• Kia is recalling 76,918 units of its 2023 Sportage.
• Side airbags may have been improperly installed and might not deploy correctly in a crash.
• This is the second recall already for the new-generation Kia Sportage, launched last spring.
Kia is recalling 76,918 units of its 2023 Sportage SUV due to a potential problem with the side airbags.
The problem is that those airbags may have gotten twisted during installation at Kia's plant in Georgia. Kia claims human error as the cause. As a result, the airbags might not deploy properly in the event of a collision, which of course can increase the risk of injury.
The recall notice issued by the company explains that engineers from Kia's research and development centre were present during compliance testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Office of Vehicle Safety on a 2023 Sportage on November 17. During the exercise, the driver's side curtain did not deploy properly.
The affected models were assembled between January 12, 2022 and November 17, 2022.
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Owners will be notified by mail and asked to bring their vehicle to a service centre to have the airbags inspected. If necessary, these will be reinstalled. This will of course be done free of charge. If consumers have already paid for this repair, they will be refunded.
This is the second recall for the new-generation Sportage, launched last spring.