- Vehicles
- 440,370
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 20 October 2020
- Repaired
- 40%
- Unrepaired
- 200,923
Safety advisories
Park outside and away from buildings
Affected vehicles carry a fire risk that can occur while parked, even with the engine off. Park away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been completed.
Does this affect my vehicle?
The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.
- 2013-2015 Kia Optima
- 2014-2015 Kia Sorento
Repair progress
200,923 of 440,370 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2022.
40% repaired — 177,718 of 440,370 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 24,680
- Scrapped or exported
- 37,049
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 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.
What could happen
If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
What gets fixed
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.
Parts involved
- Hecu58920-1U000Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit: Sorento (XMa)
- Hecu58920-2T870, 58920-2T550Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit: Optima (QF) without EPB
- Hecu58920-4C870, 58920-4C550Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit: Optima (QF) with Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Recall reported to NHTSA27 August 2020
- Owners notified20 October 2020
- Latest repair reportQ3 2022 — 40% 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 27 August 2020.
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 SC197.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- SC197
- Recalling manufacturer
- Kia Motors America
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
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.