Kia is now recalling 600,000 plug-in hybrids because there is a risk that the cars will catch fire after a short circuit.
Kia has announced a global recall of over 600,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles due to a potential fire risk caused by a short circuit in a hydraulic clutch actuator.
The problem occurs when water leaks onto the circuit board in the hydraulic clutch actuator. The water can cause the electronics to short-circuit. And in the worst case, this can develop into a fire in the engine compartment.
The affected models include the Kia Ceed and Xceed produced between 2019 and 2023, as well as the Kia Niro produced between 2015 and 2022.
We Car Owners writes.
The owners of these cars will be contacted by Kia and asked to hand in their vehicles to one of the brand's own workshops.
Here, mechanics will examine the hydraulic clutch actuator and replace it if necessary. In addition, a new fuse with a higher capacity will be installed to minimize the risk of short circuits.
Globally, more than 640,000 vehicles are affected by the recall. In the US alone, 75,000 vehicles are potentially affected. Kia says most of the affected vehicles in the US are newer, but some older models may also be affected.
In addition to the global recall, Kia in the United States has announced a separate recall of another 75,000 vehicles. This recall is due to a different type of short circuit that can cause the headlights to fail.
Recalls in the automotive industry have been smaller but just as serious. Last year, Boosted reported on how Ford recalled 5,000 cars that may not be repairable at all due to faulty welding at the factory.
And back at Kia, earlier this month the brand had to recall over 22,000 cars because an employee at the same factory had made a mistake on the assembly line.
The fault may affect a total of 22,883 cars produced between September 25, 2023 and October 15, 2024, because one employee forgot to fasten the second and third rows of seats with seatbelts.
The defect was discovered when a Kia owner complained about loose seats.
