Kia has issued a recall that applies to just about 80,000 examples of the Sorento constructed throughout the 2011 mannequin yr. The crossovers included within the marketing campaign can expertise an engine fireplace.
Assigned recall quantity 23V-877 by the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA), the recall consists of 79,812 models of the Sorento, although Kia estimates the problem is current in 1% of those crossovers. It provides that the affected fashions had been constructed between October 24, 2009, and June 24, 2011, in its Georgia plant, that they are powered by the two.4-liter four-cylinder engine, and that they have not had knock sensor detection system software program put in. The recall is not associated to an earlier marketing campaign additionally issued to deal with a possible fireplace threat.
Particulars about the issue are obscure. Kia advised the NHTSA that “an engine compartment fire can occur while driving for many different reasons and depending on the severity of the fire, the identification of the cause can be untraceable.” It provides that it is issuing the recall to “mitigate an unreasonable fire risk due to potential engine damage,” and that indicators of a looming fireplace embody noise, a burning scent, or smoke. The “check engine” gentle may also illuminate within the instrument cluster, however the place or how the fireplace begins hasn’t been launched.
Kia is asking homeowners of affected automobiles to go to a certified dealership so {that a} technician can examine the engine and exchange it if vital. It is also asking sellers to put in knock sensor detection system software program as a safety measure. Vehicles that obtain the software program will profit from an prolonged engine guarantee plan legitimate for 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first, and prospects who’ve already paid to get the issue mounted will be capable to ask for a refund. Kia will start notifying homeowners by mail on February 9, 2024.