Hyundai recalls 29,058 Kona Electric crossovers because airbags may not deploy
First generation Kona Electric models from 2019 to 2023 need a free airbag control unit software update at a Hyundai dealer.
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Hyundai is recalling 29,058 first generation Kona Electric crossovers in the United States because their airbags and seatbelt pretensioners may not work in a crash, InsideEVs reported on Monday, citing the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Which cars are affected
The recall covers Kona Electric models built in South Korea between August 28, 2018, and July 26, 2023, which are model years 2019 to 2023. That is the previous generation of the car, which went out of production in 2023. The same fault also affects nearly 9,000 Veloster N gas powered hatchbacks sold in the US between 2019 and 2022.
What goes wrong
The problem sits in the airbag control unit. According to the recall report, data being written to the unit's memory can become corrupted if the system reboots or loses power at the wrong moment. When that happens the airbag warning light comes on and the airbag system deactivates, so the airbags would not deploy in a collision.
Hyundai's North American office opened an investigation in 2024 after warranty claims for the airbag warning light increased. Working with ZF, which supplied the control units, the company could not reproduce the fault on other vehicles but did induce it during bench testing and developed a fix.
Hyundai says it is aware of 331 incidents linked to the issue across both models. It is not aware of any crashes, fires or injuries in the US connected to the data corruption problem.
The fix
The remedy is software, not hardware. Owners will need to book a visit to a Hyundai dealer, where technicians will update the airbag control unit software for free. Hyundai says the new software rolls back to the last valid data if a write is interrupted.
What owners should do
Owners of a 2019 to 2023 Kona Electric can check whether their car is included by entering the vehicle identification number on the NHTSA recalls page and should book the update once Hyundai's owner notices go out. An illuminated airbag warning light is a reason to contact a dealer straight away rather than wait for the letter.
All of the recalled cars are from the previous generation; the current Kona Electric is not included.