South Korea’s leading automaker Kia is known worldwide for its excellent vehicles. But now the company has recalled more than 4,10,000 vehicles in the United States of America (USA). Some technical snag has been noticed in the airbags fitted to these vehicles, which can cause problems in opening the airbags during emergency (accident). The recall includes some Forte small cars from 2017 and 2018 years, as well as Sedona minivans and Soul small SUVs from 2017 to 2019, according to the report.
The company reported that the airbag control cover could come into contact with the memory chip and potentially damage the electrical circuit that could prevent the airbag from inflating. Dealers have been asked to inspect the computer and update the software or replace it. Vehicle owners affected by this recall will be notified via mail from March 21.
Documents released by Kia said it posted to US safety regulators that the issue had surfaced in vehicles sold in the Korean market in July last year. To this it added that it has also received complaints from 13 customers and about 947 warranty claims, although no accidents or injuries have been reported due to this problem.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had reported incidents of fire and engine failure in Kia vehicles produced between 2011 and 2016. Not only this, the company was ordered to pay a fine of $ 27 million and was also directed to improve the security measures. However, when the company denied the allegations leveled against it, the automaker opted to avoid a protracted legal battle.
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NHTSA also commissioned an engineering analysis for the company to monitor recalls related to the engine fire issue. The body said it will examine the efficacy of the recall made by Kia for faulty models. The NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the US federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It is important to know here that this recall has nothing to do with the models sold in the Indian market.