Kia tells owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the US to park it outdoors due to the danger of fire in an engine compartment. The Korean carmaker is recalling certain 2017 to 2021 Sportage sport utility vehicles and 2017 to 2019 Cadenza sedans to solve the problem.
The company says a short circuit in the hydraulic electronic brake control unit can cause excessive current, which increases the risk of fire. Owners must also park it from the building until repairs are done.
The company says the recalled vehicles are not equipped with Kia’s Smart Cruise Control system.
Owners could see tire pressure, anti-lock brakes or other warning lights on their dashboard before the problem arose. They can also smell a burning or melting odor.
Owners will be notified from April 30th. Dealers will replace the fuse in the electrical junction box to solve the problem.
Kia says in documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Road Safety Administration that there are no reports of accidents, fires or injuries.
The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigates Kia and Hyundai engine fires in 2019. The agency opened the investigation after the nonprofit Motor Safety Center filed a petition requesting the investigation. When the investigation began, the agency said it had complaints from owners about more than 3,100 fires, 103 injuries and one death.
In November, NHTSA announced that Kia and Hyundai would have to pay $ 137 million in fines and for safety improvements because they move too slowly to call in more than 1 million vehicles with engines that could break down. The fines include a government investigation into the companies’ behavior with reminders of several models dating back to the 2011 model year.
Kia would pay $ 27 million and invest $ 16 million in safety performance measures. Another $ 27 million will be deferred as long as Kia meets the safety requirements, NHTSA said.
Kia denied the US allegations, but said it wanted to avoid a lengthy legal battle.
According to NHTSA documents, more than 6 million vehicles have been affected by car failure and fire problems with Hyundais and Kias since 2015.