2024 Kia Sorento owners may want to start training because their vehicle’s power steering could fail
- Two 2024 Kia Sorentos experienced loss of power steering during dealer inspections.
- Kia has determined that the engine power steering wiring harness was incorrectly assembled by its supplier and could be rubbing against the steering shaft.
- The Korean automaker’s U.S. dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the wiring harness if necessary.
Modern vehicles are very heavy and one result of this is that they rely on power steering more than ever. Malfunctioning driver assistance systems, such as those recently identified in certain 2024 Kia Sorentos, can cause drivers to have difficulty controlling the vehicle, especially at lower speeds.
Kia is recalling 95 model year 2024 Sorentos to resolve a power steering failure that the company first learned of on February 7, 2024 during a pre-delivery inspection at the dealer. The dealer noted that the Sorento was making noise when turning the steering wheel and that the engine power steering wiring harness was rubbing on the steering shaft. In response, Kia began monitoring the issue.
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On March 29, the automaker received a second complaint about the power steering system. Again the problem was discovered by a dealer during a pre-delivery inspection and again the power steering wiring harness was damaged.
Kia decided to investigate this issue and ultimately concluded that its supplier, Mobis Alabama, LLC, had installed the wiring harness improperly. This could damage the part and cause the Sorento to lose power steering.
If there is a failure of the engine-operated power steering harness, the steering wheel will continue to function, but steering the Sorento requires much more effort, especially at low speeds, and this increases the risk of an accident.
Fortunately, Kia is only aware of the two incidents mentioned above and there have been no reports of accidents, injuries, or deaths related to the issue. To prevent this, the automaker will contact owners starting May 7 and ask them to return their Sorento to a nearby dealer. There, a technician checks the engine power steering wiring harness, adjusts it if necessary and replaces it if there is any damage.
