Kia recall overview:Â
- Who: Kia recalled 18,224 of its 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles.
- Why: The recall is due to a valve plunger defect that causes the mechanism to stick and overpressurize, leading to a loss of drive power, according to the notice.
- Where: The Kia Stinger recall is effective in the United States.
Kia issued a recall for more than 18,000 of its 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles due to a potential valve plunger defect.
This fuel control valve plunger may stick inside the high-pressure fuel pump, leading to an overpressurization that can cause a loss of drive power for the vehicle, according to a recall acknowledgement letter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The loss of drive power can lead to a crash, the Stinger recall letter says. The recall number is SC281.
Vehicle owner notification letters will be mailed Nov. 10, according to the recall letter.
Kia dealers to update software, replace fuel pumps where necessary, letter says
The NHTSA and Kia did not say if either has received reports of injury related to the recall. The company is not facing legal action over the recall, but Top Class Actions follows recalls closely as they sometimes lead to class action lawsuits.
Kia says its dealers will update the engine control unit software and also inspect and replace the fuel pump as necessary, free of charge, according to the recall letter.
Stinger recall vehicle owners can also contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542.
In August, Kia recalled certain Niro and Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles as they are at risk of an engine compartment fire.
Are you affected by the Kia Stinger recall? Let us know in the comments.Â
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One thought on Kia announces Stinger recall due to potential valve plunger defect
In September 2022, I was driving my 2018 Kia stinger GT two on the interstate and when I hit my brakes, they didn’t work. I had to constantly keep pumping my brakes until finally they kicked in. I immediately made an appointment to the dealership and bought it over there. The representative at the dealership had me there for four hours and then they told me everything was good to go and I can take my vehicle. They said it was no charge due to a recall. Well, within a week later, I am driving on the interstate again And my brakes didn’t work. I was going over 60 mph and I started to panic and kept pumping my brakes. Luckily there was no one on the interstate when I was driving. So I kept driving in the slow lane to get off on the next exit. It felt like my car was picking up speed. I kept pumping my brakes and it still wouldn’t stop. Suddenly, there was a state trooper that was merging to get on the interstate as I was getting off the interstate. I panicked even more and kept pumping my brakes until eventually. It stopped right before I hit the state trooper. I immediately trolled back to the dealership that same day and complain to the service representative that my vehicle is still doing the same thing. She called the mechanic that was working on my vehicle. I started to explain the situation to the mechanic, and he looked confused. Suddenly, the service representative had to translate and speak to him in Spanish because he did not understand English. Then she explained to me, that the mechanic that did not speak English and worked on my vehicle, said nothing was done to my vehicle and that they needed to order a part. And I was furious. Not only did they have someone working on my vehicle that did not speak English and appeared as if he didn’t know what the hell he was doing. They also told me to get back on the road knowing that my vehicle was dangerous to be on the road Due to that recall. They told me that I can leave my vehicle there at the dealership, but they wasn’t going to give me a loaner vehicle to drive around in. They did not offer me a vehicle to use until my vehicle was repaired and the part would arrive in two weeks. Which means they didn’t even order the part for my vehicle. The mechanic knew it needed apart, they sent me off on my way without leading me know it needed part. Also knowing that, they never ordered the part. So I had to wait two weeks for that part to come in and I had to share a vehicle with my wife to go back-and-forth to work.
Just recently in March 2024, the oil sensor/indicator alerted on my vehicle. So I took it to the mechanic twice to find out what’s wrong with my vehicle and why the sensor was on. The mechanics checked the entire engine for any leaks and also inspected that sensor. Everything seem to check out just fine. No leaks, no loose wires are anything broken. However, he said it could be a faulty sensor and it’ll cost about $700 to replace that one sensor. But he advised that nothing was wrong with my vehicle. So in May 2024, I get a letter in the mail stating that if my 2018 Kia stinger has a recall due to the oil pressure switch, and that the oil sensor/indicator would be alerting or displaying on my dashboard, indicating that particular recall. Well, I took it to the dealership and it took them from Thursday to Monday for me to get my vehicle back. The service representative explained to me that it took so long because the recall is new and they are familiar with it so it’s taking them a lot longer to fix it. So once I got my vehicle back, I’m driving and noticed not only did they put 30 miles on my vehicle, but the oil indicator/sensor appeared again on my dashboard. I talked to the general manager of the dealership and he stated that the recall only covers to fix the Oil pressure switch, pipes, and to top off any fluids. It did not cover the sensor/indicator. Which to me makes no sense, because that sensor/indicator was the main indication that something was wrong. So they are stating that, though it is an indication that , something was wrong and the recall was needed, the recall does not cover replacing the sensor/indicator. So they advise that I must pay the $700 for a new indicator because my vehicle is out of warranty. It’s either a five-year warranty or 60,000 miles. Even though I am within the mileage because my vehicle is under 60,000 miles, but it is over five years old. So far the Kia dealership has cost me money due to missing work and put my life in danger due to not telling me that a part is needed and my vehicle is too dangerous to be on the road. So they put not only my life in danger, but pedestrians as well. And if it wasn’t for God intervening, I could’ve hit someone when I was driving and my brakes went up. So those are the two incidents that I have.