Kia is recalling a wide range of vehicles because of a single issue that could cause a host of complications. Because so many things could go wrong due to the defect, it’s imperative that consumers take the problem seriously.
The recall pertains to Sportage, Sedona, Sorento, Optima, Soul, and Rondo vehicles. Depending on the specific type of vehicle, affected models are going to be somewhere between the 2007 and 2011 model years. It all adds up to a grand total of 623,658 vehicles that could suffer from the defect.
These vehicles will each have a stop lamp switch that could fail. The results of this could be manifold. Some occurrences could have minor repercussions, i.e. a light signaling a failure of the Electronic Stability Control could inadvertently turn on. It may also prevent a driver’s ability to move his or her vehicle. The Push Button Starter might fail at certain intervals, and there’s also a possibility that a driver won’t be able to shift the vehicle away from Park.
Other issues could result in serious crash threats. A user might activate the cruise control but be unable to deactivate that function when they press the brakes. Brake lights might also not come on when they should, leading drivers behind affected vehicles to potentially rear-end them.
Although Kia intends to notify vehicle owners next month and correct the issue eventually, the parts necessary to carry out repairs are apparently not readily available at this point. Once they are, consumers should receive a second notification. Until then, drive safely and consider alternate transportation so that you aren’t endangered.