— A Kia Sportage engine fire recall announced in 2016 apparently didn't prevent the SUVs from catching fire.
Now Kia has announced a second Kia engine fire recall of more than 71,000 model year 2008-2009 Sportage SUVs, but the automaker doesn't know how dealers will fix the vehicles.
A 2008-2009 Kia Sportage fire can occur if the SUV is parked or while driving, and owners are warned to park outside and away from things that could burn.
The first Kia Sportage engine fire recall was issued in November 2016 for 2008-2009 models due to corrosion from improper sealing of the hydraulic electronic control unit wiring harness covers.
Kia dealers were told to inspect the connector pins for corrosion and to replace the connector covers if no corrosion was found. But the hydraulic electronic control units were also to be replaced if dealers saw evidence of corrosion.
Kia Sportage Engine Fires Continue After Recall
In August 2022 Kia received a report about a 2008 Sportage that caught fire while parked and the electronic control unit had been replaced during the 2016 engine fire recall.
Kia investigated customer complaints and discovered heat damage in the area of the hydraulic electronic control units in 15 Sportage SUVs. All the vehicles had the connector covers replaced during the 2016 Sportage recall.
A Kia engineer inspected a 2008 Sportage and determined the fire originated in the front right corner of the engine compartment in the area of the electronic control unit. However, there was too much fire damage to determine what caused the fire.
In the case of a 2009 Kia Sportage fire, engineers found corroded wiring near the connector and foreign substances or corrosion on the printed circuit board.
According to the documents related to the Kia Sportage engine fire recall, the automaker is aware of eight vehicle fires and 15 localized melting incidents between April 2017 and September 2022.
Although there have been no crashes, injuries or deaths, Kia still doesn't know the root cause of the Sportage fires.
Kia Sportage engine fire recall letters are expected to be mailed December 22, 2022. Because the cause of the fires is undetermined, so is the recall remedy.
Concerned Kia Sportage owners should call 800-333-4542 and ask about engine fire recall SC253.
