Kia recalls vehicles with loose headliners

Kia recalls vehicles with loose headliners

August 14, 2022 Bojan Popic

Irvine, CA – August 14, 2022 – Kia (OTCMKTS:KIMTF) is recalling 257,998 2012 – 2013 Kia Optima whose headliners  – the vehicles’ ceilings – may detach during a crash and hit the car occupants, increasing the risk of injury. 

Recall summary  

Headliners are plastic panels that are part of the interior trim. They serve two purposes. – One is to conceal the bare metal elements and wiring running above it, and the second is serve as a cushion in a crash.

In affected vehicles, headlines may not be sufficiently secured, allowing them to detach if a side curtain airbag deploys.

Recall risks

A piece of the interior trim that detaches during a crash and flies through the cabin may hit and injure the car occupants. 

Other Kia recalls

Both Kia and its parent company Hyundai are subject to an ongoing U.S. government investigation due to non-crash related fires, as reported.  The last Kia Optima recall due to this issue was in February, also as reported.

There were at least two Kia airbag recalls this year. In February, over 410,000 cars were recalled due to airbags potentially failing to deploy in a crash. In March, Kia Souls were recalled for the same reason, as reported.

Repair

Dealers will use an “industrial-grade adhesive tape” to secure the headliners in place. This repair is free of charge. 

Notifications to vehicle owners will be sent between September 26, 2022 and September 30, 2022. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

This Kia headliner plates’ recall affects more than 200,000 vehicles. To do a Kia recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicKia recalls vehicles with loose headliners
Kia recalls Optima sedans due to risk of fire

Kia recalls Optima sedans due to risk of fire

February 26, 2022 Bojan Popic

Irvine, CA  – February 26, 2022 – Kia (OTCMKTS:KIMTF) is recalling 72,848 2013 – 2014 Kia Optima sedans with 2.0 and 2.4 GDI engines, whose low-pressure fuel lines may develop a leak. This may cause a fire, increasing the risk of injury and a crash. 

These vehicles were affected by an identical recall from February 2020, which apparently failed to solve the issue.

This is the latest recall in a long string of Kia and Hyundai fire-related recalls, as reported.  Both manufacturers are currently subject to a U.S government investigation due to ongoing fire issues spanning millions of vehicles.

Recall summary  

In affected vehicles, the low-pressure fuel line, which goes between the tank and engine, may crack as a result of heat exposure and cause a leak which may lead to a fire.

Background of the recall

This Optima fuel hose issue goes back several years. Kia first addressed it by inspecting the suspected fuel line and replacing those that already developed cracks. As an additional preventive measure, dealers insulated the hose with heat-protective tape to protect it from future deterioration.   

However, on some vehicles, this repair may not have been done properly, necessitating this recall.

The components in question are the fuel feed line, with part numbers 31310-3Q100 for the 2.0L engine and 31310-3Q900 for the 2.4L engine. 

Recall risks

This recall is just of the many Kia and its shareholder Hyundai had to do because of fire-related issues that have been plaguing both manufacturers. You can find out all about the risks caused by vehicle fires in this article about a different Kia fire recall.

Warning signs

A fuel leak would result in a strong gasoline smell and, in case of fire, smoke or melting odor inside the car. In addition, the vehicle may display a malfunction indicator light (MIL) on the dashboard. 

Other Kia Optima recalls

Over 440,000 of 2013-2015 Kia Optimas were recalled in June of last year, also due to the possibility of these cars catching fire because of brake fluid leaking into the cars’ anti-lock brakes (ABS), as reported. For more fire-related Kia recalls, please visit this page.

The repair

Dealers will fix this issue by replacing the low-pressure fuel hose with the updated one. Notifications to vehicle owners will be sent on April 15, 2022.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

This Kia Optima fuel leak recall is affecting more than 700,000 vehicles. To do a Kia recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicKia recalls Optima sedans due to risk of fire
Kia recalls vehicles over risk of engine fire

Kia recalls vehicles over risk of engine fire

November 21, 2021 Bojan Popic

Irvine, CA – January 31, 2022 – The U.S. government auto safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  (NHTSA),  is currently conducting an investigation to see if the remedy offered in this recall was adequate. Please bookmark this page and come back for any updates. You can find more information about why this is happening here or use our free vehicle lookup tool to see if your car is part of a recall.

Irvine, CA  – November 21, 2021 – Kia Motors (OTCMKTS: KIMTF) is recalling 10,731 cars whose engines may stall or catch fire as a result of premature wear, increasing the risk of a crash and injury.

This recall is the newest addition to the long list of fire-related issues that have been plaguing Kia. 

Vehicles that are affected by this recall include:

  • 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid
  • 2018 Kia Optima Hybrid
  • 2017 Kia Optima PHEV
  • 2018 Kia Optima PHEV

Recall summary  

Connecting rod bearings are designed to cut down on the friction between engine parts.

In the affected vehicles, these bearings may suffer from premature wear, which may cause the engine to stall while driving. In addition, the connecting rod can snap and pierce the engine, which may cause an oil leak and result in a fire. 

Background of the recall

This recall is very similar to a recall conducted by Hyundai last year for the same reason. At least six fires have been reported leading up to this recall.

The reasons behind this and other Kia fire-related recalls are not clear. The affected component is the “engine assembly sub” with part number 189N12EH00.

Recall risks

As reported, stalling can lead to dangerous situations, especially if it happens in high-speed traffic. 

A fire inside the engine compartment that occurs while driving has a wide range of potential hazards. For more information, please visit this article.

Warning signs

Warning signs that may alert the driver include vibrations and metallic rattling coming from the engine. In most cases, the “ oil pressure” warning light on the dashboard will be illuminated. If that happens, the driver should stop the vehicle in the first safe spot and turn off the engine to prevent any further damage.

Other Kia Optima recalls 

This recall is one of the eight recalls that came about as a result of an ongoing U.S. government investigation into the reasons behind “non-collision” collision fires that keep affecting Kia vehicles. Other recalls related to this issue include a June recall affecting Kia Optima and Kia Sorento vehicles and one in December of last year affecting Kia Sportage, Kia Sorento and Kia Soul vehicles.

The last 2018 Kia Optima recall was conducted in 2018 due to a risk of stalling while driving.

The repair

As a part of the repair, dealers will inspect the condition of rod bearings. If there are signs of wear, the whole engine will be replaced. Additionally, updated control software that would detect if engines start producing any unusual vibrations will be installed. After the software installation, the warranty for engine block assembly repairs will be extended to 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first.

All repairs are free.

Notifications about the repair will be sent to vehicle owners on November 29, 2021.  

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

This Kia Optima Hybrid engine recall includes more than 10,000 vehicles. To do a Kia recall check, use  MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicKia recalls vehicles over risk of engine fire
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