Wed 10 March 2021:
Kia says if you have one of the company’s 380,000 recalled vehicles, you should park it outside.
The Korean automaker is recalling certain 2017 through 2021 Sportage SUVs and 2017 through 2019 Cadenza sedans to fix the problem. The company says a short circuit in the hydraulic electronic brake control unit can cause excessive current, increasing the risk of a fire. Owners should also park them away from structures until repairs are made.
That’s because of a potential engine compartment fire risk.
Some Sportage SUVs made between 2017 and 2021, as well as Cadenza sedans from 2017 through 2019, can have a short circuit in the hydraulic electronic brake control unit. Excessive current can increase fire risk, The Associated Press reported.
The vehicles do not have the company’s Smart Cruise Control system.
Owners might be alerted to the issue by dashboard warning lights. They may also smell an odor of burning or melting, the AP reported.
Owners will get notifications in April. Dealers will replace fuses in the electrical junction box to prevent fires.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had been investigating Kia along with Hyundai since 2019, taking a look at engine fires, after the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety asked for an investigation.
In November, NHTSA announced that Kia and Hyundai must pay $137 million in fines and for safety improvements because they moved too slowly to recall more than 1 million vehicles with engines that can fail. The fines resolve a government probe into the companies’ behavior involving recalls of multiple models dating to the 2011 model year.
Kia was to pay $27 million and invest $16 million in safety performance measures. Another $27 million payment will be deferred as long as Kia meets safety conditions, NHTSA said.
Engine failure and fire problems with Hyundais and Kias have affected more than 6 million vehicles since 2015, according to NHTSA documents.
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