Some harnesses supplied by Johnson Controls for lighting in 2010 model-year Soul cars and 2011 model-year Sorento SUVs were improperly soldered, leading to possible electrical shorts, Kia said in a letter to US safety regulators on August 30. There were no reports of accidents or injuries due to the issue, which was identified in June, said Kia, an affiliate of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. Kia determined that a recall was needed on August 23.
Through August, Kia Soul sales had more than doubled in the United States to nearly 44,000 from the first eight months of 2009. The Soul has been marketed to the same younger drivers targeted by Toyota Motor Corp’s Scion brand. Kia will replace the wiring harnesses, it said.
The US recall covers 23,972 Soul cars produced from September 7, 2009, through June 8, 2010, and 11,213 Sorento vehicles built from October 23, 2009, through July 30, 2010, according to the notice filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA also has opened a probe into steering problems in the 2011 model-year Hyundai Sonata sedan.