As a result, those vehicles fail to comply with federal safety regulations for “internal trunk release,” the report said.
A person inside the trunk compartment could become trapped, increasing the risk of injury, NHTSA said.
Kia told NHTSA it was aware of 32 incidents describing the inability to open the trunk from the emergency release lever. There have been no injuries or crashes, the automaker said.
Korean auto supplier Daedong Door makes the trunk latch assembly, according to the report.
To fix the issue, dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly with a new version that has a strengthened pawl.
Dealers will be notified Oct. 16. Vehicle owners will be notified starting Oct. 19.
So far this year, Kia has issued 12 recalls, affecting more than 1 million vehicles in the U.S., according to NHTSA data.
