Kia EV9 air bag may not detect a child
high How serious is it? About this label
If the air bag deploys in a crash while a child is in the front seat, the child may be at greater risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
Key facts
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V545000 |
|---|---|
| Reported to NHTSA | Aug 21, 2026 |
| Manufacturer | Kia America, Inc. |
| Part affected | AIR Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger |
| Vehicles covered | 2 model/year combinations, model years 2025–2026 |
| Do-not-drive advisory | No |
| Park-outside advisory | No |
| Repair | Free at any franchised dealer |
What's wrong, in plain English
Kia America is recalling certain 2025-2026 EV9 vehicles. Because of improper routing, the system meant to detect a child or child seat in the front passenger seat and turn off the air bag may not work as intended, so the air bag may not deactivate when it should.
What you should do
2. Contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 (recall number SC379).
3. Dealers will inspect and repair the system free of charge.
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 26V545000. More in how recalls work.
Affected vehicles (2)
Who to contact
Kia — official Kia recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-333-4542
The bigger picture
- Kia Air Bag Recalls Cover Deployment and Child Detection Problems · all 8 Kia recalls in this area
Other Kia EV9 recalls
- Jul 2, 2026Kia EV6, EV9 Battery Fire Riskcritical
- Jan 27, 2026Kia Instrument Panel Display May Failhigh
- Feb 24, 2025Kia EV9 Rear Drive Motor Weld Failure Riskhigh
- Dec 20, 2024Kia EV9 Missing Rear Seat Mounting Boltsmedium
- Oct 10, 2024Kia EV9 Instrument Screen Can Go Blankmedium
- Sep 17, 2024Kia EV9 Remote Parking Assist Software Errormedium
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.