USAHyundai is recalling 37,901 cars in the United States over a software fault in the airbag control unit (ACU): 29,058 Kona Electric and 8,843 Veloster N. According to NHTSA, the fault may improperly deactivate the airbag system and the seat belt pretensioners, which raises the risk of injury in a crash.
Which cars are covered
The recall covers the 2019 to 2023 model years of the Kona Electric and the 2019 to 2022 model years of the Veloster N, the hot hatchback. The Kona Electric in this recall is the first generation, which Hyundai replaced with the current Kona; the second-generation car is not part of it. NHTSA lists the campaign as 26V728, and Hyundai numbers it 311.
What the fault does
The ACU stores its data in memory. If the unit reboots or loses power while it is writing to that memory, the data can be corrupted, according to the documents Hyundai filed. The airbag warning light then comes on and the system deactivates under certain driving conditions. The light is the owner’s signal that the airbags may not fire.
Hyundai is aware of 331 alleged incidents as of 22 October 2026. None involved a crash, fire or injury.
The fix and the timeline
Dealers will update the ACU software free of charge. Hyundai expects to mail owner letters on 1 January 2027, and owners can call Hyundai customer service on 1-855-371-9460 before then. NHTSA made the affected VINs searchable on its recall site from 6 November 2026.
