Throughout the nation, over the course of the last few years, cars have become safer. Airbags are a big reason behind why more individuals are surviving serious car accidents. When as a result of a product defect, airbags do not work they are intended to however, the result can be deadly. Recognizing this as a potential issue, Kia Motors America, recently recalled close to 73,000 vehicles.

The vehicles affected by the recall include model years 2006, 2007 and 2008 for the Rio. The issue prompting the recall is the possibility that in an accident, an airbag may inflate when it is not supposed to. While airbags can save the lives of many, they are designed for passengers of a certain size. For those who do not meet the prescribed size parameter, such as children, airbags can actually be a hazard.

A potentially defective sensor located in the front passenger seat is the catalyst for this recall. In some cases, the sensor, which is designed to determine whether the person in the front seat is a child, could crack. If it did crack, it would be unable to determine the size of the person in the front seat and in an accident allow the airbag to deploy potentially injuring the child sitting there.

This recall illustrates how any device or product, even those designed to keep people safe, can be defective or dangerous. Though it does not appear that anyone has actually been injured as a result of an airbag deploying when a child is in the front seat, the risk is nonetheless still present. Sensors will be replaced, for free, by the carmaker.

Source: U.S.News & World Report, “Rio Air Bag Problem Forces Kia to Recall 73,000 Cars,” Associated Press, June 5, 2012