Kia preliminary evaluation PE19004
Non-crash Vehicle Fires. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the cables on 20 model years (2010–2015). Opened Mar 29, 2019, closed Dec 22, 2021 after 2.7 years. It led to safety recall 20V088000, 20V100000, 20V101000, 20V518000, 20V519000, 20V750000, 21V331000, 21V844000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedDuring this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima, MY 2011-2014 Kia Sorento and MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with Theta II, Gamma, Nu and Lambda II engines (approximately 1.7 million vehicles). ODI also reviewed field and other data on other Kia vehicles (approximately 3.6 million additional vehicles) equipped with the same engines used in the above-mentioned vehicles. As a result of this PE, Kia has issued NHTSA Recalls 20V-750 and 21V-844 to address potential engine failures and fires in certain Kia vehicles equipped with various engine types. Additional information on these and other related recall actions is available in the downloadable version of this resume available at NHTSA.gov. In addition, ODI has upgraded this PE to an Engineering Analysis (EA) 21-003 which will focus on potential recall scope concerns and recall remedy concerns related to the engine failure-related recalls mentioned above and conducted previously. See the EA21-003 Opening Resume available at NHTSA.gov for more information. Also available in the downloadable version of this resume is a list of the reference numbers for the 444 ODI reports, or Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs), cited above which ODI received through mid-November 2021. Note that the Manufacturer reports cited above are customer complaints received through March 2019.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2011 Kia Optima; 2012 Kia Optima; 2013 Kia Optima; 2014 Kia Optima; 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid; 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid; 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid; 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid; 2011 Kia Sorento; 2012 Kia Sorento; 2013 Kia Sorento; 2014 Kia Sorento; 2010 Kia Soul; 2011 Kia Soul; 2012 Kia Soul; 2013 Kia Soul; 2014 Kia Soul; 2015 Kia Soul; 2014 Kia Soul EV; 2015 Kia Soul EV.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE19004 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 20V088000, 20V100000, 20V101000, 20V518000, 20V519000, 20V750000, 21V331000, 21V844000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE19004 still open?
No. It closed on Dec 22, 2021 and led to recall 20V088000, 20V100000, 20V101000, 20V518000, 20V519000, 20V750000, 21V331000, 21V844000.
Which vehicles does PE19004 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 20 model years: 2011 Kia Optima, 2012 Kia Optima, 2013 Kia Optima, 2014 Kia Optima, 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid, 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.