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Home > Safety features of your vehicle > Air bag - supplemental restraint system > Why didn’t my air bag go off in a collision? (Inflation and non-inflation conditions of the air bag)

Why didn’t my air bag go off in a collision? (Inflation and non-inflation conditions of the air bag)

There are many types of accidents in which the air bag would not be expected to provide additional protection.

These include rear impacts, second or third collisions in multiple impact accidents, as well as low speed impacts.

Air bag collision sensors

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* The actual air bag collision sensors in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.

  1. SRS control module

  2. Front impact sensor

  3. Side pressure sensor*

  4. Side impact sensor*

* : if equipped

WARNING

  • Do not hit or allow any objects to impact the locations where air bags or sensors are installed.

    This may cause unexpected air bag deployment, which could result in serious personal injury or death.

  • If the installation location or angle of the sensors is altered in any way, the air bags may deploy when they should not or they may not deploy when they should, causing severe injury or death.

    Therefore, do not try to perform maintenance on or around the air bag sensors. Have the system serviced by a professional workshop. Kia recommends to visit an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

  • Problems may arise if the sensor installation angles are changed due to the deformation of the front bumper, body or B pillars where side collision sensors are installed. In this case, have the system serviced by a professional workshop. Kia recommends to visit an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

  • Your vehicle has been designed to absorb impact and deploy the air bag(s) in certain collisions. Use only Kia Genuine Parts or those of an equivalent standard to install bumper guards or replace a bumper. If not, it may adversely affect your vehicle's collision and air bag deployment performance.

Air bag inflation conditions

Front air bags (if equipped)

Front air bags are designed to inflate in a frontal collision depending on the intensity, speed or angles of impact of the front collision.

Side and curtain air bags (if equipped)

Side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate when an impact is detected by side collision sensors depending on the strength, speed or angles of impact resulting from a side impact collision.

Although the front air bags (driver’s and front passenger’s air bags) are designed to inflate only in frontal collisions, they also may inflate in other types of collisions if the front impact sensors detect a sufficient impact. Side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate only in side impact collisions, but they may inflate in other collisions if the side impact sensors detect a sufficient impact.

If the vehicle chassis is impacted by bumps or objects on unimproved roads, the air bags may deploy. Drive carefully on unimproved roads or on surfaces not designed for vehicle traffic to prevent unintended air bag deployment.

Air bag non-inflation conditions

  • In certain low-speed collisions the air bags may not deploy. The air bags are designed not to deploy in such cases because they may not provide benefits beyond the protection of the seat belts in such collisions.

  • Frontal air bags are not designed to inflate in rear collisions, because occupants are moved backward by the force of the impact. In this case, inflated air bags would not be able to provide any additional benefit.

  • Front air bags may not inflate in side impact collisions, because occupants move to the direction of the collision, and thus in side impacts, frontal air bag deployment would not provide additional occupant protection.

    However, side and curtain air bags may inflate depending on the intensity, vehicle speed and angles of impact.

  • In an angled collision, the force of impact may direct the occupants in a direction where the air bags would not be able to provide any additional benefit, and thus the sensors may not deploy any air bags.

  • Just before impact, drivers often brake heavily. Such heavy braking lowers the front portion of the vehicle causing it to “ride” under a vehicle with a higher ground clearance. Air bags may not inflate in this "under-ride" situation because deceleration forces that are detected by sensors may be significantly reduced by such “under-ride” collisions.

  • Air bags do not inflate in most rollover accidents, even though the vehicle is equipped with side air bags and curtain air bags.

    NOTICE

    However, side and/or curtain air bags may inflate when the vehicle is rolled over by a side impact collision, if the vehicle is equipped with side air bags and curtain air bags.

  • Air bags may not inflate if the vehicle collides with objects such as utility poles or trees, where the point of impact is concentrated to one area and the full force of the impact is not delivered to the sensors.