Hyundai recalled 37,901 Kona Electric and Veloster N cars over airbag unit software
Data written to the airbag control unit's memory can be corrupted by a reboot or power interruption, which can deactivate the airbag system, and dealers will install software that keeps the last valid data.
Hyundai Motor America filed a safety recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covering 37,901 vehicles whose airbag control unit can corrupt data in its memory, according to its Part 573 report, submitted November 2 and numbered 26V728. The recall covers 29,058 Kona Electric vehicles from model years 2019 to 2023 and 8,843 Veloster N cars from model years 2019 to 2022, all built in South Korea. Hyundai estimates that 1 percent have the defect.
The report says data may become corrupted during routine writing to the unit’s memory, which lights the airbag warning lamp and deactivates the airbag system. It gives the cause as a system reboot or power interruption while the unit is writing to its internal memory. The supplier is listed as ZF Group. Dealers will update the unit’s software at no cost, and the report says the remedy software preserves the last known valid data if a data transfer is interrupted. Owner notification is planned for January 1, 2027.
According to the chronology, Hyundai’s North America Safety Office opened an investigation on August 19, 2024, after a rise in airbag warning light warranty claims. ZF could induce a fault in bench testing but could not reproduce it on a vehicle. On September 18, 2026, Hyundai Motor Company told the safety office that other vehicle applications might contain the same unit driver software, and the scope review was widened. Hyundai decided to recall on October 22. It is aware of 331 incidents in the U.S. between October 2019 and September 2026, and of no crashes, fires or injuries.
Source: Hyundai Motor America Part 573 safety recall report 26V728, submitted November 2, 2026