Hyundai and Kia Agreed to Pay $62.1M Over Airbags That Could Fail in a Crash. Here’s How to Claim Up to $350.
Certain 2010–2023 Hyundai and Kia vehicles were built with defective ZF-TRW airbag control units that can fail during a collision, preventing airbags and seatbelt pretensioners from deploying. A $62.1 million class action settlement covers current and former owners and lessees of eligible vehicles. Recalled vehicle owners can claim up to $350 in cash, plus reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. The deadline to file is April 8, 2027. Filing is free.
Settlement at a glance
Settlement fund
$62.1 million
Claim deadline
April 8, 2027
Recalled vehicle owners
Up to $350 cash
Unrecalled vehicle owners
Up to $150 cash
Official claim site
Cost to file
Free
What settlements can you actually claim?
The Hyundai and Kia airbag settlement requires vehicle ownership to qualify. If you don’t own an eligible model, these are real, active settlements on Payout that most U.S. residents can claim right now:
YouTube Privacy Settlement
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Poppi Soda False Advertising
Krispy Kreme Data Breach
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These are 8 of the active settlements on Payout right now. New ones are added regularly.
What Hyundai and Kia built into your car
The class action centers on airbag control units (ACUs) manufactured by ZF-TRW, a major auto parts supplier. The ACU is the computer that decides whether to fire the airbags in a crash. In certain Hyundai and Kia models, the ACU contains an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with a vulnerability called electrical overstress (EOS). Under specific conditions, EOS can disable the ACU entirely, preventing airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, and side curtain airbags from deploying when they are supposed to.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a formal investigation after reports of airbag non-deployments in Hyundai and Kia vehicles. NHTSA identified the defect as potentially affecting roughly 12.3 million vehicles across multiple manufacturers. The agency tied at least four deaths to airbag failures in ZF-TRW-equipped vehicles. Hyundai and Kia issued recalls on affected models between 2018 and 2023.
The lawsuit alleges that Hyundai, Kia, and ZF-TRW were aware of the ACU defect as early as 2011, following internal investigations into airbag non-deployments in multiple crashes. Despite that internal knowledge, the companies did not report the issue to NHTSA until the end of 2015 — a gap of roughly four years. Consumer owners received no warning during that time.
Hyundai and Kia deny the allegations. They agreed to the $62.1 million settlement to resolve the multidistrict litigation without going to trial. A U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted final approval on October 8, 2025.
Which vehicles qualify?
You qualify if you owned or leased an eligible Hyundai or Kia vehicle at any point and owned or leased it as of April 14, 2025. The eligible models are:
Hyundai models
Kia models
Not every production year of these models qualifies. The settlement covers specific VINs based on which ACU was installed at the factory. Use the VIN lookup at acusettlement.com/hyundaikia to confirm before filling out the form.
How to file your Hyundai or Kia airbag settlement claim
The process takes about 10 minutes online. You will need your VIN and proof of vehicle ownership (title, registration, or lease agreement):
Go to acusettlement.com/hyundaikia
This is the official site run by JND Legal Administration, the court-appointed settlement administrator. Do not use any other site or pay anyone to file on your behalf.
Run the VIN lookup
Enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) — found on your dashboard, driver-side door jamb, or vehicle registration. The tool confirms whether your specific vehicle is in the settlement class. Not every model year of the eligible makes qualifies.
Complete the online claim form
The form asks for your name, address, contact information, and confirmation of vehicle ownership. If you are claiming expense reimbursement above the flat residual payment, attach receipts for towing, rental cars, repair costs, or other covered expenses.
Submit before April 8, 2027
You can also download a paper form and mail it to: Hyundai-Kia Airbag Control Unit Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91478, Seattle, WA 98111. Paper forms must be postmarked by the deadline.
Save your confirmation
Screenshot or save the confirmation number after you submit online. Settlement payments are distributed after the administrator reviews all claims — typically several months after the April 8, 2027 deadline.
For a general walkthrough of how class action filing works, see how to file a class action settlement claim.
How much will you get?
The settlement pays two types of compensation: a flat residual cash payment, and reimbursement of documented out-of-pocket expenses.
Flat residual payments: Up to $350 for owners of vehicles subject to an official NHTSA recall for the defective ACU. Up to $150 for owners of vehicles with the same defective ACU that were not subject to a formal recall. Your VIN determines which category you fall into.
Expense reimbursement: If you paid out of pocket because of the ACU defect or the recall, you can submit receipts for towing, rental cars, childcare while your vehicle was being repaired, and lost wages. The settlement does not cap the reimbursement amount for documented expenses, so gather any receipts you have before filing.
Parts warranty: All class members whose vehicles received ACU replacement parts during a recall get a 10-year or 100,000-mile warranty on those parts, regardless of whether they file a cash claim.
For context: the 20 named plaintiffs who filed the original lawsuit each received $2,500 as part of the settlement agreement. Class members receive the amounts above. The plaintiff attorneys received $20.5 million. That split is typical in large MDL settlements.
Payout is a settlement-discovery app, not a law firm. It does not give legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, approval, or a specific payment amount. Final payment amounts are determined by JND Legal Administration based on the number and type of valid claims filed.
Find every settlement you qualify for
Payout tracks active class action settlements, matches you with the ones you qualify for, and walks you through filing from your phone. Free to download, free to file.
Is the Hyundai and Kia airbag settlement legitimate?
Yes. This is a federal multidistrict class action (MDL No. 2:19-ml-02905-JAK-JPR) that went through years of litigation before reaching settlement. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted final approval on October 8, 2025. The case was overseen by federal judges and administered by JND Legal Administration, a court-appointed third party.
The only authorized filing website is acusettlement.com/hyundaikia. You do not need to provide your Social Security number, bank account details, or any financial documents to file the residual cash claim. The form asks for your name, contact information, and proof of vehicle ownership. Filing is free. Any website or service that charges a fee to submit this claim on your behalf is not authorized.
Payout also lists this settlement at trypayout.app/settlements/hyundai-kia-airbag-class-action-settlement, where you can verify eligibility and access the claim form directly through the app.
Why most eligible owners have not filed yet
Vehicle recalls generate dealer mailers and sometimes a yellow sticker on your key fob. Class action settlements generate a notice in the mail that looks like junk and a legal website that most people close immediately. The connection between “I got my airbag recall done” and “I am owed up to $350 in cash” is easy to miss.
The VIN lookup step also filters out people who would otherwise file. Typing a 17-character number from your door jamb is one more friction point that reduces the claim rate below what it would be for a no-proof settlement. That lower participation rate means anyone who does file gets a larger share of whatever remains in the residual payment pool.
The April 8, 2027 deadline is over a year away, which tends to make people wait. Waiting does not increase your payment. The form takes about 10 minutes and is the same whether you file today or in March 2027.
Other large settlements still open right now
The Hyundai and Kia settlement requires vehicle ownership. Several nationwide settlements with large funds are open to any U.S. resident:
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Google Assistant privacy settlement ($68M): Deadline August 27, 2026. Own a Pixel, Nest, or Google Home device? Up to $56 per device. See the Google Assistant settlement guide.
- •
Tinder age discrimination settlement ($60.5M): Deadline August 18, 2026. California Tinder subscribers over 29 paid more. Up to $350. See the Tinder settlement guide.
- •
Comcast Xfinity data breach settlement ($117.5M): Deadline September 14, 2026. Up to $10,000 for documented losses, or a $50 flat payment with no receipts. See the Xfinity settlement guide.
- •
Flo Health data-sharing settlement ($59.5M): Deadline October 15, 2026. Used the Flo period-tracking app before 2021? No proof required. See the Flo Health settlement guide.
For the full list, see the open class action settlements guide. Payout tracks deadlines automatically and sends alerts before they close.