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Kia Air Bags May Fail to Deploy in Crash

NHTSA campaign 22V031000 · Reported Jan 25, 2022 · Kia Motors America

high How serious is it? About this label

Air bags that do not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	22V031000
Reported to NHTSA	Jan 25, 2022
Manufacturer	Kia Motors America
Part affected	AIR Bags
Vehicles covered	7 model/year combinations, model years 2018–2019
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

The cover on the air bag control unit may press against a memory chip on the circuit board inside and damage the electrical circuit. This affects certain Kia Forte, Forte Koup, Sedona, Soul, and Soul EV vehicles. If the circuit is damaged, the air bags could be deactivated and not deploy in a crash. Dealers will inspect the control unit and update its software or replace it as needed, free of charge.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if it's included.
2. Contact a Kia dealer, or call Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
3. The inspection and any repair are free.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 22V031000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (7)

2018 Kia Forte
2018 Kia Sedona
2018 Kia Soul
2018 Kia Soul EV
2019 Kia Sedona
2019 Kia Soul
2019 Kia Soul EV

Who to contact

Kia — official Kia recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-333-4542

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Kia Air Bag Recalls Cover Deployment and Child Detection Problems · all 8 Kia recalls in this area

Other Kia Forte recalls

Apr 1, 2024Kia Forte Front Control Arm Weld Failurecritical
Sep 22, 2023Kia Forte Front Control Arm Weld May Failcritical
Dec 8, 2022Kia Forte Front Steering Knuckle May Crackhigh
May 5, 2022Kia Forte and Rio Steering Column Bolt Loosehigh
Aug 9, 2021Kia Forte and Rio trunk may not open from insidemedium
Apr 13, 2021Kia Forte Oil Pump Failure May Damage Enginehigh

All 10 Forte recalls

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. 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.
Safety risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.