Kia has issued a recall for 308,000 of its vehicles, including the 2017 to 2019 Cadenza sedan and the 2017 to 2021 Sportage due to the risk of an electric short-circuit in the engine compartment leading to a fire, according to documents on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. Kia recommends that before owners are able to get the affected part replaced, they should park their vehicles outside and away from structures. Kia Cadenza and Sportage owners can check the NHTSA recalls website to find out if their vehicle is affected.
The electric short occurs within the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit, but the exact cause of the short is unknown. Owners could see the pressure warning light, ABS warning light, or MIL warning light illuminate on the dashboard before the fire starts, or possibly smell or see smoke. Kia will begin notifying owners of the recall beginning on April 30 and dealers will remedy the recall through replacing fuses in the electrical junction box.
Kia said that it is unaware of any fires resulting from the electrical short in the affected Cadenzas and Sportages, but the potential for fires has become a common reason Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been recalled. In the fall of last year, Hyundai and Kia recalled 591,000 vehicles for a brake-fluid leak which could result in a fire. And earlier in the 2020, Hyundai recalled 430,000 Elantra sedans for the potential of water entering the ABS module and starting a fire.
Checking for recalls is easier than you think. Enter your vehicles VIN number at NHTSA recalls site or checktoprotect.org to see if your vehicle has a open recall.
There are more ways to follow the Pain In The Pass. Join the Traffic Group on Facebook with over 94,000 members. Join the NEW group on MeWe. Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
