The 2021-2023 Sorento may have a bad wiring harness, which can cause a host of issues
- Kia is recalling nearly 40,000 Sorento SUVs due to a wiring defect.
- A supplier mistake can result in overheating, melting, and a fire.
- Fire risk occurs only when HVAC runs at a specific speed with ignition on.
Fires are one of the most serious safety issues and there’s a new recall to be aware of. It impacts 39,536 Kia Sorento SUVs from the 2021 to 2023 model years.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the “heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.”
The agency went on to explain that, due to a suspected supplier quality issue, the connection between the blower motor resistor and connector can overheat.
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This only appears to happen when the climate control system is active, the fan speed is set to three, and the ignition is on. Those are pretty specific conditions, but the government agency noted this can result in a fire, in rare cases.
The issue is being blamed on Aptiv, which allegedly used a thinner gauge wire than they should have. Owners could notice the problem if the blower motor stops working, or they smell something burning or melting. Another telltale sign is smoke coming from the air vents.
Investigation Underway
Kia first became aware of the issue last fall after a report of a fire and “hot rubber smell” in a 2023 Sorento LX. The automaker repurchased the vehicle and began an investigation, which included an x-ray analysis of the damaged blower motor resistor and adjoining wire harness. The inquiry was eventually expanded to “warranty returned wire harnesses and resistors with localized melting.”
After months of work, Kia couldn’t find a root cause. However, they discovered “production variances due to quality control including thinner than nominal wiring gauge.” These were suspected as contributing factors for the overheating.
Fixing The Fault
In total, Kia identified 25 vehicles with localized connector melting. There was also one localized connector fire and another vehicle fire. Thankfully, there were no reports of any accidents or injuries.
To address the problem, dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor. These components will be sourced from a different supplier and owner notification letters are expected to go out in November.
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