The Kia Sportage is the South Korean brand's best-selling car in the US, but this American-made crossover has had its ups and downs, including a recent recall, and now there's more bad news on the horizon: it's being recalled yet again.

Nearly 80,000 2023 Kia Sportage vehicles are being recalled for an issue related to the airbag system after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance found that the driver's side curtain airbag didn't deploy as it should. The airbags may have been twisted during the installation process.

The recall affects Kia Sportage vehicles produced between January 12, 2022, and November 17, 2022. The exact number of recalled vehicles totals 76,918 cars.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified of the recall via first-class mail and are encouraged to visit their nearest Kia dealership for a free inspection.

If a fault is found, Kia will replace the airbag free of charge, and any owners who had the problem fixed out of their own pocket will be reimbursed.

The latest recall comes as a surprise, as the Korean brand recently walked away with one of the top rankings for the JD Power 2022 US Vehicle Dependability Study.

The new Sportage was recalled in September due to a possible fire risk. The issue stemmed from a loose alternator battery nut that could cause the vehicle to stall or, in some cases, cause an electrical surge that could start a fire. In that case, 19,701 cars built between January 12 and August 8 last year were recalled.

The 2023 Kia Sportage is one of our favorite compact SUVs and is all-new for 2023. The new Sportage features a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 187 horsepower, or if you're after something more frugal and powerful, the Plug-in hybrid offers a 1.6-liter turbo engine and electric motor for a total of 261 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

The hybrid is priced at $38,490 and offers an all-electric range of 34 miles and a targeted 84 MPGe. We wouldn't let a faulty airbag stand in the way of an otherwise fantastic car.