Kia Sorento

2023: Recall of a thousand defective crossovers due to faulty transmission control software

On February 16, 2023, it became known about the recall in Russia of 5455 Kia Sorento crossovers due to faulty software. The service campaign concerns cars sold on the Russian market from 2021 to 2022.

According to the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart), the reason for the recall of vehicles: periodic shocks when switching to increased gear, vibration when starting and accelerating. All vehicles will be updated with the software of the transmission control module.

Kia Sorento

Authorized representatives of manufacturers of Kia Russia and CIS LLC will inform owners of vehicles subject to feedback by sending letters and/or by phone about the need to provide a vehicle to the nearest dealership for repair work.

At the same time, the owners can independently, without waiting for the message of the authorized dealer, determine whether their vehicle falls under the recall, using the Rosstandart website.

If the car falls under the recall program, the owner of such a car needs to contact the nearest dealership and agree on the time of the visit. All work will be carried out free of charge for owners.

In October 2022, Kia Executive Vice President Wu Chung Chu said that the concern does not exclude the suspension of production and sales of its cars in Russia, leaving only their maintenance. It was clarified that in the first nine months of 2022, Kia sales in Russia fell by almost 65%. At the same time, in 2022, cars of this brand were among the most popular in Russia.

Kia has a plant in St. Petersburg, which is managed by the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus legal entity. The annual capacity of the enterprise is 200,000 cars.^[1]

2022: Recall of a thousand hybrids that for no reason light up in parking lots

On September 27, 2022, it became known that Kia was recalling about 70 thousand of its Sorento and Sportage SUV models from 2016-2022 due to the likelihood of their sudden ignition.

The automaker strongly recommends owners of affected cars park on the street and away from any structures due to a faulty traction and coupling device for seat belts, which can cause fires, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Kia Sorento Hybrid 2022

This recall complements the previous one released by the Korean automaker in August 2022, which recommended that owners of some models of 36 thousand Kia Telluride SUVs park on the street due to a similar problem.

The extended recall affects some 2016-2022 Sorento models, 2021-2023 Sorento Hybrid, 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and 2017-2022 Sportage. According to Kia estimates, the defect was found in 1% of recalled cars.

These cars either come with a built-in traction-coupler or are purchased as an optional accessory. According to NHTSA, dust and moisture can accumulate on the printed circuit board of the farc, which leads to a short circuit.

Kia has received three confirmed reports of fires and 30 reports of "local melting cases" related to this recall. The company's dealers were also ordered to stop selling the coupler accessory. The automaker said there have been no reports of deaths, injuries or accidents.

Kia is still working to fix the fault but said it will notify owners of further action between November 14 and 18, 2022.^[2]

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