Total Complaints
11 filings
KIA KIA · model year
1997 KIA KIA
11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997KIAKIA carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 KIA is air bags:frontal with 2 filings, followed by unknown or other (2) and seat belts:front:buckle assembly (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 18 investigation files overlapping the 1997 KIA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
11
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100323AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
I PURCHASED A 2007 KIA OPTIMA USED IN OCTOBER 2007. THE CAR HAD ROUGHLY 18,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I PURCHASED IT. SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN LATE 2009, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS REMAINED ON EVER SINCE. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON, EVEN WHEN A NORMAL-SIZED ADULT SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.
Mileage: 65,000
20020514SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
ON IMPACT DURING AN ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELT BROKE IN ABOUT 4 PERFECT PIECES, AS A RESULT OF THE BUCKLE BREAKING THE DRIVER SUSTAINED 2 BREAKS IN CERVICAL SPINE.
20011024SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
ON IMPACT DURING AN ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELT BROKE IN ABOUT 4 PERFECT PIECES, AS A RESULT OF THE BUCKLE BREAKING THE DRIVER SUSTAINED 2 BREAKS IN CERVICAL SPINE.
20000926ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
COST ME $450 TO STOP KIA FROM IDLEING HIGH AND SPUTTERING. TOOK MANY TRIPS TO DEALER BEFORE THEY COULD LOCATE PROBELM. WE ARE VERY UPSET AT THE SERVICE THAT IS PROVIDED AT ALL KIA DEALERS. THE "DONT CARE" ATTITUDE IS VERY APPARENT. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THE SAFTEY PROBLEMS WITH THE KIA.
19981014SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SAFETY BELTS CONTINUALLY TWIST AND FAIL.
19981014LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR FAILED.
19981014UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ENGINE LIGHT FAILED.
19981014AIR BAGS
AIRBAG INDICATOR FAILED.
19981014POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19981005UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DASHBOARD IS TUNING BROWN ABOVE A/C VENT IS LOCATED.
19971006CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAG: DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF THE FIRST VEHICLE AND THE FRONT OF HER CAR HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE IN THE SIDE. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
Compare 1997KIAKIA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 KIA KIA have?▼
The 1997 KIA KIA has 11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 KIA KIA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 KIA KIA is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1997 KIA KIA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.