The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·21V164000·Announced 2021-03-11

2021 Kia K5 Air Bag Detection System Recall for Child Restraint Safety

Kia is recalling certain 2021 K5 vehicles because the occupant detection system may fail to recognize child restraints, risking air bag deployment during a crash.

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: This is a risk-of-harm defect in a critical child safety system where air bag deployment could cause injury, but no injuries or deaths have been reported. The hazard is real but theoretical in terms of actual harm to date.

Plain-English summary

Kia Motors America is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles equipped with an Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit that may not properly detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. This failure causes the vehicles to not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, which sets requirements for occupant crash protection.

In the event of a crash, if the detection system fails to recognize a child restraint, the front passenger air bag may deploy, increasing the risk of injury to the child in that seat.

Kia will notify owners, and authorized Kia dealers will replace the faulty OCS/ODS unit at no charge. The recall began on March 18, 2021. Owners can contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 and reference recall number SC207. Alternatively, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
KIA K5, FORTE, TELLURIDE
Brand
KIA
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag / Crash Safety
Hazard
Affected units
142

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 (3)

  • K5
  • FORTE
  • TELLURIDE

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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