PRODUCT RECALL: Federal Safety Agency Announces Recall of Kia cars over Fire Risk

September 2, 2010

Washington DC - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced the recall of more than 35,000 Kia vehicles over its potential risk of fire to consumers, reports said.

Kia Motors America, based in Irvine, confirmed the report saying the recall was made after it was found that a faulty wiring harness could lead to short circuit and start a fire. The affected vehicles include its Soul and Sorento 2010 models.

NHTSA said the defective wiring parts are used for lighting the luminescent speakers of the Soul while the wiring used for interior accent lighting in the front and rear door panels of the Sorento were improperly soldered.

Although no crashes related to the defects were reported yet, the NHTSA has already received four complaints of fire regarding the Soul model.

The recall would affect nearly 23,972 Soul models and 11,213 Sorentos, the car company said.

On the other hand, Kia dealers have pledged to replace the wiring harness in affected vehicles for free.