# Kia America, Inc.: Occupant Detection System May Fail to Suppress Air Bag/FMVSS 208 (26V545000)

**Recall Urgency Score:** 45/100

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Kia America, Inc. |
| Subject | Occupant Detection System May Fail to Suppress Air Bag/FMVSS 208 |
| NHTSA ID | 26V545000 |
| Manufacturer campaign | SC379 |
| Recall type | Vehicle |
| Component | AIR BAGS |
| Units potentially affected | 21290 |
| Do not drive | No |
| Park outside | No |
| Defect | 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. |

## Why this score
- Safety-critical component (air bags).
- 21,290 units affected.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls, via data.transportation.gov (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=26V545000). Last refreshed: 2026-11-03T18:08:10.172Z.
Recall data comes from NHTSA and is summarized automatically; check the official notice and VIN lookup before acting. Informational only.