Kia recalls 410,619 vehicles over defective air bag

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

Kia Motors America is recalling 410,619 model year 2017-2019 Sedonas, Souls & Soul EVs, model year 2017-2018 Fortes, and model year 2017 Forte Koups.

The automobile manufacturer said that the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit.

Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash, Kia Motors stated.

According to the company, air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

In connection with what to do to correct the fault, Kia disclosed that dealers would  inspect the ACU and either update the software or replace the unit as necessary, and repairs will be performed free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 21, 2022.

Affected owners may contact Kia Customer Service on (800) 333-4542, and Kia’s number for this recall is SC226.