Kia will recall over 419,000 sport utility vehicle (SUV) crossovers in the United States and Canada due to a problem with the gear shift lever. The defective gear shifts affect 2011 to 2013 model years of the Kia Sorento. As a result, Kia will notify owners to bring in their SUVs to dealers to have their brake-shift interlock mechanisms replaced.
For Kia Sorento owners, the issue begins when the gear shift lever is pressed too hard. This will cause a part in the shift mechanism to crack or chip. If the brake-shift interlock mechanism cracks or chips, then the transmission is able to shift out of the park position on its own; this can occur even when the brakes have not been applied. Consequently, these vehicles can roll away unexpectedly and cause serious bodily injury and death.
To date, three people have been injured due to the Sorento’s faulty gear shift. Kia began investigating these parts in August after receiving a letter from a lawyer representing a family injured due to a defective brake-shift interlock mechanism. In that case, a child moved a Sorento shift lever out of the park position. The SUV began to roll in a parking lot. The child’s father moved in front of the SUV to stop it and was joined by his other son. They eventually stopped the Sorento, but the son sustained a broken leg. After this incident, Kia investigated the brake-shift interlock mechanism and discovered over 50 warranty claims. On September 28th, Kia chose to recall the SUVs. Affected owners will be notified starting at the end of November.
Defective vehicles and parts can cause serious bodily injuries and even death. If you or someone you know was injured or killed by a vehicle with defective parts, it is important to understand your right to recover. Contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211 for a confidential consultation.