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Kia calls in 87k Fortes over fan fire issue

An electrical issue on the 2014 Forte has prompted Kia and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for 86,880 vehicles across America. The problem stems from the resistor for the cooling fan that the Korean automaker has found could overheat and melt, which would increase the risk of a fire. And fires in an automobile, needless to say, are not a good thing – unless they're occurring inside a combustion chamber. The issue affects units manufactured between December 5, 2012, and April 17, 2014. Owners of said Fortes can expect to hear from Kia to arrange to bring their vehicles in to their local dealer to have the multi-fuse unit replaced – and, for those manufactured between December 5, 2012, and January 27, 2014, the cooling fan as well. Vehicles equipped with the 1.8-liter engine will also have their ECUs reflashed while they're at it. RECALL Subject : Cooling Fan Resistor May Melt Report Receipt Date: JAN 16, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V015000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 86,880 Manufacturer: Kia Motors America SUMMARY: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Kia Forte vehicles manufactured December 5, 2012, to April 17, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the cooling fan resistor may overheat and melt. CONSEQUENCE: If the cooling fan resistor overheats and melts, there is an increased risk of a vehicle fire. REMEDY: Kia will notify owners, and for vehicles produced from December 5, 2012 to January 27, 2014, dealers will replace the cooling fan resistor and multi-fuse unit. For vehicles produced from January 28, 2014 to April 17, 2014, dealers will replace the multi-fuse unit only. Owners of vehicles with a 1.8L engine will also have the engine control unit software updated. The recall is expected to begin February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC113. 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.

Driver unaware SUV is in flames going down the highway

NBC Nightly News recently carried the above segment on a video showing a 2012 Kia Sorento spewing flames as its driver travels at highway speed on Interstate 4 in Orlando. Another motorist, Meredith Olinger, drives alongside, shooting the video while trying to warn the driver to pull over. She does, just in time. Seconds later, the Kia is cooked. The driver, Susan King, says, "I got out, and suddenly the car was engulfed in flames. (Olinger) saved my life. I'm incredibly grateful, and she was my angel that day. It was surreal." NBC did a nice job of using the video to highlight a serious issue. The SUV's owner was not King but her friend Tyla Kennedy, and though the Kia was part of a recall of 2012-14 Sorentos having to do with an engine defect, Kennedy says she never received a recall notice. That's because she was not the car's original owner. And as anyone who has received a recall notice for a long-sold car knows, automakers send the notices to original owners. Subsequent owners are out of luck. We could argue all day about whether automakers, sellers or subsequent owners should do more to ensure that automakers know the current whereabouts of their products, but luckily there's an easy way past all of that. If you own a car you bought second-hand, go to safercar.gov and enter your VIN. If there is a recall on your vehicle, it will show up there. If one pops up, contact a dealership and the repair will be carried out free of charge. Even if you bought your vehicle new, doing this check couldn't hurt, just in case your notice got lost in the mail. It could keep you from discovering, as you fly down the highway, that you are driving a fireball. Related Video: Image Credit: Meredith Olinger Auto News Recalls Kia Crossover SUV Videos

Kia design chief Peter Schreyer named Hyundai-Kia President

Automotive News reports Peter Schreyer has been appointed the first non-Korean president of Hyundai-Kia Motor Group. Schreyer is expected to retain his role as the chief designer for Kia, while also taking on new, high-level executive duties. He is now one of three presidents at the automaker.
The designer made a name for himself at Volkswagen, where he penned the 1998 New Beetle and lent his eye to the Audi TT. In 2006, Schreyer moved to Kia, where he quickly revised the brand's styling from bland, forgettable lines to bold, "tiger nose" creations. Analysts attribute much of the brand's recent sales success to Schreyer's influence.
Kia is expected to move 2.75 million units worldwide next year, while sister company Hyundai will likely beat its 2012 sales forecast of 4.29 million units, according to CFO Lee Won Hee.