The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·18V363000·Announced 2018-06-01

Kia Recalls 507,587 Vehicles Due to Air Bag Control Unit Short Circuit Risk

Kia is recalling 507,587 vehicles because the air bag control unit may short circuit, preventing frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying in a crash.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall addresses a structural vehicle defect where safety systems (air bags and pretensioners) may fail to deploy, resulting in significant injury risk during a crash.

Plain-English summary

Kia Motors America is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, 2010-2013 Kia Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima, 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Kia Sedona vehicles. The recall involves a total of 507,587 vehicles.

The defect involves the air bag control unit (ACU), which may short circuit in the event of a crash. If this occurs, the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners may fail to deploy. This failure increases the risk of injury to vehicle occupants in crashes that require these safety systems to activate.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an extension wire harness kit to correct the issue. For 2011 Sedona vehicles, dealers will first verify the ACU part number before installing the kit if necessary. The recall began on September 28, 2018. Owners can contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
KIA FORTE, SEDONA, OPTIMA, OPTIMA HYBRID
Brand
KIA
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag / Restraint System
Hazard
Affected units
507,587

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 (5)

  • FORTE
  • SEDONA
  • OPTIMA
  • OPTIMA HYBRID
  • FORTE KOUP

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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