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Kia calls in 87k Fortes over fan fire issue

An electrical issue on the 2014 Forte has prompted Kia and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for 86,880 vehicles across America. The problem stems from the resistor for the cooling fan that the Korean automaker has found could overheat and melt, which would increase the risk of a fire. And fires in an automobile, needless to say, are not a good thing – unless they're occurring inside a combustion chamber. The issue affects units manufactured between December 5, 2012, and April 17, 2014. Owners of said Fortes can expect to hear from Kia to arrange to bring their vehicles in to their local dealer to have the multi-fuse unit replaced – and, for those manufactured between December 5, 2012, and January 27, 2014, the cooling fan as well. Vehicles equipped with the 1.8-liter engine will also have their ECUs reflashed while they're at it. RECALL Subject : Cooling Fan Resistor May Melt Report Receipt Date: JAN 16, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V015000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 86,880 Manufacturer: Kia Motors America SUMMARY: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Kia Forte vehicles manufactured December 5, 2012, to April 17, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the cooling fan resistor may overheat and melt. CONSEQUENCE: If the cooling fan resistor overheats and melts, there is an increased risk of a vehicle fire. REMEDY: Kia will notify owners, and for vehicles produced from December 5, 2012 to January 27, 2014, dealers will replace the cooling fan resistor and multi-fuse unit. For vehicles produced from January 28, 2014 to April 17, 2014, dealers will replace the multi-fuse unit only. Owners of vehicles with a 1.8L engine will also have the engine control unit software updated. The recall is expected to begin February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC113. 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.

The best Super Bowl car commercials from the last 5 years

If you've been dipping into the Autoblog feed over the past days and weeks, you wouldn't even have to be a sports fan to know the Super Bowl is coming up. Automakers have been teasing their spots for the big game, dropping them days early, fully-formed onto the Internet and otherwise trying to amp up the multi-million-dollar outlays that they've made for air time on the biggest advertising day of the year. And, we're into it. The lead up to the Super Bowl is almost akin to a mini auto show around these parts; with automakers being amongst the most prolific advertisers on these special Sundays. The crop of ads from 2015 looks as strong as ever, but we thought we'd take a quick look back at some of our favorite spots from the last five years. Take a look at our picks – created from a very informal polling of Autoblog editors and presented in no particular order – and then tell us about your recent faves, in Comments. Chrysler, Imported From Detroit Chrysler, Eminem and a lingering pan shot of "The Fist" – it doesn't get much more Motown than 2011's Imported From Detroit. With the weight of our staffers hailing from in and around The D, it's no wonder that our memories still favor this epic Super Bowl commercial (even though the car it was shilling was crap). Imported really set the tone for later Chrysler ads, too, repeated the formula: celebrity endorsement + dramatic copy + dash of jingoism = pulled car-guy heartstrings. Mercedes-Benz, Soul teaser with Kate Upton One of our favorite Super Bowl commercials (and yours, based on the insane number of views you logged) didn't even technically air during the game. Mercedes-Benz teased its eventual spot Soul with 90-seconds worth of Kate Upton threatening to do her best Joy Harmon impression. (Teaser indeed.) It doesn't win points for cleverness, use of music, acting, or any compelling carness, but it proved that Mercedes' advertisers knew how to make a splash in the Internet Age. And, hey, it's still classier than every GoDaddy commercial. Kia, A Dream Car. For Real Life Like the Mercedes video above, the initial draw here is a pretty lady; in this case the always stunning Adriana Lima. But this Kia commercial really delivers the extra effort we expect while scarfing crabby snacks and homemades, too. First of all, Motley Crue. Second, a cowboy on a bucking rhino. Enjoy yet again.

Kia Soul EV priced at $33,700*, leases start at $249/month

Kia must have thought VW was aiming a little high when the German automaker priced its upcoming electric vehicle for the US market. Kia has just announced that the price for its new Soul EV will be $33,700 (before any tax incentives) when it comes to the US later this year. That's well above the base model Nissan Leaf, which starts at $28,980, but a few thousand dollars below the Volkswagen e-Golf, which starts at $35,445. The upper end Plus model starts at $35,700. The Soul EV will come in two trim levels, with the upper end Plus model starting at $35,700. The extra $2,000 will get you leather-trimmed heated and ventilated seats, fog lamps and power folding mirrors. As any EV driver in a cold climate will tell you, heated seats can do a lot for your body comfort when electrons count. Every Soul EV will have an onboard 6.6-kW charger, a nav system, a rear camera and Kia's UVO EV Services connection (with app) – as well as Kia's $800 destination charge. There are a few more details in the press release below. The Soul also has something that its competitors don't: an official range of 93 miles thanks to a 27-kWh lithium ion battery pack. The Leaf sits pretty at 84 miles while the e-Golf has not yet been officially rated. For those more interested in leasing than buying, the cost will be $249 per month with $1,999 down for the base model. Kia will announce more lease details closer to launch this fall. By the way, the Soul EV will be "initially available in certain California markets only with limited availability," so only some of you will have the option to get one from the start. Kia has said that the Soul EV will be available in other states –Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland – as well, so expect announcements on that front at some point. 2015 KIA SOUL EV PRICING ANNOUNCED Starting MSRP of $33,700(1)(not including federal tax rebate of $7,500) with an expected introductory lease price(2) of $249 per month makes all-new Soul EV a compelling offer for eco-conscious buyers The 2015 Soul EV is Kia's first mass-market, all-electric, zero-emissions car and the centerpiece of the brand's Clean Mobility program Fully electrified variant retains Soul's funky design while delivering best-in-class(3) EPA-estimated driving range of 93 miles(4) IRVINE, Calif., September 11, 2014 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced pricing for the all-electric version of its hugely popular urban passenger vehicle, the Kia Soul.