The Bad News Beat
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Thursday, November 12, 2026 · UTC
Recalls and Failures

Hyundai recalls 37,901 cars whose airbags may not deploy in a crash

Corrupted data in the airbag control unit is the cause, with 331 incidents counted. The fix needs a dealer visit, and owner letters do not go out until January.

Ines Varga
Failure Analyst
References:
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Stands on 15 placed sources from 2 publishers.
Hyundai is recalling the Kona Electric and the Veloster N over airbag software.[1] A software error in the airbag control unit may cause the airbags to fail to deploy in a crash.[2] The count The United States recall covers 37,901 vehicles.[3] Of those, 29,058 are Kona Electric cars from model years 2019 through 2023.[4] The other 8,843 are Veloster N cars from 2019 through 2022.[5] What is known about the defect Corrupted data in the airbag control unit is the identified root cause.[6] ZF Group supplied the units.[7] Hyundai had logged 331 related incidents as of 22 October.[8] No crashes, fires or injuries are linked to the defect.[9] The wait Hyundai submitted the recall notification to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on 4 November.[10] Owner notification letters will be mailed on 1 January 2027.[11] That is 58 days between the filing and the letters. There is no way to shorten the repair from home. Dealers will update the software through the car's OBD-II port, and no over-the-air fix is available.[12] The work is free.[13] The reference numbers The agency's campaign number is 26V728.[14] Hyundai's own recall number is 311.[15]
Proof15 sources · 2 publishers · signed
What this stands on
  1. Hyundai is recalling Kona Electric and Veloster N for airbag software concerns. · autoevolution.com
  2. The software error may cause airbags to fail deploying in crashes. · electrek.coColombia
  3. The US recall covers 37901 total vehicles. · autoevolution.com
  4. 29058 2019 through 2023 Kona Electric units are included in the recall. · autoevolution.com
  5. 8843 2019 through 2022 Veloster N units are included in the recall. · autoevolution.com
  6. Corrupted airbag control unit data is the identified root cause. · autoevolution.com
  7. ZF Group supplied the airbag control units for the affected vehicles. · autoevolution.com
  8. 331 related incidents were logged as of October 22, 2026. · electrek.coColombia
  9. No crashes, fires or injuries are linked to this defect. · electrek.coColombia
  10. Hyundai submitted recall notification to NHTSA on November 4, 2026. · electrek.coColombia
  11. Owner notification letters will be mailed January 1, 2027. · electrek.coColombia
  12. Dealers will update software via OBD-II port; no over-the-air fix is available. · autoevolution.com
  13. Authorized dealers will install corrected ACU software at no cost. · electrek.coColombia
  14. NHTSA assigned campaign number 26V728 to this recall. · electrek.coColombia
  15. Hyundai assigned internal recall number 311 to this issue. · electrek.coColombia
The one we could place publishes from Colombia. 1 could not be placed by their address. None is an official body: that part stands on reporting, not on the underlying document or transcript.
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