Kia Recalls Over 500K Vehicles in US for Airbag Issue
Owners of older Kia vehicles may want to look out for a recall notice in the mailbox.
The Korean automaker is recalling over 507,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to an electronic glitch that may prevent airbags from deploying in a crash. The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed in March it was investigating why some airbags had failed to deploy in certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles. At the time, NHTSA was aware of crashes where four people were killed and another six were injured.
In today, both Hyundai and Kia have combined to recall nearly 1.1-million vehicles in the U.S. to address the issue.
SEE ALSO: Hyundai, Kia Being Investigated for Air Bag Failures
The latest recall from Kia affects the 2010-2013 Forte, 2011-2013 Optima, and 2011-2012 Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. The automaker says the airbag control unit may short circuit because they may be susceptible to electrical overstress, preventing the front airbags and seatbelt pretensioners from deploying. Currently Kia does not yet have a fix, but is working with its supplier on the issue.
Hyundai issued its first recall in February, affecting 154,000 Sonatas in the U.S. In April, Hyundai added to the total by recalling an additional 425,000 vehicles in the U.S. for the same issue. The company said in March it was aware of two deaths in its vehicles, which occurred in head-on collisions at extremely high rates of speed.
NHTSA has said the airbag control module that is under investigation is manufactured by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a German auto supplier. The company is working with NHTSA on the issue.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Will this recall eventually involve the Hyundai Accent 2013 model? My girlfriend has one and I would like to know.
How crazy is it that ZF was the company to come to the rescue when Takata airbags were failing left and right ...... now this .... sheesh