IT PAYS TO STAY ALERT to recalls, or you might find yourself in very hot water. Or flames, as the case may be.
Kia, who appears to have had problems in 2023, 2021 and 2017 with a similar defect with other models, has announced a recall of 104,000 vehicles following the discovery of a fault that may cause the vehicle to catch fire when switched off. Needless to say, Kia has warned owners to park away from “flammable structures”.
The recalls affect vehicles released between 2009 and 2018, including the compact Rio (more than 40,000 affected), Sportage, Soul, Cerato, Optima, Carens and Rondo.
The fault has been detected in the vehicle’s hydraulic electronic control unit, and it may short circuit if exposed to water.
Kia had to recall 3.3 million vehicles in the US in 2023 when faulty hydraulic control units caused one engine fire, three unit fires and six incidents that resulted in certain components melting.
Kia has said it will contact vehicle owners to notify them, and the repair should take half an hour. Owners, however, are urged to check their recall status on the Kia website.