The danger of a short-circuit in the ABS control module has prompted Kia to issue a recall for 71,704 of its Sportage crossovers in the United States.
According to the notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “the wire harness cover on the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may be improperly sealed allowing water to get onto the HECU circuit board.” That could cause a short-circuit, which could lead to a fire in the engine compartment.
The investigation began when Kia received word back in April of a fire igniting in one 2008 Sportage while it was parked in the driveway. The manufacturer coordinated with supplier Mando and determined the source of the problem, and decided upon recalling the potentially affected units.
As a result, dealers are being instructed to inspect the relevant connector pins for corrosion. Those with corroded pins will have the entire HECU assembly replaced, but those where no corrosion is found will only need to have the connector cover replaced. The campaign is set to get underway later this month.
The Sportage is now in its fourth iteration. The recall relates to the second-gen model – specifically 2008 and 2009 models manufactured between August 9, 2007, and May 13, 2009.
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