Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Kia has issued a recall of 380,000 Sportage 4×4 and Cadenza cars in the United States of America due to a problem that could cause a fire in it.
Until the problem is resolved, Kia and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are warning owners to keep their vehicles parked outside and away from their homes, buildings or surrounding vehicles to prevent any potential fire from spreading.
The recall applies to some 2017 through 2021 “Sportage” models and on some 2017 through 2019 “Cadenza” cars that are not equipped with the intelligent cruise control system.
The intelligent cruise control system allows the car to use radar to automatically maintain a safe distance between other vehicles on the highway. Kia said vehicles equipped with cruise control may participate in the recall process.
Some electronic circuits under the hood of recalled cars can develop a short circuit that leads to overheating and possibly fire, according to documents published on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
Kia said in a statement that owners of vehicles participating in the recall will be notified by mail starting April 30.
Owners can also visit the safercar.gov website and enter the 17-digit vehicle identification number to verify if their vehicle is among those recalled.
Kia will replace the valves to prevent too much power from flowing to affected circuit boards. In some cases, the vehicle’s software will also be updated. Customers will not be charged any fees for repairs.
Hyundai, a major shareholder in Kia, recalled 82,000 electric SUVs recently due to a problem with vehicle battery packs that could cause fires as well.
