- Vehicles
- 507,587
- Built between
- Feb 2009 – Aug 2012
- Models
- 5
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 28 September 2018
- Repaired
- 40%
- Unrepaired
- 194,706
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between February 2009 and August 2012. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2010-2013 Kia ForteBuilt February 2009 to August 2012
- 2010-2013 Kia Forte KoupBuilt February 2011 to August 2012
- 2011-2013 Kia OptimaBuilt June 2009 to August 2012
- 2011-2012 Kia Optima HybridBuilt February 2009 to August 2012
- 2011-2012 Kia SedonaBuilt August 2010 to August 2012
Repair progress
194,706 of 507,587 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q1 2020.
40% repaired — 201,060 of 507,587 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 55,734
- Scrapped or exported
- 56,087
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
What could happen
If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
What gets fixed
Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtFebruary 2009 to August 2012
- Recall reported to NHTSA1 June 2018
- Owners notified28 September 2018
- Latest repair reportQ1 2020 — 40% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 1 June 2018.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- SC165
- Recalling manufacturer
- Kia Motors America
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.