The Kia K5 mid-size sedan is being recalled for aspect airbags that may fail to deploy in a crash, the NHTSA disclosed final week. 

The recall encompasses almost 189,000 sedans from the 2021-2023 mannequin years. Previous to the redesigned 2021 mannequin, the Kia mid-size sedan was referred to as the Kia Optima. 

The aspect airbags could not deploy when they need to as a result of they could have been put in improperly in Kia’s huge manufacturing facility in West Level, Georgia. It is the one Kia plant within the U.S., and it additionally produces the Kia Telluride three-row SUV and Kia Sorento mid-size SUV. The airbag challenge solely impacts the K5. 

The aspect curtain airbags are mounted within the roof above the aspect doorways and are supposed to stop head accidents and block glass from shattering within the cabin within the occasion of a crash from the aspect. Kia is conscious of no accidents or crashes associated to the faulty airbags. 

This recall is unrelated to the sweeping Takata airbag recall that was the biggest automotive recall on report, affecting about 67 million airbags in about 40 million autos made by most main automakers. The airbag inflators might explode and shoot steel fragments into the cabin. The NHTSA attributes 24 deaths and greater than 400 accidents within the U.S. to defective airbags from Takata, which has since gone bankrupt. Many car house owners nonetheless haven’t had their vehicles repaired. 

House owners of the 2021-2023 Kia K5 can count on notification by mail as early as April 7. Sellers will examine and reinstall the aspect airbags accurately, if essential, at no cost to house owners. Kia will reimburse house owners who’ve incurred any restore bills associated to the difficulty.

For more information, contact Kia customer support at 1-800-333-4542 or go to Kia’s recall website right here.