Safety RecallNHTSA 26V-545000
Kia EV9 Air Bag Recall2025–2026 · Free Repair
Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2025-2026 EV9 vehicles. Due to improper routing, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may not deactivate the air bag when a child or child seat is in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Veh
NHTSA 26V-545000Federal campaign #
2025–2026 EV9Affected model years
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERSystem
$0 · FreeParts & labor
Is Your EV9 Included?
Enter your 17-character VIN — we query NHTSA in real time and show whether 26V-545000 (and any other open campaign) applies to your exact vehicle.
What Happened — and How It's Fixed
The Defect
Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2025-2026 EV9 vehicles. Due to improper routing, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may not deactivate the air bag when a child or child seat is in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The Risk
A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.
The Free Fix
Dealers will inspect and replace the ODS mat and bladder tube with a new one and ensure proper routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters will be mailed beginning October 20, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC379. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 4, 2026.
Verified as of 2026-08-26 against NHTSA · Recall 26V-545000 on NHTSA.gov
What To Do
Run your VIN
Confirm 26V-545000 applies to your exact EV9 using the checker above.
Schedule the free repair
Book online or call .
Free, by law
Recall parts and labor are free regardless of age, mileage, or where you bought it.
Keep the paperwork
We provide written proof of completion — useful at resale.
Air Bag Recall FAQs
Is it safe to drive my EV9 before the air bag recall repair?⌄
NHTSA issued no park-outside or do-not-drive advisory for campaign 26V-545000. Schedule the free repair promptly — until it is completed, the defect described above is still present on affected EV9 vehicles.
Which vehicles are affected?⌄
Campaign 26V-545000 covers certain 2025–2026 Kia EV9 vehicles. Model year alone does not settle it — run your VIN in the checker above, which is the definitive answer for your exact vehicle.
What does the repair cost?⌄
Nothing. By federal law, safety recall repairs are free — parts and labor — at any authorized Kia dealer, regardless of the vehicle’s age, mileage, or where it was bought.
I’m buying a used EV9. Should I check this recall?⌄
Yes — run the VIN before you buy. If campaign 26V-545000 is still open on that vehicle, any authorized Kia dealer (including us) completes the repair free of charge, no matter where the vehicle was purchased.