If you received a letter or email about an ACU settlement and are wondering whether it’s legitimate, yes — the airbag control unit settlements are real and court-approved. They come out of a federal class action called In Re: ZF-TRW Airbag Control Units Products Liability Litigation, and more than $149 million in settlements have been reached with Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi. The official claim websites are airbagcontrolunitsettlement.com for Toyota owners and acusettlement.com for Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi owners.
How to Confirm Your Notice Is Real
A genuine notice will reference the case name In Re: ZF-TRW Airbag Control Units Products Liability Litigation and the case number 2:19-ml-02905 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. It will direct you to one of two official websites:
- airbagcontrolunitsettlement.com for Toyota vehicles
- acusettlement.com for Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi vehicles
Your notice should include a unique ID that you’ll use when filing online.{1ClassAction.org. $62M Hyundai-Kia Settlement Resolves Lawsuit Over Alleged Airbag Deployment System Defect}
The settlements are run by two established claims administrators appointed by the court. Kroll Settlement Administration handles the Toyota settlement and can be reached at 1-833-747-5737 or info@airbagcontrolunitsettlement.com.{2Kroll Settlement Administration. Toyota Airbag Control Unit Settlement Claim Form} JND Legal Administration handles the Hyundai-Kia and Mitsubishi settlements and can be reached at 1-866-287-0740 or HKinfo@ACUSettlement.com.{3ACU Settlement. Hyundai-Kia ACU Settlement FAQs}
One hard rule: a legitimate settlement will never ask you to pay a fee to file a claim, and the administrator will not ask for a bank account or Social Security number before a claim has been approved for payment. A message asking for money or sensitive financial details up front is not from the real settlement.
What the Settlements Are About
The airbag control unit, or ACU, is the electronic module that detects a crash and tells the airbags and seat belt pretensioners to fire. ZF-TRW made ACUs containing a chip called the DS84 ASIC. Plaintiffs alleged the chip was vulnerable to electrical surges caused when wiring in a vehicle’s front end tears apart during a collision, and that those surges could cause the ACU to shut down at the moment of impact — leaving airbags and seat belts inert. There is no warning light that tells an owner the system has been compromised.{4Top Class Actions. Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Defective Air Bag Control Unit Is Vulnerable in Crashes}{5JPML. MDL No. 2905 Transfer Order}
NHTSA linked the defect to at least eight deaths before the litigation began.{6NBC Philadelphia. US Expands ZF-TRW Air Bag Failure Probe} All of the automakers that settled deny liability and agreed to pay to end the litigation rather than as an admission.{7Airbag Control Unit Settlement. Toyota Airbag Control Unit Settlement}
Toyota Settlement — $78.5 Million
Toyota’s $78.5 million settlement in cash and credits received final approval on November 28, 2023. An appeal was dismissed on December 11, 2025.{7Airbag Control Unit Settlement. Toyota Airbag Control Unit Settlement}
Covered Toyota models:
- 2011–2019 Corolla
- 2011–2013 Corolla Matrix
- 2012–2018 Avalon and 2013–2018 Avalon Hybrid
- 2012–2019 Tacoma
- 2012–2017 Tundra
- 2012–2017 Sequoia
Benefits include reimbursement for recall-related expenses such as rental cars, towing, and lost wages; a residual cash payment of up to $250 per vehicle, available even if you had no out-of-pocket costs; a 12-year extended warranty on new parts installed during the recall; and an inspection program for vehicles involved in crashes where safety systems failed to work.{8Airbag Control Unit Settlement. Toyota ACU Settlement FAQs}
The deadline to file a Toyota claim is December 11, 2028.{7Airbag Control Unit Settlement. Toyota Airbag Control Unit Settlement}
Hyundai and Kia Settlement — $62.1 Million
Hyundai and Kia agreed to pay $62,100,100. The court granted final approval on October 8, 2025, after a fairness hearing on September 29, 2025.{9ACU Settlement. Hyundai-Kia ACU Settlement Important Dates}
Covered Hyundai models:
- 2011–2019 Sonata and 2011–2019 Sonata Hybrid
- 2018–2023 Kona and 2022–2023 Kona N
- 2019–2021 Veloster
Covered Kia models:
- 2010–2013 Forte and 2010–2013 Forte Koup
- 2011–2020 Optima and 2011–2016 Optima Hybrid
- 2011–2012 and 2014 Sedona
Eligibility depends on your specific VIN, which you can check with the lookup tool at acusettlement.com/hyundaikia.{1ClassAction.org. $62M Hyundai-Kia Settlement Resolves Lawsuit Over Alleged Airbag Deployment System Defect}
Owners of recalled vehicles can receive up to $350; owners of unrecalled covered vehicles can receive up to $150. These residual payments are available to any valid class member, regardless of whether you spent anything out of pocket.{10ACU Settlement. Hyundai-Kia Airbag Control Unit Settlement} Owners of recalled vehicles can also seek reimbursement for rental cars, towing, childcare, repair costs, and lost wages tied to the recall.{11NHTSA. Hyundai-Kia ACU Settlement Service Bulletin} The settlement adds a 10-year warranty on new parts installed during the recall and an inspection program for vehicles involved in crashes where airbags or seat belts failed.{}
To file, you’ll need your 17-digit VIN plus any receipts or invoices supporting out-of-pocket expenses. If you don’t have receipts, a signed affidavit can substitute. Claims can be submitted at acusettlement.com/hyundaikia or by mail.{3ACU Settlement. Hyundai-Kia ACU Settlement FAQs}
The deadline to file a Hyundai-Kia claim is April 8, 2027.{9ACU Settlement. Hyundai-Kia ACU Settlement Important Dates}
Mitsubishi Settlement — $8.5 Million (Claim Deadline Passed)
Mitsubishi’s $8.5 million settlement received final approval on April 22, 2025. Covered vehicles were the 2013–2017 Lancer, 2013–2015 Lancer Evolution and Lancer Ralliart, 2013–2016 Lancer Sportback, and 2013 Outlander. Class members could receive up to $250 per covered vehicle, and the settlement included a 10-year inspection program for frontal crashes where airbags or pretensioners failed.{12ClassAction.org. $8.5 Million Mitsubishi Settlement Resolves Airbag Defect Litigation}
The claim filing deadline for Mitsubishi owners was May 23, 2026, and has passed.{13ACU Settlement. Mitsubishi ACU Settlement Important Dates}
What to Do If You Own a Covered Vehicle
Start with your VIN. Enter it on airbagcontrolunitsettlement.com if you have a Toyota, or acusettlement.com if you have a Hyundai, Kia, or Mitsubishi. The lookup will tell you whether the vehicle is included and which benefits apply.
Gather any records you have of recall-related costs — repair invoices, rental car receipts, towing bills, lost-wage documentation. You can still file for the residual cash payment with just your VIN if you have no expenses to document. For the Hyundai-Kia settlement, a signed affidavit is accepted in place of missing receipts.
Watch the deadlines. Hyundai and Kia owners have until April 8, 2027. Toyota owners have until December 11, 2028. Mitsubishi’s window has already closed. If you’re unsure whether a letter or email you received is the real notice, call the administrator for the relevant settlement directly using the phone number listed above, rather than any number provided in a suspicious message.
One boundary worth flagging: these settlements resolve the class claims against Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi. Honda and Fiat Chrysler were also named as defendants in the broader MDL, and ZF-TRW itself remains a defendant; the file does not indicate settlements have been reached with those parties.{14CourtListener. In Re ZF-TRW Airbag Control Units Products Liability Litigation} If you own a Honda or an FCA vehicle, a notice referencing one of the four current settlements wouldn’t apply to you.