Kia America, Inc. has issued a safety recall affecting approximately 21,290 vehicles. The recall was filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on August 21, 2026 under campaign number 26V545000.
The Defect
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."
The Risk
A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.
The 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.
Affected Vehicles
- 2025–2026 Kia EV9
Source: NHTSA Campaign 26V545000
A recall repair is free — but if your Kia has been in the shop repeatedly, or the fix has not held, you may have a lemon law claim worth far more than the repair. See our Kia problems and recalls hub or get a free case review.