You may have seen the ads, hamsters in hoodies rapping about the KIA Soul, giving it a young fresh feel appealing to the young adult and high school driver. The ads were wildly popular and have thrust the first generation of KIAs’ fun, practical, and inexpensive cars into the competitive youth market. But today, the corners KIA had to cut in manufacturing to make them affordable are beginning to rear their ugly heads.

The South Korean automaker, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the recall today for 35,185 2010 Kia Souls and 2011 Kia Sorentos because wiring harnesses from a supplier used for lighting and speaker systems can develop a short.

“The electrical short could potentially result in a fire,” NHTSA says.

There have been no reports of serious personal injury or car accidents due to the defect design.

This is just another strike against the first generation of this youthful but defective vehicle. Only last month the NHTSA said it was opening a preliminary investigation into steering problems on the Soul.

The government regulatory agency received a serious complaint of a shaft coming apart in the steering mechanism that caused loss of ability to turn the wheel. Making matters worse, the linkage fell on the floor and could get caught behind the brake.

That defect may only have been isolated to a single vehicle, but if it is found to be an assembly problem like the wiring issue that prompted the recall today then this situation could get extremely expensive for KIA very quickly.

If you or someone you know has been adversely affected by a defective automobile, it is essential that you contact a legal representative that is experienced in defective product litigation. Call Phillips Webster to speak with a legal professional about how you can get the compensation you deserve.

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