Kia Motors America: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module
Kia Motors America reported this defect to federal regulators on Aug 27, 2020 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 440,370. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
Park away from buildings
NHTSA attached a park-outside advisory to this campaign. It applies to specific production runs, so check your own VIN with the manufacturer or at nhtsa.gov/recalls before driving the vehicle.
The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
The risk
If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
The remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.
5 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Optima | 1,010 | 4 | 74 | 31 |
| 2015 Kia Sorento | 755 | 3 | 14 | 21 |
| 2014 Kia Optima | 591 | 7 | 43 | 20 |
| 2014 Kia Sorento | 988 | 6 | 46 | 23 |
| 2013 Kia Optima | 1,387 | 9 | 114 | 48 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 20V519000.
Full record for the 2015 Kia Optima → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →