2012 Kia Forte air bags problems
36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2012 Kia Forte — 12% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“There is a class action lawsuit concerning the airbag control unit not functioning properly leading to safety issues during a crash. The case is called ZF-TRW Airbag Control Unit Product Liabilty Litigation. Case number XXX My Kia Forte was on the list of recalled vehicles. I have been having…”
filed Jun 4, 2026
“The contact's cousin owned a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked unattended by the privacy fence. The contact was alerted by her nephew and observed that the vehicle was on fire. The front windshield had shattered, and smoke was visible inside the cabin. The fire appeared…”
filed Oct 10, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the…Campaign 18V363000 · Jun 1, 2018
Air Bags problems in other Forte years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Forte | 7 | 29% |
| 2023 Forte | 5 | 9% |
| 2022 Forte | 2 | 8% |
| 2021 Forte | 6 | 9% |
| 2020 Forte | 4 | 6% |
| 2019 Forte | 6 | 4% |
| 2018 Forte | 16 | 12% |
| 2017 Forte | 18 | 6% |
| 2016 Forte | 13 | 10% |
| 2015 Forte | 23 | 9% |
| 2014 Forte | 62 | 14% |
| 2013 Forte | 16 | 8% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2012 Kia Forte
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.