NHTSA Campaign 26V545000
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Issued by Kia America, Inc. · Reported Aug 21, 2026 · 21,290 vehicles affected
What's wrong
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."
Consequence
A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.
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.
Vehicles affected by this recall
| Make | Model | Year | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIA | EV9 | 2025 | 21,290 |
| KIA | EV9 | 2026 | 21,290 |
Source: NHTSA Campaign 26V545000 on nhtsa.gov. To check the current repair status for a specific vehicle, use our free VIN decoder.