Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling ~411000 2017-2019 model Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles for defective airbags. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover can contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash. Some owners will have no warning that there is a problem. Non-deployment of airbags where deployment is necessary increases the risk of injury or death, of course.
In the required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Kia claimed that “variances in the manufacturing of the ACU” can cause contact between the ACU cover and the Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) chip on the ACU’s Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and cause damage to the EEPROM’s soldering joints resulting in an open circuit.
When this safety defect occurs with the Korean-manufactured part (Hyundai Mobis), the Airbag Warning Light can illuminate with diagnostic trouble code B1620 and the vehicle’s airbags will not deploy in crashes where deployment is necessary.
All owners of the potentially defective Kia models will be notified by first class mail with instructions to bring their vehicles to a Kia dealer. If the Airbag Warning Light (ABWL) is illuminated and the ABWL is due to existence of diagnostic trouble code B1620, the dealer will replace the Airbag Control Unit with an improved one. If the ABWL is not illuminated, a software update will be installed to the Airbag Control Unit to ensure deployment of the airbag(s) in the event of a crash that warrants such protection even if the recall condition related to DTC B1620 occurs in the future. This is a software workaround that leaves the bad component in place.
Kia will reimburse owners for repair expenses already incurred pursuant to Kia’s General Reimbursement Plan filed May 11, 2020 The remedy component contains a different PCB with a different EEPROM location thereby preventing contact between the ACU cover and EEPROM.ACU cover and the EEPROM.
Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit. Repairs will be performed free of charge as required by US law. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 21 March 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC226. 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.nhtsa.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Bad Airbags – Kia Recalls 411,000 Model Year 2017-19 Vehicles
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling ~411000 2017-2019 model Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles for defective airbags. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover can contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash. Some owners will have no warning that there is a problem. Non-deployment of airbags where deployment is necessary increases the risk of injury or death, of course.
In the required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Kia claimed that “variances in the manufacturing of the ACU” can cause contact between the ACU cover and the Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) chip on the ACU’s Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and cause damage to the EEPROM’s soldering joints resulting in an open circuit.
When this safety defect occurs with the Korean-manufactured part (Hyundai Mobis), the Airbag Warning Light can illuminate with diagnostic trouble code B1620 and the vehicle’s airbags will not deploy in crashes where deployment is necessary.
All owners of the potentially defective Kia models will be notified by first class mail with instructions to bring their vehicles to a Kia dealer. If the Airbag Warning Light (ABWL) is illuminated and the ABWL is due to existence of diagnostic trouble code B1620, the dealer will replace the Airbag Control Unit with an improved one. If the ABWL is not illuminated, a software update will be installed to the Airbag Control Unit to ensure deployment of the airbag(s) in the event of a crash that warrants such protection even if the recall condition related to DTC B1620 occurs in the future. This is a software workaround that leaves the bad component in place.
Kia will reimburse owners for repair expenses already incurred pursuant to Kia’s General Reimbursement Plan filed May 11, 2020 The remedy component contains a different PCB with a different EEPROM location thereby preventing contact between the ACU cover and EEPROM.ACU cover and the EEPROM.
Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit. Repairs will be performed free of charge as required by US law. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 21 March 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC226. 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.nhtsa.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.