Kia Steering: Column

Kia is recalling about 97 vehicles over a problem with the steering. If the steering column separates, it can cause a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
18V656000
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Reported
21 September 2018
Vehicles
97
Built between
Jun 2017 – Jul 2017
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
26 October 2018
Repaired
90%
Unrepaired
10

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between June 2017 and July 2017. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2018 Kia SorentoBuilt June 2017 to July 2017

Repair progress

10 of 97 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q1 2020.

90% repaired — 87 of 97 reported

Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.

What the defect is

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The cowl crossbar that connects to the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) steering column may be improperly welded, allowing the steering column to separate.

What could happen

If the steering column separates, it can cause a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cowl crossbar, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJune 2017 to July 2017
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA21 September 2018
  3. Owners notified26 October 2018
  4. Latest repair reportQ1 2020 — 90% repaired

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 21 September 2018.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC167.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
SC167
Recalling manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand