$62.1M Hyundai Kia Defective Airbag Control Unit Class Action Settlement

Hyundai and Kia have agreed to a $62.1 million settlement of claims that certain vehicles were sold with defective ZF-TRW airbag control units prone to electrical overstress that can stop airbags and other safety systems from working in a crash. Eligible owners and lessees may claim documented out-of-pocket recall-related reimbursement and/or a residual payment of up to $350 (recalled) or $150 (unrecalled). The court granted Final Approval on October 8, 2025. Claim deadline: April 8, 2027.

Do I Qualify?

You may be eligible if:

• As of April 14, 2025, you own or lease or previously owned or leased a Hyundai or Kia Class Vehicle originally sold or leased in the United States or its territories
• Your VIN matches a Class Vehicle on the ACUSettlement.com VIN lookup tool (models include certain Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, Kona, Kona N, Veloster, Forte, Forte Koup, Optima, Optima Hybrid, and Sedona years listed in the class notice)
• For out-of-pocket reimbursement, your vehicle is among the NHTSA-recalled ZF-TRW ACU models (Hyundai 18V-137 / Kia 18V-363) or a later recall opens for your unrecalled class VIN before the claims period ends
• You submit a valid claim for residual payment and/or documented OOP reimbursement by April 8, 2027

Out-of-pocket reimbursement: Provide receipts, invoices, or a signed affidavit if you lack a receipt for eligible recall-related expenses. Residual distribution: Use the Unique ID from your settlement notice when available; if you have no Unique ID, the administrator may request proof of ownership/lease such as title, registration, purchase or lease agreement, or insurance documents showing your name and VIN. Submit one claim form per VIN.

What Happened?

Plaintiffs in In re: ZF-TRW Airbag Control Units Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 2:19-ml-02905-JAK (U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Judge John A. Kronstadt), allege that Hyundai and Kia Class Vehicles contain defective ZF-TRW airbag control units. The ACU is the electronic component that controls airbags and related safety features. Plaintiffs allege the units are vulnerable to electrical overstress that can cause airbag non-deployment or other safety-system failures during a collision.

NHTSA recall activity preceded the settlement: Hyundai Recall No. 18V-137 covers certain 2011–2013 Sonata and certain 2011–2012 Sonata Hybrid; Kia Recall No. 18V-363 covers 2010–2012 and certain 2013 Forte/Forte Koup, 2011–2012 and certain 2013 Optima, 2011 and certain 2012 Optima Hybrid, and 2011–2012 Sedona. Other class model years remain unrecalled for this ZF-TRW ACU issue but are still covered by the settlement class.

Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Motor America, Kia Corporation, Kia America, Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd., and Mobis Parts America, LLC deny wrongdoing but agreed to provide $62,100,100 in payments and credits to resolve the case. Opt-out and objection deadlines of August 25, 2025 have passed. The fairness hearing was September 29, 2025; Final Approval was granted October 8, 2025. Claims are administered by JND Legal Administration at ACUSettlement.com.

How to File Your Claim

1. Visit ACUSettlement.com/hyundaikia and open the claim form
2. Enter your VIN and Unique ID/PIN from your settlement notice if provided
3. Choose out-of-pocket reimbursement (recalled vehicles, documentation required) and/or a residual distribution claim (available to recalled and unrecalled class vehicles)
4. Upload receipts/invoices for OOP expenses, or ownership docs if requested for residual claims without a Unique ID
5. Submit online by April 8, 2027, or mail a paper claim postmarked by that date to Hyundai-Kia Airbag Control Unit Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91478, Seattle, WA 98111
6. File a separate claim for each eligible VIN
7. Questions: 1-866-287-0740 or HKinfo@ACUSettlement.com
8. Visit the official claim form: https://www.acusettlement.com/hyundaikia

How Much Will I Actually Get?

The $62,100,100 settlement funds multiple benefit paths. (1) Recalled-vehicle class members may seek reimbursement of certain reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred completing the ZF-TRW ACU recalls: comparable rental/transportation while awaiting the remedy, towing to a Hyundai/Kia dealer, childcare during the remedy, unreimbursed ACU repair costs, and lost wages tied to drop-off/pickup — documentation required; decisions by the Settlement Special Administrator are final. (2) After OOP claims and other costs are paid, residual distribution payments of up to $350 per recalled-vehicle claim and up to $150 per unrecalled-vehicle claim are paid per capita to class members who filed a claim (no requirement that you incurred OOP expenses). (3) Recalled vehicles that complete the recall receive a New Parts Warranty for 10 years from April 14, 2025, covering defect-related repairs/replacement of parts installed under the recalls. Inspection and outreach programs ($3.5M outreach budget) are also part of the settlement. Residual amounts can be reduced pro rata if remaining funds are insufficient.

Last reviewed: July 15, 2026 | Information verified from court records and official settlement documents.

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