38,000 Kia Souls Recalled Because They Could Burn Your Butt
If you feel like you’re burning inside your old Kia Soul this summer, it may not be because of the heat entirely. The automaker has found a problem with the car’s seat heaters and will recall a bit more than 38,000 units in Canada.
The recall covers every model year of the second generation (2014-2019). The battery-powered Soul EV is also included.
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What’s this all about, specifically? In some cases, Transport Canada says, the wiring for the heated seat could disconnect and cause the seat heaters to overheat, potentially creating the risk of a burn injury. Watch your butt!
Affected owners will be notified by mail in the coming weeks and advised to take their car to a dealership to replace the seat heater electronic control unit. The dealer will also replace the seat heater pads, as necessary.
Earlier this month, Kia announced another recall due to a fire risk involving the seats, this time in the 2020-2024 Telluride midsize SUV (over 20,000 units in Canada). Apparently, an external impact with excessive force to the front power seat side cover and/or seat slide knob could misalign the seat motor and cause it to run continuously and potentially overheat.
Warning signs include not only the inability to adjust the seat, but also burning smells or even smoke in the cabin—the kind of trouble owners should take seriously. To fix the problem, Kia dealers won’t need to replace the seat motors, just the seat slide knobs. Furthermore, they will install a bracket for the power seat switch covers.