Hyundai issued a recall affecting nearly 30,000 Kona Electric vehicles due to a software error that could cause the airbag to fail to deploy in a crash.
Hyundai recalls Kona Electric and Veloster N models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on November 4, Hyundai said it was recalling certain 2019 to 2023 Kona Electric and 2019 to 2022 Veloster N vehicles.
The recall impacts 37,901 vehicles in total, including 29,058 Kona Electric and 8,843 Veloster N models.
According to documents submitted to the NHTSA, the issue stems from a software error with the airbag control unit (ACU) that can cause the airbag malfunction indicator light (MIL) to come on and the airbag system to deactivate under certain driving conditions.
The data may become corrupted during a system reboot or power interruption while the system is writing to the ACU’s memory. When this happens, the airbag MIL will illuminate to warn drivers.
As of October 22, 2026, Hyundai is aware of 331 alleged incidents related to the issue. However, none have resulted in a crash, fire, or injury.
2023 Hyundai Kona Electric (Source: Hyundai)
Owners can take their vehicle to the closest dealer, where it will update the ACU software, free of charge.
Hyundai expects to mail out owner notification letters on January 1, 2027. In the meantime, owners can contact Hyundai’s customer service at 1-855-371-9460 with any questions or concerns. Hyundai’s recall number is 311.
You can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the NHTSA.gov website for more information. The NHTSA campaign number is 26V728.
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