Hyundai is recalling 37,901 vehicles in the United States because a software fault in the airbag control unit can stop the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners from deploying in a crash. The recall, detailed in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, covers certain 2019 to 2022 Veloster N hatchbacks and 2019 to 2023 Kona Electric crossovers.
The population splits into 8,843 Velosters and 29,058 Konas, and the fix is a free software update carried out by Hyundai dealers.
How the fault shuts down the safety systems
Every affected car uses an Airbag Control Unit that reads crash signals and tells the airbags and pretensioners when to fire. According to the recall paperwork, the unit's software can be corrupted if the system reboots while the ACU is still writing data to its internal memory.
Drivers are not left without warning. If the data is corrupted, the airbag malfunction indicator light on the dashboard illuminates. That warning lamp is the only clue most owners will get, which makes it easy to dismiss as a nuisance light rather than a sign that the car's primary restraint system may be offline.
A year of testing before the recall was filed
The recall follows more than a year of testing by Hyundai and the ACU supplier, who tried to recreate the fault after a rise in airbag warning light warranty claims was identified in August 2024. As of October 2026, Hyundai had logged 331 reported incidents tied to the complaint, but the company was not aware of any crashes, fires or injuries connected to it.
That record matters for owners weighing how urgently to book the fix. The defect is a silent failure mode rather than a known cause of harm so far, but it removes the protection a driver assumes is there every time the car is switched on.
Free remedy and the notification schedule
Owners will be told to take their car to a Hyundai dealer, where technicians will update the ACU software at no cost. Hyundai will also reimburse owners for out-of-pocket expenses if they paid for the fix before the recall was filed.
Notification letters to dealers and affected owners are due to be mailed on January 1, 2027. Until then, owners of a 2019 to 2022 Veloster N or a 2019 to 2023 Kona Electric can check whether their car is covered by contacting a dealer or entering the vehicle identification number into Hyundai's recall lookup, and should treat a persistent airbag warning light as a reason to book the car in rather than wait for the letter.
