Home › Kia › Stinger › 20V518000

Kia Stinger brake control unit can cause engine fire

NHTSA campaign 20V518000 · Reported 2020-08-27 · Kia Motors America

critical How serious is it? About this label

An under-hood fire while driving could injure you or lead to a crash; the notice does not tell you to stop driving, but you should park outside and away from structures until the fuse kit is installed.

⚠ Park outside, away from buildings — fire risk. See all such recalls.

What's wrong, in plain English

A fire can start under the hood, in the area around the control box for the anti-lock brakes. It can happen while you are driving. Kia first announced this in 2020 and later added more Stingers to the list. The fix is a new fuse kit installed in the electrical box under the hood, which is free. Until that work is done, Kia says to park outside and away from buildings, so a fire cannot spread to your house or garage.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your Stinger is covered.
2. Park outside and away from buildings until the repair is finished.
3. Call a Kia dealer, or Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 (recall SC196), to schedule the free fuse kit installation.

Affected vehicles (4)

2018 Kia Stinger
2019 Kia Stinger
2020 Kia Stinger
2021 Kia Stinger

Who to contact

Kia — official Kia recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-333-4542

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Kia brake recalls: engine fire risk and loss of braking power · all 4 Kia recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) recalled certain 2019 Stinger vehicles equipped with 3.3L T-GDI engines on August 27, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Kia expanded the recall population and added certain 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles. While driving, an engine compartment fire may occur in the area where the Anti-lock Brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) is located.
Safety risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuse kit in the electrical junction box, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began November 30, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC196.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.