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Kia recalls 507,000 vehicles in U.S. for airbag issues

WASHINGTON — Kia Motors Corp said on Friday it was recalling more than 507,000 vehicles in the United States because an electronic glitch may prevent airbags from deploying in a crash. The recall follows an announcement in March by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it was investigating why some airbags had failed to deploy in Kia vehicles and its affiliate Hyundai after crashes in which four people were killed and another six were injured. The two Korean automakers have now recalled nearly 1.1 million U.S. vehicles to address the issue. NHTSA said in March that it was aware of six serious crashes in which airbags failed to deploy in frontal crashes, including four in 2011 model Hyundai Sonatas and two in 2012 and 2013 Kia Forte vehicles. The crash of the 2013 Forte occurred in Canada. Kia's recall issued on Friday covers 2010-2013 Kia Fortes, 2011-2013 Kia Optimas and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. The company said the airbag control unit may short circuit because they may be susceptible to electrical overstress, preventing the frontal airbags and seat belt pretensioners, which pull the driver and front seat passenger firmly back into their seats, from deploying. The company said it does not yet have a fix, but is working with its supplier on the issue. Kia spokesman James Bell said the company "is attempting to have a remedy by the scheduled owner notification date of July 27. If Kia does not have a remedy by that date or if any customer feels unsafe in his/her vehicle, we will provide a rental car until the repair has been completed." Hyundai in February issued a recall for 154,000 U.S. Sonatas after non-deployment reports were linked to electrical overstress in the air bag control unit. In April, Hyundai recalled an additional 425,000 U.S. vehicles to address the same issue. Hyundai said in March that it was aware of reports of two deaths in its vehicles, which occurred in head-on collisions at extremely high rates of speed. NHTSA said the airbag control module under investigation was built by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a German auto supplier. ZF said on Friday that it has worked with Kia and "continues to cooperate and support NHTSA and its customers in the investigation." The safety agency also said that electrical overstress appeared to be the root cause in a 2016 recall by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV of 1.4 million U.S. vehicles for airbag non-deployments in significant frontal crashes.

Kia to launch four-door coupe next year

Kia has been toying for some time with the idea of building a sporty four-door model. But according to the latest reports from Seoul, the Korean automaker intends to stop showboating and finally put one into production. And it could come as early as next year. Reuters reports that the project known internally as CK will join Kia's lineup as its second rear-drive model, alongside the larger K900. Power would reportedly come in from engines displacing 2.0, 2.2, and 3.0 liters. The target would apparently be the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, but with a sportier, more youthful edge. That's something which Kia has been keen to capitalize on since the success of the Soul. It took similarly unconventional approaches with the new Sportage and the recent Telluride concept, but has not managed as of yet to transfer that youthful, unorthodox vibe to the lower-slung side of its lineup. With parent company Hyundai having recently launched the Genesis premium sub-brand, the sporty, young image could be left for Kia to pursue. Only time will tell if Toyota's abandonment of its Scion brand will leave room for Kia to swoop in, or if it'll be a dead end. Reuters anticipates the new Kia to launch in May 2017, with a targeted annual production of 60,000 vehicles worldwide. Expect some elements to carry over from recent four-door coupe concepts like the Novo (pictured) from last year and the GT concept of 2011. Reports have been circulating since then that the latter would reach production. Related Video:

Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.