Irvine, CA – October 18, 2022 – Kia (OTCMKTS:KIMTF) is recalling 19,701 2023 Kia Sportage SUVs with an electrical issue that may cause them to stall or even catch fire. This can happen while driving, increasing the risk of crash and injury.
Recall summary
The electrical power for a vehicle while it’s running is generated by an alternator. It is connected to the car’s battery with a wire cable, whose connector is held in place with a nut. On affected SUVs, this nut may not have been tightened up sufficiently during assembly.
As such, the nut could become loose and cause a loss of electrical conductivity. This cuts the power supply to the vehicle, causing it to stall. In addition, loose electrical contact may create sparks, which can cause a fire inside the engine compartment.
The component causing this recall is the alternator assembly, with part number 37300-2SGD1.
Recall risks
A stalled vehicle can get hit by oncoming traffic, especially if this happens at high speeds. In addition, potential hazards caused by a fire while driving range from failure to stop and evacuate the car in time to being a threat to other motorists.
Warning signs
Poor electrical connection at the alternator’s terminal will trigger the battery warning light on the dashboard.
Other Kia recalls
There is an urgent Kia Sportage recall issued earlier this month due to the risk of the car tow hitch harness catching fire even if the car is parked. Owners are advised to park their vehicles away from structures. To see the full list of vehicles involved, please visit this page.
In addition to that, there are a number of other Kia fire recalls currently outstanding. See the overview of them here.
Repair
Dealers will check the nut and tighten it as necessary. This repair is free of charge.
Kia sent notifications to vehicle owners on September 23, 2022.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
This Kia fire risk issue is affecting almost 20,000 SUVs. To do a Kia recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
