control unit that may short circuit in a crash.
- What do owners report happening with the airbags?
- Owners describe airbags that failed to deploy in frontal and rear-end crashes, in some cases resulting in serious injury or death, with a median mileage of 74,500 at time of failure.
- Were there injuries or crashes linked to this airbag issue?
- NHTSA data tied to this complaint area shows 15 crashes, 12 injuries, and 2 fires among the reported cases.
- Does the recall fix the non-deployment problem?
- The recall targets the airbag control unit that Kia says may short circuit in a crash; Kia's remedy involves dealer notification and, for some model years, verifying the part number.