Hyundai recalls 37,901 Kona Electric and Veloster N over airbag software

Hyundai recalls 37,901 Kona Electric and Veloster N over airbag software

3 November 2026: Hyundai Motor America is recalling 37,901 vehicles because a software error in the airbag control unit may switch off the airbag system and the seat belt pretensioners. NHTSA's campaign 26V728 covers Kona Electric cars from model years 2019 to 2023 and Veloster N cars from 2019 to 2022, and the remedy is a free software update at a dealer.

Not yet independently verified. These facts come from NHTSA's recall records. We have not read Hyundai's own statement or its defect report to NHTSA, so we cannot say what triggers the error, whether any crash or injury is linked to it, or how the total divides between the two models. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

An error that can leave the airbags inactive

NHTSA's summary says the error "may improperly deactivate the air bag system and seat belt pretensioners". The agency states the consequence plainly: airbags and pretensioners that do not activate in a crash increase the risk of injury. It files the defect under the restraint control module's software, so no part is being replaced on the evidence of the record.

The record does not tell owners to stop driving or to park outside, and both of those warning fields are set to false. It also gives no account of the conditions in which the unit deactivates the system.

A dealer visit, with letters due in January

Hyundai's dealers will update the airbag control unit software free of charge. The company's own number for the recall is 311, and owners can reach its customer service on 1-855-371-9460.

Owner letters are expected to be mailed on 1 January 2027, while vehicle identification numbers were due to become searchable on NHTSA.gov from 6 November 2026. A company running Kona Electrics in a pool or fleet can therefore check its VINs now and need not wait for the post. The record does not say when dealers will have the updated software, so that is the question to ask when booking.

Five software remedies among 20 recent records

We read the 20 records NHTSA's API returned for campaign numbers 26V700 to 26V729, reported between 22 October and 3 November. Five of them name a software or firmware remedy, and they differ in how the fix arrives.

• General Motors, 26V717: 67,380 electric Cadillac and Chevrolet vehicles, brake control software, updated over the air or by a dealer.
• Hyundai, 26V728: 37,901 vehicles, airbag control software, dealer update.
• Mack Trucks, 26V719: 151 Medium-Duty Electric trucks from 2024 to 2026, built with a hill start assist message enabled. NHTSA says a false message can lead to unexpected rollback on an incline. Dealers will update the dashboard software and correct the owner's manual, with letters expected on 28 December.
• Ferrara, 26V709: two 2025 KME Panther and Ferrara Cinder emergency vehicles.
• Spencer, 26V729: five 2024 to 2026 emergency vehicles.

The Ferrara and Spencer records describe the same fault: a display that may stop responding to touch or fail to power on, which prevents exterior emergency lights and firefighting equipment from being activated. Both makers name Hale Products as the company they will work with to update the firmware and install a monitor system.

Our electric cars category lists 122 models, among them the Hyundai Kona Electric.

Sources

• NHTSA: recall record 26V728000, Hyundai Motor America, report received 3 November 2026, 3 November 2026
• NHTSA: recall record 26V717000, General Motors, report received 29 October 2026, 29 October 2026
• NHTSA: recall record 26V719000, Mack Trucks, report received 29 October 2026, 29 October 2026
• NHTSA: recall record 26V709000, Ferrara Fire Apparatus, report received 26 October 2026, 26 October 2026
• NHTSA: recall record 26V729000, Spencer Manufacturing, report received 3 November 2026, 3 November 2026