Kia 2023 Sportage Air Bags Recall: Improper Deployment Risk
Kia recalls certain 2023 Sportage vehicles with potentially twisted side curtain air bags that may deploy improperly, increasing injury risk. Dealers will inspect and reinstall air bags free of charge.
Use caution until it’s fixed
A twisted air bag can deploy improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
Contact the company
What happened, in plain English
Kia is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles because side curtain air bags may have been twisted during installation. This could cause improper deployment and increase injury risk during a crash. Owners should have the air bags inspected and repaired by dealers at no cost. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/81443-kia-2023-sportage-air-bags-recall-improper-deployment-risk.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/81443-kia-2023-sportage-air-bags-recall-improper-deployment-risk · Updated October 4, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #22V878000
Cite this page
“Kia 2023 Sportage Air Bags Recall: Improper Deployment Risk.” GovInfoNow, updated October 4, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/81443-kia-2023-sportage-air-bags-recall-improper-deployment-risk. Based on NHTSA recall #22V878000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=22V878000).
Why it’s dangerous
Twisted side curtain air bags may deploy incorrectly during a crash. This could cause the air bags to not inflate properly or deploy in a way that increases injury risk. The hazard is specific to vehicles where the air bags were twisted during installation.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2023 Kia Sportage vehicles are affected. Drivers and passengers in these vehicles are at risk if the air bags deploy improperly during a crash.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2023 Kia Sportage was mailed a notification letter dated December 28, 2022. The recall applies to vehicles with potentially twisted side curtain air bags from the factory.
- Brand
Kia- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Kia Customer Service
Call 1-800-333-4542 to confirm your vehicle is affected and schedule an inspection.
Have Air Bags Inspected
Dealers will inspect and reinstall side curtain air bags as necessary at no cost.
What NHTSA says to do
Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 28, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC257.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
Owners were mailed letters 30 days after NHTSA received the defect report.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Owner letters mailed
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Contact Kia
We’ve drafted a message you can send Kia to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 22V878000 — Kia 2023 Sportage Air Bags Recall: Improper Deployment Risk Hello, I own a Kia 2023 Sportage Air Bags Recall: Improper Deployment Risk that is covered by recall 22V878000 from Kia. The official recall notice states: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 28, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC257. I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this? Thank you.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #22V878000 (November 28, 2022)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 4, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.