The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·11V473000·Announced 2011-09-07

Kia Recalls 2007-2008 Sorento for Front Passenger Air Bag Defect

Kia is recalling 2007-2008 Sorento vehicles because the front passenger air bag may be improperly turned off for adult passengers, increasing injury risk in collisions.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a safety-critical component (air bag) that may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury in collisions, which aligns with the rubric for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

Kia Motors Corporation is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Sorento passenger cars manufactured between June 15, 2006, and November 27, 2007. The recall addresses a defect in the vehicle's Occupant Classification System (OCS), which may misclassify an adult passenger as a child or child seat. This misclassification can cause the front passenger air bag to be improperly deactivated, indicated by the illumination of the "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" light on the center instrument panel.

When the front passenger air bag is turned off, the front passenger lacks the protection of the air bag in some frontal collisions, thereby increasing the risk of occupant injury. The OCS is designed to turn off the air bag only in limited circumstances, such as when children, small adults, or child restraints are present, or when the seat is unoccupied.

Owners should contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542 to schedule a repair. Kia will update the programming in the Sorento OCS control module at no charge. The recall remedy is currently available under Service Campaign SC076. Customers may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit safercar.gov for additional information.

The recalled product

Product
KIA SORENTO
Brand
KIA
Manufacturer
KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
Category
Vehicle — SUV
Hazard
Affected units
10,631

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • SORENTO

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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