
335
Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
The front air bags help protect the
driver and front passenger by
responding to frontal impacts in
which seat belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When need-
ed, the side air bags help provide
protec tion in the event of a side
impact or rollover by supporting the
side upper body area.
• Air bags are activated (able to
inflate if necessary) only when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START the appropriate position.
• Air bags inflate instantly in the
event of serious frontal or side col-
lision (if equipped with side air bag
or curtain air bag) in order to help
protect the occupants from serious
physical injury.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate based upon the severity of a
collision and its direction. These
two factors determine whether the
sensors produce an electronic
deployment/ inflation signal.• Air bag deployment depends on a
number of complex factors includ-
ing vehicle speed, angles of impact
and the density and stiffness of the
vehicles or objects which your
vehicle hits in the collision. Though,
factors are not limited to those
mentioned above. Airbags deploy
depending on the severity and
angle of the impact.
Airbags do not deploy in every
impact situation.
• The front air bags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to
see the air bags inflate during an
accident. It is much more likely that
you will simply see the deflated air
bags hanging out of their storage
compartments after the collision.• In addition to inflating in certain
side collisions, vehicles equipped
with a rollover sensor, side and
curtain air bags will inflate if the
sensing system detects a rollover.
When a rollover is detected, side and
curtain air bags will remain inflated
longer to help provide protection
from ejection, especially when used
in conjunction with the seat belts.
• In order to help provide protection
in a severe collision, the air bags
must inflate rapidly. The speed of
air bag inflation is a consequence
of extremely short time in which a
collision occurs and the need to
get the air bag between the occu-
pant and the vehicle structures
before the occupant impacts those
structures. This speed of inflation
reduces the risk of serious or life-
threatening injuries in a severe col-
lision and is thus a necessary part
of air bag design.

Safety features of your vehicle
36 3
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include
facial abrasions, bruises and bro-
ken bones because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
• There are even circumstances
under which contact with the
steering wheel air bag can cause
fatal injuries, especially if the
occupant is positioned exces-
sively close to the steering wheel.Noise and smoke
When the air bags inflate, they make
a loud noise and they leave smoke
and powder in the air inside of the
vehicle. This is normal and is a result
of the ignition of the air bag inflator.
After the air bag inflates, you may
feel substantial discomfort in breath-
ing due to the contact of your chest
to both the seat belt and the air bag,
as well as from breathing the smoke
and powder.Open your doors
and/or windows as soon as possi-
ble after the impact in order to
reduce discomfort and prevent
prolonged exposure to smoke and
powder.
Though smoke and powder are non-
toxic,They may cause irritation to the
skin (eyes,nose and throat, etc). If
this is the case, wash and rinse with
cold water immediately and consult a
doctor if the symptom persists.WARNING - Airbag
Inflation
Sit as far back as possible from
the steering wheel while still
maintaining comfortable con-
trol of the your vehicle. A dis-
tance of at least 25 cm (10")
from your chest to the steering
wheel is recommended. Failure
to do so can result in airbag
inflation injuries to the driver.

339
Safety features of your vehicle
8. Front impact sensors
9. Side impact sensors
10. PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator (Front passenger’s seat
only)
11. Occupant detection system
(Front passenger’s seat only)
12. Driver’s and front passenger’s
seat belt buckle sensors
13. Emergency fastening device
(EFD)
* : if equippedThe SRSCM continually monitors all
SRS components while the ignition
switch is ON to determine if a crash
impact is severe enough to require
air bag deployment or pre-tensioner
seat belt deployment.
The SRS air bag warning light on the
instrument panel will illuminate for
about 6 seconds after the ignition
switch is turned to the ON position,
after which the air bag warning light
should go out.
If any of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
of the SRS. Have an authorized Kia
dealer inspect the air bag system as
soon as possible.
• The light does not turn on briefly
when you turn the ignition ON.
• The light stays on after illuminating
for approximately 6 seconds.
• The light comes on while the vehi-
cle is in motion.The air bag modules are located
both in the center of the steering
wheel and in the front passenger's
panel above the glove box. When the
SRSCM detects a sufficiently severe
impact to the front of the vehicle, it
will automatically deploy the front air
bags.
B240B01L
Driver’s front air bag (1)

Safety features of your vehicle
40 3
Upon deployment, tear seams mold-
ed directly into the pad covers will
separate under pressure from the
expansion of the air bags. Further
opening of the covers then allows full
inflation of the air bags.A fully inflated air bag, in combina-
tion with a properly worn seat belt,
slows the driver's or the passenger's
forward motion, reducing the risk of
head and chest injury.
After complete inflation, the air bag
immediately starts deflating,
enabling the driver to maintain for-
ward visibility and the ability to steer
or operate other controls.
B240B03L
Driver’s front air bag (3)
B240B02L
Driver’s front air bag (2)
B240B05L
Passenger’s front air bag
WARNING - Air bag
obstructions
Do not install or place any
accessories on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, or on
the front passenger's panel
above the glove box in a vehicle
Such objects may become dan-
gerous projectiles if the air bag
deploys.

Safety features of your vehicle
42 3
If the front passenger seat is occupied
by a person that the system deter-
mines to be of adult size, and he/she
sits properly (sitting upright with the
seatback in an upright position, cen-
tered on the seat cushion with their
seat belt on, legs comfortably extend-
ed and their feet on the floor), the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indica-
tor will turn off and the front passen-
ger's air bag will be able to inflate, if
necessary, in frontal crashes.
You will find the PASSENGER AIR
BAG “OFF” indicator on the center facia
panel. This system detects the condi-
tions 1~4 in the following table and acti-
vates or deactivates the front passen-
ger air bag based on these conditions.
Always be sure that you and all vehicle
occupants are seated and restrained
properly (sitting upright with the seat in
an upright position, centered on the
seat cushion, with the person’s legs
comfortably extended, feet on the
floor, and wearing the safety belt prop-
erly) for the most effective protection
by the air bag and the safety belt.• The ODS (Occupant Detection
System) may not function properly if
the passenger takes actions which
can defeat the detection system.
These include:
(1) Failing to sit in an upright position.
(2) Leaning against the door or cen-
ter console.
(3) Sitting towards the sides or the
front of the seat.
(4) Putting legs on the dashboard or
resting them on other locations
which reduce the passenger
weight on the front seat.
(5) Improperly wearing the safety belt.
(6) Reclining the seat back.

345
Safety features of your vehicle
When an adult is seated in the front
passenger seat, if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is on, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion and ask the passenger to sit
properly (sitting upright with the seat
back in an upright position, centered
on the seat cushion with their seat
belt on, legs comfortably extended
and their feet on the floor). Restart
the engine and have the person
remain in that position. This will allow
the system to detect the person and
to enable the passenger air bag.If the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is still on, ask the passen-
ger to move to the rear seat.
✽NOTICE
The PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator illuminates for about 4 sec-
onds after the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position or after
the engine is started. If the front
passenger seat is occupied, the occu-
pant detection sensor will then clas-
sify the front passenger after several
more seconds.
Any child age 12 and under should
ride in the rear seat. Children too
large for child restraints should use
the available lap/shoulder belts. No
matter what type of crash, children of
all ages are safer when restrained in
the rear seat.
✽NOTICE
Do not modify or replace the front
passenger seat. Don't place anything
on or attach anything such as a blan-
ket, front seat covers or after market
seat heater to the front passenger
seat. This can adversely affect the
occupant detection system.
B990A01O
WARNING - “AIR BAG
OFF” light
Do not allow an adult passenger
to ride in the front seat when the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is illuminated, because
the air bag will not deploy in the
event of a crash. The driver must
instruct the passenger to reposi-
tion himself in the seat. Failure
to properly position yourself
may lead to air bag deactivation
resulting in air bag non-deploy-
ment in a collision. If the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indica-
tor remains illuminated after the
passenger repositions them-
selves properly and the car is
restarted, it is recommended
that passenger move to the rear
seat because the passenger's
front air bag will not deploy.

Safety features of your vehicle
46 3
If the occupant detection system is
not working properly, the SRS air bag
warning light on the instrument
panel will illuminate because the pas-
senger's front air bag is connected
with the occupant detection system. If
there is a malfunction of the occupant
detection system, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG “OFF” indicator will not illu-
minate and the passenger's front air
bag will inflate in frontal impact crash-
es even if there is no occupant in the
front passenger's seat.
✽NOTICE
Air bags can only be used once - have
an authorized Kia dealer replace the
air bag immediately after deployment.
Driver's and passenger's front
air bag
Your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Supplemental Restraint
(Air Bag) System and lap/shoulder
belts at both the driver and passen-
ger seating position.
OYDDSA2025
OYDDSA2026
Driver’s front air bag
Passenger’s front air bag
WARNING - ODS
Interference
• Do not place a heavy load or
an active electronic device (ex.
laptop computer, after market
DMB/navigation/satellite
audio, video game machine,
MP3, etc.) in the front passen-
ger seatback pocket or on the
front passenger seat.
• Do not hang onto the front
passenger seat.
• Do not hang any items such
as seatback table on the front
passenger seatback.
• Do not place feet on the front
passenger seatback.
• Do not place any items under
the front passenger seat.
• Do not place sharp objects on
the front passenger seat.
These may damage the occu-
pant detection system, if they
puncture the seat cushion.
(Continued)(Continued)
• Do not spill any liquids on the
seat.
Any of the above could interfere
with the proper operation of the
ODS sensor thereby increasing
the risk of an injury in an acci-
dent.

347
Safety features of your vehicle
The indications of the system's pres-
ence are the letters "AIR BAG"
embossed on the air bag pad cover
in the steering wheel and the pas-
senger's side front panel pad above
the glove box.
The SRS consists of air bags
installed under the pad covers in the
center of the steering wheel and the
passenger's side front panel above
the glove box.
The purpose of the SRS is to provide
the vehicle's driver and/or the front
passenger with additional protection
than that offered by the seat belt sys-
tem alone in case of a frontal impact
of sufficient severity. The SRS uses
sensors to gather information about
the driver's seat position, the driver's
and front passenger's seat belt
usage and impact severity.The advanced SRS offers the ability
to control the air bag inflation with
two levels. A first stage level is pro-
vided for moderate-severity impacts.
A second stage level is provided for
more severe impacts.
The passenger’s front air bag is
designed to help reduce the injury of
children sitting close to the instru-
ment panel in low speed collisions.
However, children are safer if they
are restraint in the rear seat.
According to the impact severity,
seating position and seat belt usage,
the SRSCM (SRS Control Module)
controls the air bag inflation. Failure
to properly wear seat belts can
increase the risk or severity of injury
in an accident.Additionally, your vehicle is equipped
with an occupant detection system in
the front passenger's seat. The occu-
pant detection system detects the
presence of a passenger in the front
passenger's seat and will turn off the
front passenger's air bag under cer-
tain conditions. For more detail, see
"Occupant detection system" in this
section.
Do not place any objects that may
cause magnetic fields near the front
seat. These may cause a malfunction
of the seat track position sensor.