Kia Soul and Seltos Recalls for Sudden Airbag Inflation

Kia America (Kia) is recalling 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. because the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly. The Hyundai Mobis Side curtain airbag modules made in the Republic of Koreo have a welding error in the stored gas section of the hybrid inflator.

The side curtain airbag may inflate inadvertently without a deployment command from the ACU increasing the risk of injury to an occupant and may also create a driver distraction increasing the risk of a crash, Kia said in the required safety defect recall filing made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The initial explosion came in a parked vehicle. There are no known crashes, injuries or fatalities.

Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge as required by US safety regulations. Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 31 January 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC289. 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 NHTSA recall 23V830.