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Hyundai, Kia Airbag Settlement: How to Claim by April 8

By CalculateBenefits Editorial Team · Mark Phaneuf, Publisher
AI-assisted source check: October 27, 2026. What these dates mean.

If you owned or leased certain Hyundai or Kia cars on or before April 14, 2025, you may be able to claim a payment from an airbag settlement. The official site says payments are "up to $350 for Recalled Vehicles and $150 for Unrecalled Vehicles." The deadline is April 8, 2027.

You do not need repair receipts to ask for this payment. Past owners can file, too. The court gave the deal final approval on October 8, 2025.

What is the Hyundai and Kia airbag settlement about?

The case is called In re: ZF-TRW Airbag Control Units Products Liability Litigation. It is in federal court in California.

The airbag control unit is a part that runs the airbags and other safety features. In these cars, it was made by a company called ZF-TRW. The suit says the part can fail in a crash. Then the airbags and other safety features may not work.

Hyundai and Kia deny the claims. The court has not decided who is right. The two sides settled instead.

In 2018, Hyundai and Kia recalled some of these cars. NHTSA is the U.S. agency for car safety. It says that in a crash, the part in those cars "may short circuit." That can stop the front airbags and seat belt tighteners from working.

Which cars are included?

The site checks each car by its VIN. Use the VIN lookup tool on the official site to be sure. The cars fall into two groups.

Recalled cars:

• Certain 2011-2013 Hyundai Sonata
• Certain 2011-2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
• 2010-2012 and certain 2013 Kia Forte and Forte Koup
• 2011-2012 and certain 2013 Kia Optima
• 2011 and certain 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid
• 2011-2012 Kia Sedona

Cars that were not recalled:

• Certain 2011-2013 and all 2014-2019 Hyundai Sonata
• Certain 2011-2012 and all 2013-2019 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
• 2018-2023 Hyundai Kona and 2022-2023 Kona N
• 2019-2021 Hyundai Veloster
• Certain 2013 Kia Forte and Forte Koup
• Certain 2013 and all 2014-2020 Kia Optima
• Certain 2012 and all 2013-2016 Kia Optima Hybrid
• 2014 Kia Sedona

Who can file a claim?

You may be part of this settlement if you owned or leased one of these cars on or before April 14, 2025. It does not matter if you sold it or turned it in. The car must have first been sold or leased in the U.S. or its territories.

The claim form asks, "Did you own or lease the vehicle on or before April 14, 2025?" If the answer is no, the form says you are not part of the deal.

A few people cannot claim. These include Hyundai and Kia staff and dealers. People who already settled with Hyundai or Kia on their own for this issue cannot claim. People who opted out by August 25, 2025, cannot claim either.

How much will I get?

No one knows the exact amount yet. There are two kinds of money.

1. A flat "residual" payment. Anyone in the group may ask for it. Your car does not have to be one of the recalled ones. You do not need to have spent any money. The FAQ says, "Residual payments shall be up to $350 for Recalled Vehicles and $150 for Unrecalled Vehicles." The FAQ says the caps can go higher only if both sides agree and the settlement's special administrator approves.

This money is paid last. It comes from what is left after costs and repair claims are paid. The FAQ says it is paid "on a per capita basis to each Class Member" who files a claim. So the real amount could be less than $350 or $150.

2. Money back for costs. This is only for recalled cars. It covers costs you had to get the recall fix at a Hyundai or Kia dealer. These may include:

• A rental car or other rides while you waited
• Towing to the dealer
• Child care while the work was done
• Money you paid to repair this airbag part
• Pay you lost from work to drop off or pick up the car

Here is what else is known. The deal provides $62,100,100 in payments and credits. The court gave the lawyers 33% of that, or $20,493,033.30, for fees and costs.

Do I need receipts?

Not for the flat payment. The site says that if you enter the Unique ID from your postcard or email notice, "you do not need to provide further documentation at this time."

No notice? You can still file. But the claims team may ask you to show you owned or leased the car. That could be a title, a registration, a sale or lease paper, or an insurance paper. It needs your name and the VIN.

For money back on costs, you do need proof. Send a receipt, a bill, or a card statement. If you have no receipt, the FAQ says you may send a signed statement instead.

Where do I find my VIN?

The VIN is a 17-character code of letters and numbers. Look on the driver's side of the dashboard, through the windshield. It is also on the driver's door frame. It is printed on your title and registration, too. Take a photo of it so it is handy when you file.

What is the deadline?

File by April 8, 2027. The site says, "Under the current schedule, claims must be submitted electronically or postmarked by April 8, 2027."

Some other websites list March 29, 2027. That date also appears in the original notice posted on the official site. The official site's Key Dates page now says April 8, 2027. It also says dates may change, so check it again before you file.

The dates to opt out or object were August 25, 2025. Those have passed.

How do I file?

1. Type the address yourself: ACUSettlement.com/hyundaikia.
2. Check your car with the VIN lookup tool.
3. Click "File a Claim." Enter your Unique ID if you have one.
4. Want only the flat payment? Check the box that says so.
5. Pick how to get paid. Then sign.

Use one claim form for each VIN. If you had more than one of these cars, the form says to send a separate form for each one.

You can pick a virtual debit card, PayPal, Venmo, or a paper check. The form says paper checks expire if not cashed within 90 days. It says virtual cards charge fees after six months of no use.

You can also print the form from the site, or call 1-866-287-0740 for one. Mail it to: Hyundai-Kia Airbag Control Unit Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, PO Box 91478, Seattle, WA 98111. Online is faster. Keep a copy of your claim.

When will payments go out?

There is no date yet. The site says payments for costs go out after the deal's "Effective Date." That date depends on whether anyone appeals the court's approval. The flat payments come after all cost claims are paid. Check the official site for news.

Has my car's recall been fixed?

You can check for free. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls. It shows open recalls that have not been repaired. NHTSA says dealers fix recalled parts for free.

The deal also gives recalled cars a 10-year warranty on the new recall parts. It started April 14, 2025. If your recalled car has not had the fix, you must get it done to have this warranty.

Is this real or a scam?

The settlement is real. A federal judge approved it. JND Legal Administration runs the claims.

To stay safe:

• File only on the official site or by mail to the official address. For help or a paper form, call the official number, 1-866-287-0740.
• Do not pay anyone to file for you. The court already set the lawyers' fees, and they come out of the fund.
• Got an email about this deal? Do not click its link. The FTC says to reach a company by "a phone number or website you know is real." Type the official address yourself.

CalculateBenefits is an independent site. We are not Hyundai, Kia, the court, a law firm, or the claims team. We cannot file for you or check your claim. This is not legal advice.

You can report a scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Our guide on how to tell a real program from a scam has more tips.

Are there other ways I may be able to get paid?

Maybe. Our settlements page lists claims that are open now. Bought a newer iPhone? Check the Apple Siri settlement. Used a GoodRx website or app? Read our GoodRx settlement guide.

Paid a fee at a store ATM? See the ATM fee settlement. You can also search for unclaimed money for free.

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