Kia Recalls 80K EVs Over Dangerous Wiring Flaw Impacting Airbags And Seatbelts
Kia is recalling over 80,000 electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles over a quirky wiring assembly design defect that, left unaddressed, could affect the deployment of airbags and prevent the seatbelt pretensioner from working properly. There are multiple ways this could manifest, from airbags failing to deploy altogether, to a passenger side airbag inadvertently going off. The recall follows an entirely separate and unrelated airbag issue that prompted a recall of more than 475,000 Ford and Mazda vehicles last August.
The bulk of the recall affects Kia's Niro Hybrid vehicles from model years 2023 to 2025, with 49,535 automobiles cited in the notice. However, the full scope of the recall affects 80,255 vehicles in all. They include...
- 2023-2025 Kia Niro EV: 21,909 units
- 2023-2025 Kia Niro Hybrid: 49,535 units
- 2023-2025 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid: 8,811 units
All of the affected models have a floor wiring assembly design that could become damaged over time as passengers manually slide their seat forward and back. According to the recall, variations in how the wires are routed underneath the seat can result in one or more of the wires being damaged in this way, which in turn can affect the airbags and seatbelt safety systems.
2025 Kia Niro Hybrid (Source: Kia)
Obviously none of those possible consequences are ideal scenarios. If you're driving an affected Kia model, you'll want to have it repaired sooner than later.
To that end, the recall notice (PDF) states that owners of affected vehicles are being informed via first class mail, with instructions to bring their vehicle in to a Kia dealer. The dealership will then inspect the wiring assembly and, if necessary, replace it. They might also simply reroute the floor wiring assembly and/or install additional protective coverings to safeguard against damage from seat movements.
