Kia is recalling 21,290 units of the EV9. The problem involves detecting a child in the front seat.
Kia has announced a recall in the U.S. involving 21,290 EV9 models from 2025 and 2026. The issue concerns the occupant detection system in the front seat, which may misjudge who is sitting in the front after several seat adjustments and fail to deactivate the child airbag.
The problem was reported to the U.S. NHTSA last week in a written submission. Kia attributes it to improper routing of the tubing in the mat of the ODS, or Occupant Detection System, by the supplier.
What exactly could happen
According to documents submitted to NHTSA, the tubing in the ODS mat may get compressed after multiple adjustments to the front seat. If this occurs, the system might not disable the airbag when there is a child or child seat in the front seat.
This is no longer a minor issue of just a light turning on. We are talking about a safety feature that is supposed to work at all times.
Kia estimates that the actual defect may affect around 6 percent of the vehicles involved in this recall. Nevertheless, all affected models fail to meet American vehicle safety standards, which is why the manufacturer is initiating a full recall.
Symptoms may include an airbag light on the dashboard or a seat belt warning, even when no one is sitting in the front seat.
Which Kia EV9s are affected and what will the manufacturer do?
The recall applies to EV9s produced at Kia’s factory in Georgia. The manufacturer states that it covers all 2025 model American EV9s as well as selected 2026 model vehicles.
There is also one important detail: the EV9s from 2025 built in Korea are not covered by this service campaign. This is a fairly clear distinction that will likely interest some owners who want to check the car’s origin using its VIN.
Letters to owners are set to begin on October 20, 2026. At the dealer facility, they will inspect the ODS mat and tube, replace these components if necessary, and ensure everything was handled properly. The repair is intended to be free of charge.
Kia’s U.S. campaign number is SC379, while the NHTSA campaign number is 26V545.
For Polish readers, something else is more important: this recall was announced in the U.S., but in such cases it’s worth focusing not on the market but on the place of production and the specific batch of cars. The EV9 is a global model, so this issue is unlikely to disappear after just one announcement.
A poorly designed pipe can cause more chaos than half a screen full of assistants. If you own an EV9 or are waiting for it, would you consider the model year or the country of production first?
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