Kia is to recall some 71,000 Sorento and Sportage SUVs due to a potential fire issue that might be caused by an accessory. This is, more specifically, the circuit board for the wiring harness (tow hitch).
Recalls concerning potential problems that might lead to fires are piling up at the Hyundai-Kia group, without necessarily being interrelated. Sometimes the cause was under the hood, but sometimes it was somewhere else, as was the case recently with the Palisade (Hyundai) and Telluride (Kia) SUVs being brought to the shop for a possible problem with a circuit board. printed in an accessory of the towing system.
Kia is adding 71,000 units to the list for a similar problem. The Palisade and Telluride were recalled due to contaminants and moisture on the circuit board. The Sorento and Sportage problem is due to chloride contamination on the circuit boards. The latter took place during the manufacture of the vehicles, damaging the cards in the process.
As was the case last month, the issue only affects vehicles equipped with the “Trailer hitch: wiring harness” accessory; the accessory may have been installed at the port or at a dealer before or following the sale. The recalled vehicles are:
• Kia Sorento 2016 to 2022, manufactured between October 27, 2014 and September 12, 2022.
• Kia Sorento hybrid 2021 to 2023, assembled between September 2, 2020 and August 31, 2022.
• Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 2022 and 2023, built between June 29, 2021 and August 30, 2022.
• Kia Sportage 2017 to 2022, manufactured between December 10, 2015 and December 7, 2021.
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Kia says it is not aware of any accidents, injuries or deaths related to this issue. Four fires and 31 incidents where parts have melted have been reported in connection with the recall. Dealers have been ordered to no longer sell this accessory.
And, since circuit boards are live even when the vehicle is turned off, a fire might occur at any time. Kia recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors and away from structures. The manufacturer has not yet found a solution to this problem, but it will start informing owners of the next step to take on November 14.
