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NHTSA campaign 22V127000 · manufacturer recall SC231

2022 Kia Sorento: seat belts recall

An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.

critical 213 vehicles affected

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment. Risk An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury. Fix Dealers will replace the seatbelt pretensioner(s), free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 3, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC231. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-447. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

Reported to NHTSA Mar 4, 2022 by Kia Motors America, owners notified May 3, 2022.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

An exploding pretensioner that projects metal fragments into occupants during a crash is an explosive/fragmentation event directly injuring vehicle occupants, analogous to the Takata airbag inflator failures classified as critical.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Yes: the bulletin says the vehicle may not be sold or delivered until repaired
Remedy Instructions filed: the dealer bulletin exists

Labour, as the warranty table lists it

  • 0.4 h · op 221042R0
  • 0.4 h · op 221042R1
  • 0.6 h · op 221042R2

The operation code and time the manufacturer pays the dealer; a customer-pay estimate elsewhere is a different number.

Torque

  • Tightening torque for bolt(s): 28.9 – 39.7 lb.ft (39.2 – 53.9 N.m)

The advisory, as filed: “Under applicable law, you may not sell or otherwise deliver any affected vehicle until it has been repaired pursuant to the procedures set forth in this bulletin.”

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign SC231). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 22V127000
Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2022 Kia SorentoCompact SUVF9

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 22V127000 · the manufacturer calls it SC231

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is SC231 the same recall as 22V127000?

Yes. SC231 is the number Kia Motors America uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 22V127000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.