DETROIT – On Tuesday, Kia recommended that owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the United States park them outside due to the risk of engine fire. Meanwhile, Nissan is recalling more than 854,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada because the brake lights do not come on when the driver steps on the pedal.
Kia is calling for 2017-2021 Sportage trucks and 2017-2019 Cadenza sedans to be repaired to fix the damage. The South Korean company says a short circuit in the electronic brake control system can cause a power surge, increasing the risk of fire. They should be parked away from other structures until repairs are made.
Owners can see the tire pressure and anti-lock braking system indicator lights on the dashboard and can also smell a burning or melting odor.
Owners will be notified from April 30. Dealers will replace the fuses in the electrical junction box to correct the problem.
In Nissan’s case, the call to the store covers 854,000 Sentra compacts from 2016 to 2019 models, including 807,000 in the United States.
Nissan says silicon contamination from grease used on nearby components can cause oxidation, causing the brake light to stop working. In that case, because the brake light does not come on, the engine may not start. In that case, a malfunction indicator light will appear on the dashboard.
The automaker says it knows no collisions or injuries were caused by the problem.
Owners will receive an interim letter in April telling them to sign up for a repair service if the damage occurs. If enough parts are available in October, all owners will be informed by letter to sign up for a repair service.