The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 19, 2009, to January 31, 2013. In the affected vehicles, if excessive force is applied to the gear shift lever, the brake-shift interlock mechanism may chip or crack allowing the transmission being able to be shifted out of "Park" without the brakes being depressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
The risk
Without requiring the brake to be pressed, the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll, which may result in a crash.
The remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake-shift interlock mechanism, free of charge. The recall began on November 9, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC124.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Kia Sorento | 2011, 2012, 2013 |
Components: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Sorento | 2011 | 1,520 | 7 |
| Kia Sorento | 2012 | 880 | 5 |
| Kia Sorento | 2013 | 982 | 5 |
Other power train recalls in 2015
54 of the 863 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2015 concerned the power train; Kia Motors America filed 82 campaigns in all.
| 15V859000 22 Dec 2015 | Daimler Trucks North America LLC |
| 15V865000 22 Dec 2015 | Ford Motor Company |
| 15V837000 14 Dec 2015 | Motor Coach Industries |
| 15V821000 7 Dec 2015 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 15V802000 30 Nov 2015 | Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA |
| 15V789000 24 Nov 2015 | Ford Motor Company |
| 15V794000 24 Nov 2015 | Subaru of America, Inc. |
| 15V782000 23 Nov 2015 | BMW of North America, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2015