- Kia’s latest recall impacts Sorento PHEVs that risk fuel leaks during frontal crashes.
- The issue only affects rack-steering-equipped PHEVs, leaving other models unaffected.
- The recall impacts 1,385 vehicles manufactured from April 2 to October 17, 2024.
Certain Kia Sorento PHEV models in the US have a heightened chance of catching fire because of a fuel line that could get damaged in a crash. Owners of impacted vehicles will be notified of the recall in early January and should take their vehicles to a Kia dealer for repairs as soon as possible. After all, nobody wants to see their pride and joy go up in flames.
The recall is a little more complex than a fuel line that can simply get knocked out of position in a crash. Kia says that in frontal collisions, the front subframe of the SUV could be pushed rearward. This could jut the steering rack into a fuel line, potentially damaging it and causing a leak.
Read: Kia’s Common-Sense 2025 Sorento Gets Some EV9 Pizzazz
In total, Kia is recalling 1,385 Sorento PHEV vehicles produced between April 2, 2024, and October 17, 2024. So far, the automaker hasn’t reported any crashes, injuries, fires, or fatalities related to this defect. In fact, the issue only came to light during NCAP crash testing for the 2026 model year Sorento, which isn’t even out yet. During those tests, the front subframe flexed far enough to damage the fuel line, raising the alarm.
Interestingly, the fault is only apparent on Sorento PHEV models with a rack-mounted motor-driven power steering system, not a column-mounted motor-driven power steering system as used by some Sorento PHEV, HEV, and regular Sorento variants.
To address the problem, Kia dealerships will install an additional protective covering around the fuel line of affected vehicles. It’s a straightforward enough fix that should prevent any future fireworks under the hood.
Kia took off the wraps to the latest plug-in hybrid Sorento earlier in the year. It’s available in EX AWD and XS Prestige AWD guises and is priced from $47,990 and tops out at $53,090 before options. The SUV features a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine working alongside an electric motor to deliver 261 hp and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm). The SUV can travel up to 31 miles (50 km) on battery power alone.
