Photo: Kia / edited
Kia America has recently issued a recall for nearly 320,000 vehicles produced for the US market. Ranging from the soon-to-be-discontinued Rio to the Optima, said vehicles are equipped with a trunk latch base that may crack, thus preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. In other words, the 319,436 potentially affected vehicles may not comply with the requirements of FMVSS number 401 for the internal trunk release.
Kia understood that something might be off in January 2023 during regular monitoring of data from the field. The South Korean automaker got its hands on two warranty-returned parts in February 2023, both exhibiting cracks in the trunk latch base subassembly.
Kia received a further six warranty-returned parts in May 2023. Prior to issuing recall number 23V-594, the South Korean automaker identified a total of 32 reports alleging the inability to open the trunk from the emergency release lever. On the upside, Kia America isn't aware of any injuries resulting from said condition.
Of the 319,436 recalled vehicles, 50,554 comprise 2016 through 2017 model year Rio sedans manufactured between March 2015 and March 2017. A further 258,321 units of the 2016 through 2018 model year Optima are called back, of which 23,986 examples were produced in South Korea rather than the United States.
The final entries are the Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid, namely 2017 through 2018 models assembled at the Hwasung production facility in South Korea. The trunk lid latch assembly of said vehicles might develop a crack in the pawl, rendering the interior emergency release lever inoperative. The assembly bears part numbers 81230-1W010 and 81230-1W030 for the Rio and 81230-D4000 for the Optima.
All three variants were supplied by South Korean company Daedong Door. Dealers nationwide will be instructed by Kia on October 16 to replace the trunk latch base subassembly at no cost to affected owners. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, owners will be notified via first-class mail on October 19 or October 20.
The most affordable Kia in the automaker's US lineup is going the way of the dodo after the 2023 model year due to poor sales and a clear shift towards crossover utility vehicles. Priced at $16,750 in four-door sedan flavor, the Rio rivals the likes of the Mitsubishi Mirage ($15,245 sans destination charge) and Nissan Versa ($15,980).
As you're well aware, the Optima was replaced by the K5 for the 2021 model year. Also a mid-size sedan, the K5 features the N3 platform of the Hyundai Sonata. Available to configure from $25,390 at press time, the K5 is expected to be retired in the near future from the US lineup. The technically similar Sonata is also believed to be canned after this gen runs its course.
Kia received a further six warranty-returned parts in May 2023. Prior to issuing recall number 23V-594, the South Korean automaker identified a total of 32 reports alleging the inability to open the trunk from the emergency release lever. On the upside, Kia America isn't aware of any injuries resulting from said condition.
Of the 319,436 recalled vehicles, 50,554 comprise 2016 through 2017 model year Rio sedans manufactured between March 2015 and March 2017. A further 258,321 units of the 2016 through 2018 model year Optima are called back, of which 23,986 examples were produced in South Korea rather than the United States.
The final entries are the Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid, namely 2017 through 2018 models assembled at the Hwasung production facility in South Korea. The trunk lid latch assembly of said vehicles might develop a crack in the pawl, rendering the interior emergency release lever inoperative. The assembly bears part numbers 81230-1W010 and 81230-1W030 for the Rio and 81230-D4000 for the Optima.
All three variants were supplied by South Korean company Daedong Door. Dealers nationwide will be instructed by Kia on October 16 to replace the trunk latch base subassembly at no cost to affected owners. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, owners will be notified via first-class mail on October 19 or October 20.
The most affordable Kia in the automaker's US lineup is going the way of the dodo after the 2023 model year due to poor sales and a clear shift towards crossover utility vehicles. Priced at $16,750 in four-door sedan flavor, the Rio rivals the likes of the Mitsubishi Mirage ($15,245 sans destination charge) and Nissan Versa ($15,980).
As you're well aware, the Optima was replaced by the K5 for the 2021 model year. Also a mid-size sedan, the K5 features the N3 platform of the Hyundai Sonata. Available to configure from $25,390 at press time, the K5 is expected to be retired in the near future from the US lineup. The technically similar Sonata is also believed to be canned after this gen runs its course.
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