Hyundai Recalls 37,901 Kona Electric and Veloster N Cars Over Airbags

Hyundai is recalling 37,901 vehicles in the United States because a software error in the airbag control unit can leave the airbag system deactivated, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall covers the 2019-2022 Hyundai Veloster N and the 2019-2023 Hyundai Kona Electric.

If the airbag system is switched off, the airbags may fail to inflate in a crash. The recall safety report says this raises the risk of injury to people inside the car.

Which Hyundai models are affected

NHTSA lists two models in the campaign:

• Hyundai Veloster N, model years 2019 through 2022
• Hyundai Kona Electric, model years 2019 through 2023

The agency puts the number of potentially affected vehicles at 37,901. Hyundai’s recall number for the campaign is 311, according to the safety report as cited by USA TODAY.

What goes wrong with the airbag control unit

The airbag control unit, or ACU, is the small computer that watches the car’s crash sensors and decides when to fire the airbags. In the affected cars, an error in its software can deactivate the whole airbag system.

There is one warning sign. The safety report says owners may see the airbag malfunction indicator light, called the “airbag MIL” in the report, come on in the instrument cluster. That light is the dashboard symbol a car uses to show a fault in its airbag system.

How Hyundai will fix the cars

Dealers will update the software in the airbag control unit at no charge, according to the recall report. Recall repairs like this one are free at a franchised Hyundai dealer.

Owners can check whether their car is included by entering its vehicle identification number (VIN) at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What it means for Kona Electric and Veloster N owners

The Veloster N and the Kona Electric share the same faulty airbag software in this recall, so owners of both face the same risk in a crash and get the same fix. The remedy described in the report is a software update done at the dealership.

The airbag warning light matters more than usual for these owners, because it is the one symptom the report names. A car showing that light may be driving with its airbags switched off.

When owner letters go out

Hyundai plans to mail notification letters to owners on Jan. 1, 2027, according to the recall information reported by USA TODAY. Owners with questions can reach Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. A VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls shows whether a specific car has an open recall.

Source: YAHOO!