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208k Kia Soul models recalled over broken pedals

Kia is recalling a whole bunch of Souls over accelerator pedals that may bend and fracture. A grand total of 208,858 vehicles are affected, all built between July 21, 2013 and January 8, 2015. Both the standard Soul and its EV counterpart are included in this recall. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash." Sounds about right – a broken pedal under your right foot certainly can't be good. Kia will add supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper in these affected vehicles. The Korean automaker will notify owners, and of course, the repair work will be performed free of charge. Look for this recall campaign to officially kick off later this month. NHTSA's official statement is below. Report Receipt Date: MAR 02, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V123000 Component(s): VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL Potential Number of Units Affected: 208,858 Manufacturer: Kia Motors America SUMMARY: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Soul and Soul electric vehicles manufactured July 21, 2013, to January 8, 2015. A section of the accelerator pedal may bend and fracture. CONSEQUENCE: If the vehicle has a bent or broken accelerator pedal, the driver may have difficulty accelerating the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will add a supporting rubber underneath the pedal stopper, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC116. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Related Video:

Hyundai Kia asked to pay $28.9M in patent infringement case

After years of litigation, Hyundai and Kia have lost their hybrid technology patent infringement case against Paice LLC. The jury ordered the South Korean automakers to pay $28.9 million, but according to Bloomberg, because the violation was allegedly intentional, the judge could triple that amount. The automakers have announced plans to appeal the ruling. Paice's patent dates from 1994 on a piece of tech called the Hyperdrive, and it was a way to seamlessly switch between power from an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. This lawsuit was first filed in 2012 and covered the systems in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Kia Optima Hybrid. According to Bloomberg, the companies tried to argue that the patent was no longer valid, but the strategy failed. "Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit," the company said in a statement to Autoblog. Paice is certainly no stranger to litigating over the Hyperdrive patent, though. It and Toyota had a similar court battle that lasted years. Eventually, there was a settlement, and the result was Paice getting royalties for each hybrid that the Japanese automaker sold. Similarly, there's a lawsuit pending against Ford over tech in the C-Max, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ. Hyundai Statement: Hyundai believes that the verdict returned by the jury today in the matter of Paice v. Hyundai Motor Company et al., is not supported by the evidence. Accordingly, Hyundai has requested that the presiding judge enter a judgment in its favor notwithstanding the verdict. Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit.

Supermodel Adriana Lima kicks off World Cup fever with Kia

Americans, it has been said time and time again, will never embrace soccer. Not when we have so many other sports (like baseball, basketball, hockey and American football) to watch, cheer on and follow. But if anyone can change minds, surely it's Adriana Lima. The Latin American supermodel - best known for being a Victoria's Secret Angel - is the lust-worthy centerpiece of Kia's campaign for the FIFA World Cup, taking place this year in her native Brazil.
Kia is sponsoring this year's international soccer championship, and is kicking off its campaign with two ads in which Lima does her best to convert Americans into futbol fans and players. Which seem like a losing battle to begin with, but the least believable part of it very well might be that an international supermodel like Adriana would be driving around in an Optima or Sorento and not in a Mercedes or Maserati convertible. Of course that doesn't mean we mind watching her try, and so can you in the pair of clips below.