Kia recently announced a recall of over 70,000 vehicles due to a fire risk. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Kia is recalling more than 70,000 vehicles and warning owners to park them outside due to a fire risk, according to documents shared with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Kia is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership.
According to NHTSA, debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete.
The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on Nov. 14. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC249.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
It is an expansion of a Hyundai and Kia recall in August on over 281,000 Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride vehicles, citing fire risks related to an accessory tow hitch that may allow moisture into the harness module, causing a short circuit and potential fire, even if the vehicles are parked and turned off.
That recalls affects 245,030 Model Year 2020-2022 Hyundai Palisade vehicles and 36,417 Model Year 2020-2022 Kia Telluride vehicles.
Due to the fire risk, Hyundai and Kia have also advised all vehicle owners to park their SUVs outside and away from any structures, though owners have been told that they can continue to drive the vehicles.
Tesla is recalling 1 million of its vehicles because the window automatic reversal system may be faulty and present a risk of injury, according to NHTSA.
The automobile company is recalling approximately 1,096,762 of certain 2017-2022 Model 3, 2020-2021 Model Y, and 2021-2022 Model S and Model X vehicles because the window automatic reversal system may not react correctly after detecting an obstruction. The closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, “Power-Operated Window Systems,” according to NHTSA.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update of the automatic window reversal system, free of charge.
DO YOU HAVE A RECALL ON YOUR VEHICLE?
Wondering if your car has any open recalls?
You can easily check it out by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website and plugging in your vehicle identification number (VIN).
The service also reports recalls to tires, children’s car seats and other equipment.
If you plug in your car’s VIN and a recall does not appear, your vehicle most likely has no open recalls. The exception would be if a new recall hasn’t yet posted. It’s a good idea to check back periodically just in case.
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