Kia Problems and News Tagged #recall

The relief plunger in the 2017-2018 Forte's oil pump can get clogged and needs to be fixed.

And here I was thinking plungers were for removing clogs. In this case, foreign particulates can slip their way past the oil filter and stick onto the plunger's sharp edge, causing reduced oil pressure and engine lubrication that can cause irreversible damage if left untreated.…

Kia is recalling 167,000 Soul and Seltos vehicles in North America that may need a new (Nu) engine because of improperly heat-treated piston oil rings.

The rings are harder than normal and can chip or scuff the cylinder bore. This could cause a range of problems from excessive oil consumption to a siezed connecting rod bearing and a total loss of power.

And while it's only happened in "limited cases", there's a whole busted connecting rod blasting a hole through the engine block, allowing oil to leak into the exhaust system where it'll catch on fire and burn the car to the ground situation to worry about.…

Kia is recalling the Sportage over concerns that oil pan leaks could stall the engine or set it on fire.

The automaker says there was a problem during the assembly of the oil pan seals for the 2011-2012 model years. Now they want owners to watch out for signs of a problem – oil pools on the ground, check engine lights, a wall of flames shooting out of your hood, etc. You know, subtle stuff like that. Kia doesn’t know how they’ll fix the problem and they don’t plan on contacting owners about the recall until April 10, 2019.

Kia is recalling certain Sedona minivans because the front passenger airbag can deploy when there’s a child in the seat.

The occupant detection system (ODS) is supposed to disable the airbag if it detects that the occupant is a child because airbags deploy with too much force to be safe for our little ones. However, the wiring harness for the ODS is breaking when people sit in the front passenger seat which is, you know … typically what people do with seats. If the harness breaks, the passenger airbag will deploy regardless of who is in the seat. The issue affects the 2015-2018 model years with manually-adjusted front passenger seats.

Over 379,000 Souls are at risk of burning in eternal damnation … due to damaged catalytic converters and connecting rod failures.

Wait, you knew I was talking about the Kia Soul, right? The automaker has admitted that hot exhaust gas is overheating the catalytic converters. Additionally, piston damage and busted connecting rods can puncture the engine block and let oil leak onto the hot exhaust. In other words, these things are a tinder box and the recall can’t come fast enough.

Kia is recalling nearly 68,000 engines with fuel tubes that were misaligned, improperly tightened, or otherwise damaged during installation.

This lets gas can spray out onto hot surfaces and is the perfect recipe for engine fires. To make matters worse, these engines were the replacements for recalled engines that suffered from knocking and seizing due to widespread oil flow problems. Yeesh.…

A small, but important recall has been issued for just under a hundred 2018 Sorentos.

The cowl crossbars that connect to the motor-driven power steering column may not have been welded properly. If the welds are too weak the power steering columns could separate. That seems less than ideal if you’re a fan of being able to control your SUV.

Want to know if your vehicle is involved? Grab your VIN, give Kia a call at 800-333-4542, and ask about recall number SC167.

Part of the Niro’s hybrid system is overheating to the point where it might start a fire, leading to a recall of 27,000 vehicles.

The power relay assembly tested by Kia is located underneath the rear seat, but a bad connection between the main relay contacts can cause increased electrical resistance that generates heat.

Don’t let anyone tell you that the Niro comes with seat heaters in the back row.

The 2018 Sorento has been recalled before we even had a chance to flip our calendars to the new year.

The inflator in the side curtain airbag module is equipped with a "top hat diffuser" that may not have been formed properly during manufacturing. If the side curtain airbag deploys in a crash, the airbag may not deploy correctly to protect an occupant in a crash.

My favorite antidote, however, is this little nugget—The diffuser can also detach and hit occupants when the airbags deploy.

Talk about insult to injury.

Kia is recalling the Forte and the I had no idea they even made this Forte Koup for brake light issues.

The problem is caused by the material used to make the brake pedal stopper pad that is located between the brake light switch and the brake pedal arm … Kia says the material can fall apart over time and allow the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released.

When these things happen, the brake lights can turn – and stay on – even when you’re not stopping. This is just another in a long line of brake light switch problems for Kia. In 2013, they recalled more than 600,000 vehicles and then issued a follow-up recall in 2015.

Kia is recalling the 2014-2016 Kia Soul and Soul EV because previous recalls didn’t work.

[The car’s] pinion plugs can allow the pinion gears to separate from the steering gear assemblies. That's king-size trouble for a driver because all steering control will be lost while traveling at any speed.

The [first recall](http://www.kiacomplaints.com /news/2014/kia-recalls-51k-souls/) was made back in 2014 with a follow-up recall the next year. A 3rd recall? It’s time Kia does some Soul searching … you had to know that was coming.

A small number (62) of 2017 Sorento SUVs have defective crankshafts, forcing a recall that starts next month.

Kia also says it's possible failed crankshafts could cause fires, so dealers will need to inspect the crankshafts and if needed, replace the engine sub assemblies.

If your crankshaft breaks it’s going to be a bad day. A fire would just be the cherry on top.

**A

mall number of Niro CUVs need new power steering connectors. Kia is recalling 135 model year 2017 Niro crossover SUVs that can lose power steering due to damaged motor driven power steering connectors.

This is a small recall, but affected owners shouldn’t wait to get it resolved when the recall starts on April 7, 2017.

2017 Cadenza owners are going to want to stop and checkout this recall.

Kia is recalling 47 model year 2017 Kia Cadenza cars with brake vacuum hoses that can kink and cause problems with braking performance.

At the very least, this isn’t going to help with your stopping distances and it will most likely happen without warning.

There is a single 2016 Optima owner out there that needs a new airbag, and Kia is issuing a recall just for them.

Kia is recalling one (1) model year 2016 Kia Optima to fix the end seal for the driver-side frontal airbag inflator that may not have been installed correctly.

And you thought you were having a bad day.

Corrode on me once, shame on you. Corrode on me twice ... well, shame on you again.

For the second time, the Kia Sedona has been recalled to fix front lower control arms that can break from corrosion. This time Kia is going to replace the arms that weren't fixed before, and add an extra applcation of an anti-corrosion coating.

The problem affects vans that were originally sold, or currently registered in, the salt belt states.…

Did you know most cars have a "fail-safe" secondary latch that is supposed to keep the hood closed in case the primary latch fails?

Well, that secondary latch is failing in the 2006-2014 Sedona, leaving the possibility that the hood could fly open while driving. The secondary latch is most likely failing due to corrosion from road salt, and that's why Kia has split the recall into two parts:…

Soul and Soul EV vehicles can suffer a complete loss of steering after the steering pinion gear separates.

Over 256,000 Kia Soul cars are recalled to fix problems that can cause a complete loss of steering. The recalled cars include the 2014-2016 Kia Soul and Soul EV that have weak adhesive used to secure the steering pinion gear to the steering gear assembly.

This isn’t the first time Kia has issued a recall for this problem. That’s soul annoying.

Kia Recalls 51,000 Souls?

OK, that headline is a bad play on words but the problem prompting the recall is a worse day waiting to happen. The automaker is recalling over 51,000 model year 2014 Kia Soul cars because the ability to steer the cars could go from good to none. Kia said a plug that secures the pinion gear to the steering gear can loosen and cause a complete loss of steering.

The problem was discovered during an internal investigation opened after three warranty claims. Thankfully there were no crashes reported.