Kia Forte: 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 passenger seating position.

The indications of the system's presence are the letters "AIR BAG" embossed on the air bag pad cover in the steering wheel and the passenger'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 system 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 provided 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 instrument 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 occupant 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 certain 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.

Manufacturers are required by government regulations to provide a contact point concerning modifications to the vehicle for persons with disabilities, which modifications may affect the vehicle’s advanced air bag system. That contact is Kia’s toll-free Customer Assistance center at 1- 800-333-4KIA. However, Kia does not endorse nor will it support any changes to any part or structure of the vehicle that could affect the advanced air bag system, including the occupant detection system.

WARNING - Replacement/ modifications

The front passenger seat, dashboard or door should not be replaced except by an authorized Kia dealer using original Kia parts designed for this vehicle and model. Any other such replacement or modification could adversely affect the operation of the occupant detection system and your advanced air bags.

Advanced air bags are combined with pre-tensioner seat belts to help provide enhanced occupant protection in frontal crashes. Front air bags are not intended to deploy in collisions in which sufficient protection can be provided by the pre-tensioner seat belt alone.

WARNING - SRS Wiring

Do not tamper with or disconnect SRS wiring or other components of the SRS system. Doing so could result in injury, due to accidental deployment of the air bags or by rendering the SRS inoperative.

Front air bags are not intended to deploy in side-impact, rear-impact or rollover crashes. In addition, front air bags will not deploy in frontal crashes below the deployment threshold.