Kia Recalls 83,403 Cars for Wiper Problems

Kia Motors Corp. said Friday it is recalling 83,403 of its Sephia compact cars sold in the past two years to repair the windshield wipers. Kia, whose U.S. operations are based in Irvine, will replace a faulty wiper link, which could disengage from the wiper motor and cause the wipers stop functioning. The recall includes 1998 and 1999 models. Owners will be notified by mail and dealers will replace the link for free, Kia said. Automakers typically pay for such repairs out of a warranty reserve, and it’s not unusual for a company to have more than a dozen in a year. Kia, which also makes the Sportage sport-utility vehicle, sold 113,319 vehicles in the U.S. through October, a 53% increase from a year earlier.