The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating airbags in certain Hyundai Sonatas and Kia Fortes, after the devices failed to deploy in a half-dozen front-end collisions.
Four people died tragically in those crashes, while six others were injured.
425,000 Hyundai Sonatas and Kia Fortes May Have Faulty Airbag Control Computers
According to The Detroit Free-Press, the airbag problem may affect as many as 425,000 vehicles, including the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, as well as the 2012 and 2013 Kia Forte.
The six crashes were reported to the NHTSA between 2012 and 2017 and involved a rare type of high-speed collision that occurred off-center of the vehicle.
In each case, airbag control computers manufactured by ZF-TRW appear to have short-circuited.
ZF-TRW Airbag Computers Cited in Recent Fiat Chrysler, Hyundai Recalls
This isn’t the first time that components made by this parts supplier have been associated with malfunctioning airbags.
In 2016, for example, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million cars and SUVs because of a similar problem with airbag deployment. Those vehicles were also outfitted with airbag computers manufactured by ZF-TRW.
In February, Hyundai announced a recall for some 155,000 2011 Sonatas for the same problem, which the company attributed to “electrical overstress” in the computer. Hyundai and ZF-TRW continue to investigate the matter but have yet to come up with a fix.
The Hyundai Sonata recall is scheduled to begin on April 20th. Dealers will consider providing affected owners with loaners until repairs can be made.
NHTSA Working to Determine if Other Automakers Used Similar Airbag Computers
The NHTSA is currently assessing the scope of the Hyundai Sonata recall and is trying confirm whether the same or similar airbag computers were used in the Kia Fortes.
The agency is also working to determine if any other automakers used the components
“If there is a component in the module that is used by other systems as well, that number could increase significantly,” Keith Friedman, automotive safety researcher at Austin, Texas-based Friedman Research Corp., told Bloomberg News. “If it has to do with the way this particular module has been manufactured, it could be localized to these particular vehicles.”
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