Kia has issued a recall for 2,209 Niro electric vehicles from model year 2022 because a plug in their high-voltage batteries can overheat, causing a loss of drive power and possibly a vehicle fire.
Kia tells federal safety officials the company hasn’t confirmed the exact cause of the problem but has isolated it to a safety plug that may melt due to high electrical resistance. Owners might notice an EV service warning light or the smell of melting plastic as the problem develops.
Kia is aware of no accidents, injuries, or vehicle fires related to the problem. But it has discovered at least five partially melted plugs in vehicles with propulsion problems.
Dealers will replace the part with a plug of a different design to fix the problem.
Automakers recall many cars to fix safety defects, sometimes more than once. They try to notify every owner to ask them to bring the vehicle in for repair, but they rarely reach them all. Millions of vehicles on American roads need free recall repairs. To find out if your car is one of them, check the easy VIN tool at our recall center.
