The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Saturday (January 25th) that Kia America is recalling over 80,000 vehicles in the United States due to potential wiring issues that could cause the airbags and seat belts to malfunction, increasing the risk of injuries in collision accidents.
The recall affects 80,255 vehicles, including the 2023-2025 models of the Niro electric, Niro plug-in hybrid, and Niro hybrid vehicles.
According to information on the NHTSA website, the floor wiring components underneath the front passenger seat of these vehicles may be damaged, potentially leading to the front airbags and seat belts not deploying properly or causing unintended airbag deployment, thus heightening the risk of injuries in accidents.
To address this issue, Kia dealerships will conduct free inspections, replacements, and repositioning of the floor wiring components as needed. Additionally, dealers will install wire harness covers to prevent wiring damage.
Vehicle owners can expect notification letters to be sent out by March 14th. Owners can also inquire by calling the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or by visiting nhtsa.gov. The recall number for this campaign is SC332.
Vehicle recalls are not uncommon, as major automakers often issue recalls upon discovering potential risks. Just a few days ago, Ford announced the recall of 272,817 vehicles in the U.S. due to concerns over battery issues.
In a separate incident, electric vehicle giant Tesla revealed on January 10th that approximately 239,000 vehicles in the U.S. would be recalled because the rearview camera may not function properly. The company attributed this issue to a combination of specific software and hardware configurations, as well as lower temperatures.
Back in November 2024, Hyundai and Kia recalled over 208,000 electric vehicles to repair a transistor in the charging control unit. The transistor could malfunction and cease charging the 12-volt battery, potentially leading to loss of propulsion and increased crash risks.