Hyundai, Kia Recall Expands Due to Risk of Engine Fires
Last month, Kia Motors and Hyundai Motor Co. announced a recall for 168,000 vehicles due to engine fire risks. Now, they’ve expanded the fire-risk recall to include an additional 378,000 vehicles.
The expansion of this recall brings the total number of recalled vehicles to almost 2.4 million in the past four years. One of the recalls, which encompassed 1.6 million vehicles that were at-risk of engine stalling, prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to open an investigation into Hyundai-Kia in 2017. Through this investigation, the NHTSA aimed to determine whether the recall had been issued in a timely manner. In 2018, they expanded their investigation after receiving over 550 submitted complaints about fires and fire-collisions.
The vehicles affected by the Feb. 28, 2019 recall include:
– 1.6-liter engine Kia Soul SUVs (2012-2016)
– Hyundai Tucson SUVs (2011-2013)
– Kia Sportage SUVs (2011-2012)
The vehicles affected by the January’s recall include:
– Kia Optima Sedan (2011-2014)
– Kia Sorento SUVs (2012-2014)
– Kia Sportage SUVs (2011-2013)
– Hyundai Sonatas (2011-2014)
– Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (2013-2014)
The Center for Auto Safety has been vocal in its criticism of Hyundai-Kia’s delay in issuing and expanding the recall. In a letter submitted to legislators on Feb. 27, the center demanded Hyundai-Kia be held legally responsible for their failure to do so: “the Center for Auto Safety urges Congress to investigate why Kia and Hyundai have refused to fully address this dangerous defect and why the political leadership of the agency responsible for overseeing highway and traffic safety has allowed such continued malfeasance.”
If you are the owner of a recalled Hyundai-Kia vehicle and have been injured as a result of this product defect, consider contacting the attorneys at D’Arcy Johnson Day for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. You can submit a free legal consultation form online, call the office at (609) 641-6200, or request more information at info@djdlawyers.com.
As a partner with D'Arcy Johnson Day, Andrew D'Arcy has been involved in some of the nation’s most high-profile cases and investigations. His practice includes serious automobile accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death and product defect cases. Andrew has been personally responsible for numerous multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of his clients. He has been recognized by his peers as an "AV" rated attorney, the highest possible rating given by Martindale-Hubbell publication. Andrew has been named a "Super Lawyer" by New Jersey Monthly magazine each year consistently since 2013.
One Comment
David Halperin
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY THE 2012 KIA FORTE, SAME ENGINE AS OTHERS KIA RECALLED, HAS NOT BEEN AMONG THE RECALLED / REPLACED ENGINES? HERE'S OUR LATEST STORY:
For the second time, on Friday, April 19, 2019, our KIA Forte AGAIN hesitated while doing routine driving in Ocala, Fl and, this time, after many "hesitations" then COMPLETELY STALLED OUT as she entered our community. This was the second time we had a similar problem - the first, in mid March 2019 while driving to Tampa, Fl in I-75, when I hit the gas to maintain speed uphill and the car suddenly LURCHED as if downshifting but not shifting properly; it then ran after backing off the gas but at each stoplight after we got off the highway, the engine tried to "die out" unless I feathered the gas pedal while putting the car in neutral. When the stop light turned green, the car would not accelerate or shift properly until I manually shifted the transmission. We took the car to Jenkins KIA Ocala Fl in mid March 2019, at which time they said they "...couldn't find a specific code..." or anything wrong, charging me $60 for 3 hours looking at it. Now, the situation re-ocurred once again but this time, the car completely died. My wife managed to restart the car and get it home, but nevertheless, SOMETHING IS WRONG with this vehicle, codes or not. I did run an OBD-II scan on the car and found no codes but this time it did indicate a yellow caution light indicating that "...several sensors not reporting..." which never resolved itself. I then moved the vehicle out of our driveway and it started fine, but when I shut it off a few minutes later, it shut down with vibrations sounding like "a big shaking jar of golf balls". Explain it to me.
In the first KIA service appointment in March, they found nothing wrong, but theorized that a "transmission temperature sensor" might be bad but could be replaced for $623...but that was not a definite conclusion. I elected to wait at the advice of the KIA service manager to see if the problem happened again. It did on April 19, and we again took it to KIA Ocala Fl and dropped it off on Easter Sunday morning to my great irritation. They say they still can't figure out the problem. I warned KIA that this 2012 Forte has that awful recalled "Theta II" 4 cylinder GDI engine and if that's the issue it too should be replaced like the Optima, Sedona and Soul engines were by KIA's recall (why didn't KIA recall Forte's too?). Anyway, there is something seriously wrong with this vehicle that Jenkins KIA Ocala Fl sold us just over 8 months ago. Whether is some transmission temperature sensor (theory) or if the Theta-II engine is failing as it has in the Optima and Soul for the same model years, something is wrong and needs fixing. One service guy at KIA even said "I'll tell you right now it's the catalytic converter..." without even looking at the car - in short, they are making things up as they go. I hope this posting and website might get into this and find a reasonable solution. We are totally frustrated and considering whatever other action is necessary to get this resolved. Does anyone have any ideas??
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