Korea's Kia automaker is recalling 51,641 Soul hatchbacks due to a problem with the steering system
Kia issued a voluntary recall to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last month to fix faulty steering systems in approximately 51,641 Soul vehicles.
According to NHTSA's recall notice, the affected vehicles are built between July 21, 2013 and January 17, 2014. Kia Soul is the company's hot-selling model and the defect in the steering system makes it a risky choice for drivers to hit the road.
The problem came to light after the company discovered that the workers at a supplier plant in South Korea used the wrong adhesive to lock the thread on a plug, which secures a pinion gear to the steering assembly. If the plug loosens, drivers can lose control of the car due to steering failure, which can cause a crash, according to NHTSA. The car maker did not receive any reports of injuries or accidents due to the defect.
Kia will contact the owners of the affected models and request them to bring the car to one of its dealerships for repair. The pinion plug will be replaced with a new one along with proper thread-locking adhesive at no charge to the customer. The recall will be carried out starting this month.
Kia isn't the only car maker hit by a steering issue. Earlier in May, Ford recalled 1.39 million small and full-size SUVs in the US to fix the ongoing problem with power steering. Earlier this month, the NHTSA launched a probe into three of Ford's discontinued models. The problem, which affected Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Marauder manufactured between 2004 and 2007, was with the heat shield in the steering that could rust and get jammed and lead to a crash.
