Due to human error, seats were allegedly incorrectly attached at the factory on a vehicle model, putting passengers at risk. Its manufacturer had to recall more than 20,000 copies to correct this blunder.
The matter is not trivial. And it is even worrying in more than one way. It all started in September 2024, when an SUV owner noticed that the third row seat of his brand new vehicle was moving in an unusual way. Intrigued, he went to a brand dealership to have the problem examined by specialists.
A seemingly innocuous matter. But what he doesn’t yet know is that his case will trigger a chain reaction at the car manufacturer. Because during checks, the technicians actually discovered a much more serious problem than expected: fixing bolts were missing from the seat in question. This discovery then marks the start of an investigation which will lead to a massive recall of nearly 23,000 cars in the United States.
And the model concerned is not just any model: it is in fact the Kia EV9 electric SUV, the brand new flagship of the very popular manufacturer. The absence or poor tightening of seat mounting bolts, particularly in the rear rows, poses a major safety risk for passengers. In the event of an accident, these seats may not provide sufficient protection, significantly increasing the risk of injury.
Following the first report, Kia carried out checks on other examples of the same model and identified three other similar cases. Faced with the seriousness of the risk faced by its customers, the Korean manufacturer decided to take the lead and launch a voluntary recall campaign to inspect all potentially affected vehicles. And this is no small task, because it involves checking and repairing no less than 22,883 EV9s built between September 2023 and October 2024!
How could such a situation happen? According to the investigations carried out by the manufacturer, the error at the origin of everything was made by… a worker. This technician, working in the Kia Autoland Gwangmyeong factory in South Korea, allegedly failed to correctly install certain essential screws for securing the seats, for more than a year. A simple blunder therefore, but which would have led to a massive and rather embarrassing recall for Kia.
To date, no accident or injury linked to this bolt tightening problem has been recorded, and the explanation provided by the Korean manufacturer could therefore make you smile. However, this story is more worrying than it seems and the excuse is a bit easy. How could a manufacturer the size of Kia, which produces goods in an industry as regulated as the automobile and which is renowned for the reliability of its cars, allow vehicles to leave its factories in this condition?
Without going so far as to speak of aggravated negligence, this situation at least highlights a failure of the quality control system, which goes well beyond the error of a single person. Such a “blunder” in the production surveillance chain is, in any case, enough to worry the owners of the recalled models. In response, Kia is therefore calling on users of its electric SUV to watch for the warning signs of a tightening problem.
A seat that moves abnormally, unusual noises or even the presence of bolts on the ground are all small things that should alert drivers. And if in doubt, the company strongly advises you to contact your dealer as quickly as possible, in order to carry out a proper inspection of the vehicle.