Car recalls are at the same time incredibly common and incredibly rare. While most automakers have excellent quality control and redundancies to ensure that the vehicles that come out of their factories are safe and have no defects, sometimes the piece guilty for the malfunctioning is not detected until after some time has passed. This is the case of the new Kia recall.
According to the company, Kia has issued a recall for approximately 80,255 Niro vehicles in the United States and 10,622 in Canada due to a potential wiring defect that could impact the functionality of airbags and seatbelts. The recall applies to all 2023–2025 Kia Niro models, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and all-electric versions, equipped with manually adjustable front passenger seats.
Luckily this recall comes before any crashes or injuries have been linked to the problem, which is good news for the automaker given the gravity of the problem. After two warranty claims related to the defect were submitted, the company started an investigation that brought the issue to light sometime in November 2024. Following the investigation, Kia issued a recall notice to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on January 17, 2025
The issue with the airbag wiring in these Kia models
The results of the investigation were clear, the issue with the airbags is caused because of improper routing of the floor wiring assembly underneath the front passenger seat. Since this is not a stationary car component, over time, repeated sliding movements of the seat can cause damage to the wiring. The problem took so long to be detected because, even though the passenger seat is sometimes moved, it is not a regular occurrence, which also helped prevent any accidents.
Having said that, this damage could lead to several safety risks, including the failure of the passenger-side front airbag and seatbelt pretensioner to deploy in the event of a crash. Additionally, the defect may trigger unintended side-curtain airbag deployment or prevent the deactivation of the passenger airbag when a child is in the seat. Another piece of good news for uses, one of the many redundancies in car means that if and when a malfunction occurs, an illuminated airbag warning light may appear on the dashboard, alerting the driver that something may be wrong.
To solve the situation, Kia dealers will inspect the wiring assembly on all the affected vehicles and replace any damaged wiring. They will also reposition the wires and install additional protective covering to prevent future damage. This service will be provided free of charge to owners, and Kia has committed to reimbursing customers who previously paid for repairs related to the issue.
Despite the recall notice being issued in January, owner notification letters will be mailed beginning March 14, 2025. Dealerships have already been informed and affected vehicle owners are encouraged to schedule an inspection at their nearest location. Even if you do not think this is a problem that affects you, if you have one of the affected models, Kia urges all owners to have their vehicles inspected and repaired promptly to ensure their safety and prevent potential malfunctions. For those concerned about their vehicle’s status, Kia’s customer service representatives are available to provide additional details and assistance.
There are a lot of models affected by this faulty wiring issue, but in Canada, the recall affects 6,525 Niro EVs, 2,384 Niro Plug-in Hybrids, and 1,713 Niro Hybrids equipped with manual front passenger seats. Kia Canada has confirmed that affected owners will be notified by mail with instructions to bring their vehicles to a dealership for inspection and necessary corrective actions.
