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Kia EV9 front passenger airbag may not switch off

NHTSA campaign 26V545000 · Reported 2026-08-21 · Kia America, Inc. · high severity what's this?

Affected vehicles

2025 Kia EV9

What's wrong, in plain English

Some Kia EV9 vehicles have a wire or tube routed incorrectly under the front passenger seat. That part of the system is what senses who is sitting there and turns the front passenger airbag off when a child or a child seat is in the seat. Because of the bad routing, it may fail to shut the airbag off. Front airbags open with a lot of force and can hurt a child. This doesn't meet the federal rules for crash protection. Dealers will inspect and replace the sensing mat and tube.

How serious is it?

This is serious for families — a child in the front seat could be badly hurt if the airbag goes off in a crash, so keep children in the back seat until it's fixed; the notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — Kia says VINs for this recall become searchable on September 4, 2026. 2. Call Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542 (recall number SC379) or your dealer once notification letters go out beginning October 20, 2026. 3. Have the dealer inspect and replace the sensor mat and tube — free of charge.

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

Which Kia airbag recalls affect your car, and how serious? · all 8 Kia recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Summary: Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2025-2026 EV9 vehicles. Due to improper routing, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may not deactivate the air bag when a child or child seat is in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Safety risk: A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the ODS mat and bladder tube with a new one and ensure proper routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters will be mailed beginning October 20, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC379. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 4, 2026.

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