When you bring in your recalled car to get a safety defect fixed, you might assume that the problem has been remedied. Yet owners of more than 342,000 previously recalled Kia Soul vehicles are finding out that their cars need to have the same issue repaired again.

Kia recently announced the recall of 342,381 model year 2014 to 2016 Soul vehicles over a recurring steering flaw that was supposed to be repaired following a 2014 recall.

According to a notice [PDF] posted with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the affected vehicles may contain a pinion plug that could allow the pinion gear to separate from the steering gear assembly.

Kia notes that the remedy proposed by the original recall [PDF] may not have been properly performed. In some cases, the pinion plug may not have been secured correctly, the carmaker said.

If this occurred, the pinion gear may separate from the steering gear assembly, causing loss of steering. This could, in turn, increase the risk of a crash.

Affected vehicles will likely produce a “clunking” noise from the steering rack while the steering wheel is being turned.

With the new recall, Kia says dealers will secure the plug or replace the steering gear if needed.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by mail in mid-November. Customers who have already had their vehicles repaired after the initial recall will be reimbursed.

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