Air bag sensor problem causes Kia to recall nearly 73,000 vehicles

Kia Motors is recalling 72,568 Rio small cars in the United States to address a potential sensor problem that could lead to the front passenger airbag deploying unnecessarily.

Kia, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor, is recalling the cars from model years 2006 through 2008 because of possible cracking of a printed circuit in the front passenger seat sensor mat that could lead to the system not being able to detect whether a child passenger is in the seat, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In that case, the airbag would deploy during a crash when normally the sensor would tell it not to, increasing the risk of injury.

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If enough cracking in the circuit occurs, the airbag warning light on the car's instrument panel will illuminate, according to NHTSA documents.

No undesired airbag deployments or injuries related to the issue were reported, according to NHTSA documents.

The recall to replace the sensor mat is expected to begin in July, according to NHTSA documents.

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source: Reuters (Klayman, 6/5)