Driver and Passenger Front Airbags

Your vehicle is equipped with a supplemental restraint system (airbag) and lap/shoulder seat belts for both the driver and the front passenger.

The presence of the system is indicated by the letters "AIR BAG" embossed on the airbag cover in the steering wheel and on the front passenger's side of the instrument panel above the glove box.

The SRS consists of airbags installed behind covers in the center of the steering wheel and in the front passenger's side of the instrument panel above the glove box.

The purpose of the SRS is to provide the driver and/or front passenger with additional protection beyond that provided by the seat belt system alone in the event of a frontal impact of sufficient severity.

WARNING

Always use seat belts and child restraints on every trip, every time, without exception! Airbags deploy with considerable force and in an instant. Seat belts help keep occupants in the correct position to get the maximum benefit from the airbag.

Even with airbags, improperly restrained occupants can be seriously injured when an airbag inflates. Always observe the seat belt and airbag safety precautions and occupant safety information contained in this manual.

To reduce the likelihood of serious or fatal injury and to obtain maximum safety benefit from your restraint system:

• Never place a child in a child seat or booster seat in the front seat.
• ABC – Always restrain children in the rear seat. This is the safest place for children of any age.
• Frontal and side airbags can injure occupants if they are out of position in the front seats.
• Move the seat as far back from the front airbags as possible while still maintaining control of the vehicle.
• You and your passengers should never sit or lean unnecessarily against the airbags. Drivers and passengers who are out of position may be seriously injured by airbag deployment.
• Never lean against the door or center console; always sit upright.
• Do not place any objects over or near the airbag modules in the steering wheel, instrument panel, or front passenger's instrument panel above the glove box. Any such object may cause injury if the vehicle is involved in an accident severe enough to deploy the airbags.
• Do not tamper with or disconnect SRS wiring or other SRS components. This may result in injury from accidental airbag deployment or render the SRS inoperative.
• If the SRS airbag warning lamp remains illuminated while driving, we recommend that the system be inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.
• Airbags can only be used once; we recommend having the system replaced at an authorized Kia dealer.
• The SRS is designed to deploy the front airbags only in impacts strong enough and when the angle of impact is less than 30° from the vehicle's longitudinal forward axis. In addition, airbags deploy only once. Seat belts must be worn at all times.
• Front airbags are not designed to deploy in side impacts, rear impacts, or rollovers. In addition, front airbags do not deploy in frontal crashes below the deployment threshold.
• Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat. An infant or child may be seriously injured or killed by airbag deployment in an accident.
• Children 12 years old and younger should always be properly restrained in the rear seat. Never allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. If a child older than 12 must sit in the front seat, he or she must be properly belted and the seat must be moved as far back as possible.
• For maximum protection in all types of collisions, all occupants, including the driver, must always wear seat belts regardless of whether an airbag is also provided at their seating position, to minimize the risk of serious injury or death in an accident. Do not sit or lean too close to the airbag while the vehicle is moving.
• Improper or incorrect seating position may result in serious or fatal injury in an accident. All occupants should sit upright with the seatback in the vertical position, centered on the seat cushion with the seat belt fastened, feet comfortably extended and resting on the floor, until the vehicle is parked and the ignition key is removed.
• The SRS airbag system must deploy very quickly to provide protection in an accident. If an occupant is not in the proper position because the seat belt is not fastened, the airbag may strike the occupant with force, resulting in serious or fatal injury.