1997 Kia Sportage Air Bags:frontal Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · data through 07/14/2026

21Air Bags:frontal complaints

11.6%Of all 181 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags:frontal ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE39 · 21.5%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL21 · 11.6%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL20 · 11%

Unspecified / other16 · 8.8%

AIR BAGS14 · 7.7%

Share of the 181 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Kia Sportage overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE DRIVING ON COUNTY ROAD AN ANIMAL RAN OUT IN FRONT OF VEHICLE, IT SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING THE ANIMAL. ROAD WAS WET. WENT INTO…”NHTSA complaint 858753 — filed 03/17/2000

“WHEN DRIVING AND UPON CROSSING AN INTERSECTION CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED, AND PUSHED HEAD ON BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S…”NHTSA complaint 858016 — filed 03/06/2000

“WHILE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP IT WAS HIT IN THE FRONT BY THE SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE.UPON IMPACT, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE…”NHTSA complaint 857616 — filed 02/28/2000

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags:frontal complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Kia Sportage have air bags:frontal problems?

Air Bags:frontal is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 1997 Kia Sportage: 21 of 181 complaints on file (11.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Kia Sportage have in total?

181 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 32 involved a crash, 5 involved a fire, 24 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags:frontal category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS:FRONTAL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.