Your Sorento’s Fan May Overheat and Lead to a Fire, Kia Warns
Summer may be over and temperatures are starting to drop, but Kia is issuing a warning to Sorento owners: go easy on AC. With the cold season not too far away, that goes for heating, as well.
Why? Because a fault in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system may cause the fan to run faster than required and overheat, posing a fire risk. The chances of this are extremely slim, of course, but they still exist to warrant a recall.
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According to documents posted by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the issue stems from a bad wiring assembly linked to the blower motor resistor. More specifically, “the connection between the blower motor resistor and its connector can overheat when the HVAC system is set to fan speed 3 with the ignition switched on. While rare, the condition could escalate into a fire.”
A recall has therefore been announced for certain 2021-2023 Sorento LX models built between September 10, 2020 and December 29, 2023 at Kia's Georgia plant, which serves the North American market. Nearly 40,000 units are affected in the U.S., but only 2,284 in Canada.
Surprisingly, not all Sorentos that were manufactured between the above dates use the same wiring harness, so only a fraction of them are subject to the recall. Drivers may be alerted by a fan that stops working or emits a burning smell or even smoke through the air vents.
Starting in late November, Kia will advise owners to take their Sorento to a dealership to replace the blower motor resistor and wiring. The new parts will come from a different supplier and will meet the required specifications, the company assures.
In the meantime, Kia recommends not using the ventilation and, as an extreme precaution, parking the vehicle outside, away from structures. Owners can determine if their Sorento is involved by entering the VIN on Kia Canada’s recall webpage.