Scary defect in the 2011 Hyundai and 2012 2013 Kia Fortes
Check it out St. Louis drivers: This defect hasn’t had much publicity. But owners of these cars need to know they can be deadly in off-center, front-end collisions. Four people died and six were seriously injured when airbags in their Sonatas and Kia Fortes didn’t deploy in these accidents. International news organizations broke the story on March 17, 2018. The Daily Mail and Reuters confirmed the cars’ frightening potential when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a probe into the issue.
Off-center, front-end crashes are rare. But they can easily be lethal when a car hits a telephone pole, a tree, or another car, off center. The toughest front-end crash protection in a car is “concentrated in the middle part of the vehicle.” The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has verified that in an off-center, front end crash, the airbag system can “sometimes Airoperate at less than optimal efficiency.”
The Associated Press reported the airbag issue could potentially “affect an estimated 425,000” of these Hyundai and Kia models. The AP also reported that Hyundai recalled “nearly 155,000 Sonatas in Feb 2018, for air bag failures.” Kia has yet to recall any.
What’s the problem with airbags in these cars?
The problem has been traced to electrical shorts in the air bags’ computers. They can also “stop the seat belts from tightening before a crash,” adding to the danger of off-center, front-end crashes. NHTSA may widen its probe. The federal safety agency is checking to see if the air bag’s maker, ZF-TRW, a Michigan company, sold the airbags to other auto makers.
Thousands of these cars could still be on the road
Americans are keeping their cars “an average of 11.6 years” these days, much longer than they used to, according to CNBC. No doubt thousands of these Kia and Sonata models are still on the road. www.auotnews.com says “vehicle quality” makes cars generally more reliable today.
The cars were extremely popular when they were introduced. Car Connection reported that the 2012 and 2013 Kia Fortes were great buys. It praised their “crisp new European influenced look.” Cars.com called the 2011 Sonata “one of the most popular cars available, period.”
Injury Lawyer Wyatt Wright has important advice
If you have one of these cars, get it checked. Better safe than sorry. Protect yourself and your loved ones from the pain of a bad accident with a failing airbag. Call personal injury attorney Wyatt Wright if you have an accident of any kind. Calls and evaluations are free. You only pay fees you agreed to in advance when Wyatt Wright wins your case. Wyatt Wright is one of America’s top trial lawyers. His legal awards are proof he wins top dollar cases for his clients.