DEADLY KIA AIRBAG DEFECT PROMPTS A RECALL OF OVER 500,000 VEHICLES
According to NBC News, Kia Motor Corp is recalling more than 507,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to airbag deployment failures caused by a short circuit in the airbag control unit. The company says the unit may be susceptible to electrical over-stress which causes an electrical glitch and, in turn, prevents the frontal airbags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
This recall was made after NHTSA stated it was investigating airbag failure in KIA and other Hyundai Motor Corp vehicle accidents in which four people were killed and six others were injured. The defective vehicles included 2011 Hyundai Sonatas and 2012 and 2013 Kia Fortes.
June 08, 2018 Recalled Vehicles:
- 2010-2013 Kia Forte
- 2011-2013 Kia Optima
- 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid
- 2011-2012 Kia Sedona
Earlier this year, Hyundai issued a recall for 154,753 U.S. Sonatas, and an additional 425,000 U.S. vehicles in the following months, which experienced the same airbag non-deployment issues linked to over-stress in the airbag control unit. Between Kia and Hyundai, there have been close to 1.1 million U.S. vehicles recalled.
As defective automobile lawyers, we see many accidents involving airbags that do not work as they were intended. If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious accident where your airbags did not deploy, contact the airbag defect attorneys at The Potts Law Firm to determine if you have a case against your vehicle manufacturer.