Kia has found that some Soul EVs might need a parking mechanism defect inflicting the SUVs to roll away when the motive force has locked up and left
https://www.carscoops.com/writer/chris-chilton-cc/
by Chris Chilton
14 hours in the past
While you put your automobile’s transmission lever into Park, you typically assume it’s going to nonetheless be parked in that very same spot once you get again. However that may not be the identical story for some homeowners of Kia’s Soul EV. Kia has already recalled one batch of automobiles over rollaway fears and now an investigation has been opened to see if there’s nonetheless an issue and if later fashions are additionally in danger.
Again in July 2020, Kia recalled 2015-16MY Soul EV fashions following studies that a few of them have been shifting of their very own accord regardless of being in Park. The issue stemmed from injury brought on to the parking lock mechanism by drivers participating Park earlier than the automobile had totally come to a cease. That might result in Souls rolling away if the motive force then engaged Park in a broken automobile however didn’t additionally manually activate the parking brake, which few folks do in an computerized or EV.
Kia’s answer was to replace the software program within the digital parking brake of recalled 2015-16MY automobiles to interact the brake robotically when the Soul was positioned in Park, a mod that was additionally utilized to new-build Soul EVs from the 2017 mannequin 12 months.
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However now the NHTSA is investigating that recall after receiving complaints that Soul EVs have been nonetheless operating away. The Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) has heard of three incidences of Park-averse Souls constructed for the 2017-18 mannequin 12 months, although two of these complaints are from the identical proprietor about the identical SUV. In one of many studies, a Soul was concerned in a collision after the motive force had exited the automobile.
To this point, there’s no new recall, the NHTSA is just gathering details about the alleged rollaway incidents and assessing the effectiveness of the unique recall. But when it finds an issue, Kia should get in contact with affected homeowners a couple of repair. Till that occurs you Soul EV drivers would possibly wish to hightail it right down to your native airfield and get your palms on some chocks.