Anyone who has ever lost power braking knows that it can be a surprising and frightening experience. So it may come as a shred of relief to the owners of 98,944 Kia Sportages to learn that a problem affecting their brake booster diaphragm will soon be fixed by the automaker.
The Korean automaker first became aware of an issue in the U.S., when a Quality Information Report was submitted in January 2023. The issue was first noticed thanks to a diagnostic trouble code. A vacuum leak in the brake booster was causing lean combustion in the engine of a 2023 Sportage.
Kia decided to investigate the issue and found that a gap in the brake booster’s shell could allow the diaphragm to slip out of position, ultimately leading to the vacuum leak. In its investigation, the automaker discovered that as many as 73 people had complained of a hard brake pedal due to this issue.
Read: Mercedes Recalls 1 Million Cars Worldwide Over Braking Problem
In that scenario, the driver may suddenly have to apply considerably more force than normal to the brake pedal in order to slow the vehicle down. That could have the effect of increased stopping distances, not to mention a greater risk of an accident.
Fortunately, although 73 people have reported experiencing this issue, it has led to no accidents, injuries, or deaths, Kia reports in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Kia will start reaching out to owners of the 2023 Sportage on July 21, asking them to bring their vehicles to a nearby dealership.
