Kia Motors and its parent, Hyundai, have announced a recall of more than half a million cars in the United States. The benching was due to issues which could spark an engine fire.

Specifically, the recall impacts around 380,000 Kia Soul automobiles. These cars are all equipped with 1.6-liter engines and were manufactured between 2012 and 2016. The concern, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is that high exhaust temperatures possibly could corrupt the vehicle’s catalytic converter.

This, in turn, could cause piston-related failure. Even worse, if the piston fails, an engine stall could result which would increase the chances of a crash. At the same time, the NHTSA warns this could also produce a fire if a broken connecting rod pierced the engine block and led to an oil leak.

Kia officials say they plan to contact all owners of the potentially malfunctioning Soul models. Plus, they promise all dealers will make the repairs free of charge. It’s important to note the recall number for this is SC176.

Another Recall

Along with the Soul recall, Kia is also sidelining 32,000 Kia Sportage SUVs made between 2011 and 2012. Unfortunately, the recall blitz doesn’t stop there. One hundred and twenty-three thousand Hyundai Tucson cars built during the years 2011 to 2013 have also been flagged.

The Tucson is being pulled due to a possible engine oil pan leak, which, if not remedied, could also spark a fire or engine damage. NHTSA officials stress that the fix for this is still under development. They’ve promised to notify owner from April 10, 2019. The number for this particular recall is SC174.

Also, the company has provided a page where Tucson owners can plug in their vehicle ID number to find out more.

Finally, another recall at the car manufacturer concerns 95,000 Kid Sedona minivans built between the years of 2015 and 2018. At issue here is the wiring below the front passenger’s Occupant Detection System (ODS) is liable to break.

In the event the ODS wiring harness splits or breaks, it may stop the front passenger airbag from deploying during a crash. If this happens, the risk of injury to a child (in a child seat) in the front passenger seat increases.

Kia’s number for this recall is SC175.

Questions or Concerns?

Customers can call Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542 or Hyundai at 1-800-633-5155 for details on any of the above recalls.