OTTAWA: Kia Motors has recalled 12,361 units of Sorento crossover from American market after a new flaw highlighted in the Sorento. Gas pedal flaw has been highlighted by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The problem is linked to a component manufactured by Canadian firm KSR International. NHTSA documents explain the issue in greater detail:
“A capacitor for the circuit board in the accelerator pedal assembly may have been improperly soldered by KSR International. This could result in a fault code indicating that the sensor circuit was open or there was a ground short, and the illumination of the check engine light and/or electronic stability control indicator light. If this occurs the vehicle will continue to function safely in Limp Home Mode. In certain circumstances, both fault codes can register, causing the engine to go into Forced Idle Mode, thus permitting only minimal vehicle acceleration.”
If the Sorento is unable to accelerate properly, it increases the risk that another vehicle might collide with it. An illuminated check engine light or electronic stability control indicator light could be an early warning sign of the problem.
The recall includes Sorento vehicles built between October 27, 2014 and January 29, 2015. All told, the recall affects 12,361 cars registered in the U.S.
Kia says that it began mailing recall notices to owners on February 19, 2015. When owners receive those notices, they’ll be able to take their vehicles to Kia dealerships, where the accelerator assembly will be replaced, free of charge.