Photo: Kia
After Hyundai announced the recall of 129,000 vehicles over an issue with the connecting rod bearing, Kia has followed suit with many more. No fewer than 294,756 vehicles are under recall stateside, and one percent of them are estimated to exhibit the dangerous condition.
First things first, let’s gloss over the culprits. In no particular order, Kia is calling back the 2012 to 2013 model year Sorento, 2012 Sportage, 2012 to 2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011 to 2013 Optima Hybrid, as well as the 2014 to 2015 Soul. The engines fitted to these vehicles are the four-cylinder 2.4-liter Theta II MPI and 2.0-liter Nu GDI, and their problem boils down to “potential excessive connecting rod bearing wear.”
If the bearing fails, the connecting rod may puncture the engine block. If that’s not troublesome enough, bear in mind that oil leakage may also translate to a fire under the hood of the said vehicles.
Just like Hyundai, the sister brand has instructed dealerships to inspect these powerplants and repair or replace the engines if necessary. In addition to hardware, Kia will also add a preventive measure in the guise of Knock Sensor Detection System software. Upon completing this update, Kia will provide 15 years or 150,000 miles of warranty “for long-block assembly repairs needed due to connecting rod bearing damage.”
All known owners of subject vehicles are to be notified by first-class mail on January 27th, but you don’t have to wait that long to make sure if your Kia is under recall. More to the point, you can either call your nearest dealership or you can run the VIN on NHTSA's website.
If the bearing fails, the connecting rod may puncture the engine block. If that’s not troublesome enough, bear in mind that oil leakage may also translate to a fire under the hood of the said vehicles.
Just like Hyundai, the sister brand has instructed dealerships to inspect these powerplants and repair or replace the engines if necessary. In addition to hardware, Kia will also add a preventive measure in the guise of Knock Sensor Detection System software. Upon completing this update, Kia will provide 15 years or 150,000 miles of warranty “for long-block assembly repairs needed due to connecting rod bearing damage.”
All known owners of subject vehicles are to be notified by first-class mail on January 27th, but you don’t have to wait that long to make sure if your Kia is under recall. More to the point, you can either call your nearest dealership or you can run the VIN on NHTSA's website.
Oh, and by the way, did you know the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recently fined Kia and Hyundai $210 million after the Korean companies failed to recall 1.6 million vehicles? On its own, Kia has to pay a $70 million civil penalty split into $27 million upfront payment, a $27 million deferred penalty, and $16 million for "advanced safety measures."
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