Kia recalls 145,000 vehicles

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Kia Motors America said it would recall model year 2006-2008 Optimas and model year 2007-2008 Rondos due to faulty air bag release systems, regulators said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Optima vehicles manufactured from Sept. 29, 2005, through Jan. 29, 2008, are involved in the recall. The Rondo vehicles being recalled have manufacturing dates from Sept. 13, 2006, through March 21, 2008.

The recall involves a total of 145,000 vehicles.

The clock spring contact assembly for the driver's side air bag may become damaged "through usage over time," the NHTSA said in a statement. This could cause a warning light on the dashboard to light up and potentially cause the air bag to fail to deploy.

If the clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the electrical circuit required to deploy the air bag could "experience a high resistance condition," the regulator said.

Kia said it would notify owners and replace the faulty assembly free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March.

Consumers can call 800-333-4542 for information.