RoadVitals

NHTSA safety recall

Recall 16V862000: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; TRAILER HITCHES

Kia Motors America · Reported to NHTSA Nov 30, 2016

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
Units potentially affectedThe manufacturer's own estimate of how many vehicles or items of equipment may contain the defect. It is not a count of failures, and not every unit in the range is necessarily affected.
10,212
Model years coveredModel years in our database that NHTSA matched to this campaign. Whether an individual vehicle is covered still depends on its VIN.
3
Models covered
2
Grouped from the model years above
Reported to NHTSA
Nov 30, 2016
Production Oct 27, 2014 – Aug 26, 2016

What this recall covers

NHTSA's campaign record, quoted as published

The defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

The risk

If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.

The remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC142.

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.

A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.

Campaign details

Identifiers and dates as filed with NHTSA

Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Manufacturer's campaign number
SC142
NHTSA campaign number
16V862000
Units potentially affected
10,212
Report received
Nov 30, 2016
Production range
Oct 27, 2014 – Aug 26, 2016
Campaign type
Vehicle
Federal safety standard (FMVSS)
108

Vehicles covered

3 model years across 2 models

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.