The automaker Kia has announced a recall of around 73,000 of its 2006-2008 Rio models due to a defect in the passenger airbag that allows it to deploy in a crash even when a small child is seated in the front passenger seat, reports The New York Times.
To view the announcement on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, click here.
The defect is a result of a sensor mat located in the passenger seat that is designed to discern whether an adult or a child is seated, and if it’s a child, the passenger airbag will not deploy in an accident.
However, over time, with continues flexing as the seat is used, the sensor can fail, resulting in the air bag deploying in a crash even when a child is seated in the seat and possibly causing injury.
While Kia is calling the recall of their Rio model voluntary, it is in fact legally required to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within a five business day period of its planned recall once it knows about the safety issue.
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