Kia Motors America: Engine
Kia Motors America reported this defect to federal regulators on Dec 2, 2020 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 294,756. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
The risk
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
16 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Forte | 262 | 1 | 20 | 16 |
| 2015 Kia Forte Koup | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 Kia Soul | 902 | 4 | 84 | 34 |
| 2014 Kia Forte | 444 | 3 | 36 | 32 |
| 2014 Kia Forte Koup | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 Kia Soul | 903 | 5 | 69 | 33 |
| 2013 Kia Forte | 195 | 5 | 13 | 16 |
| 2013 Kia Forte Koup | 16 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid | 56 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 Kia Sorento | 983 | 5 | 44 | 23 |
| 2012 Kia Forte | 292 | 4 | 23 | 20 |
| 2012 Kia Forte Koup | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid | 109 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 2012 Kia Sorento | 880 | 5 | 77 | 21 |
| 2012 Kia Sportage | 392 | 5 | 16 | 7 |
| 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid | 34 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
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 20V750000.
Full record for the 2015 Kia Forte → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →