Kia Sportage and Stinger recalled over fire risk, nearly 60,000 cars affected

Kia Australia is recalling almost 60,000 examples of both its QL Sportage and CK Stinger models over a problem with the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit being at risk of catching fire.

The issue affects 56,203 QL Sportage models built between 2016 and 2021, and 1,648 CK Stingers manufactured between 2017 and 2019. In total the recall applies to 57,851 vehicles.

The fault involves the The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) which is responsible for the Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Stability Control System and Traction Control System.

According to safety experts, the problem is, in the affected vehicles the HECU can remain live even when the vehicle is switched off. If moisture enters the HECU, the electrical unit could short circuit and catch fire even when the vehicle is switched off and parked.

Kia told WhichCar that no vehicles have caught fire in Australia, but could not confirm if the fault had caused any incidents overseas.

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Kia Sportage

Kia Australia is contacting all known owners of affected vehicles by direct mail and asking them to contact their local Kia dealer to arrange for an inspection and repair. The repair takes 20 minutes and is free of charge.

A dealer can be located at: https://www.kia.com/au/shopping-tools/find-a-dealer.html

According to Kia the replacement part has started to be dispensed through its dealer network already and there will be no delay in fixing owners' vehicles by waiting for parts.

Until the fault has been repaired, Kia urges owners not to park their car near any flammable structures or in an enclosed area, such as a garage but has confirmed vehicles are still safe to drive.

Speaking to WhichCar, Chief Operating Officer for Kia Motors Australia, Damien Meredith, said: “This is the same issue Hyundai had with its Tucson. It's the same part. We notified Product Safety Australia [of Kia’s recall] three weeks ago and it just announced it to the public recently due to its own checks-and-balances. That's just how long the process takes. We informed Product Safety Australia as soon as our head office let us know.

“I think the consumer understands recalls are an ongoing thing in the industry. I don’t think it has an effect if you’re upfront and honest. We have seen no correlation between recalls and a fall in sales.”

A list of VINs for affected vehicles is available here.

For further information, owners can contact Kia Motors Australia on 13 15 42.

Got a tip-off for a story? Get in touch: kathryn.fisk@aremedia.com.au