South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia have recalled nearly 500,000 vehicles in the United States, telling owners to park their vehicles outdoors because they can burst into flames even when not being used. The affected cars and SUVs have been considered a fire risk after an investigation showed that contamination in the anti-lock brake computer control module could cause an internal electrical short circuit in the vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a consumer alert regarding the massive recall on Tuesday, February 8. The NHTSA said in its statement that Kia Motors America and Hyundai Motor America recommend that owners of the affected vehicles should park outside and away from other vehicles or structures due to the fire danger, even if the vehicle is turned off.
Hyundai recalls 357,830 vehicles because of the problem, while Kia recalls 126,747 units. Among the Kia vehicles affected by the recall are certain Sportage SUVs from 2014 through 2016 and 2016 through the 2018 K900 sedan. Included in Hyundai's recall are certain 2016 through 2018 Santa Fe SUVs, the 2019 Santa Fe XL, 2014 and 2015 Tucson SUVs, and 2017 and 2018 Santa Fe Sports.
Kia already issued a recall notice on February 2, while Hyundai released their own on February 3. Both car brands will tell owners by mail to bring their vehicles to a Hyundai or Kia dealer for free repair involving the installation of a fuse designed to mitigate the fire risk by helping reduce the power into the affected module.
Kia owners will be notified via mail starting March 31, while Hyundai expects to mail letters beginning April 5. Apart from replacing the fuse, Hyundai dealers will also inspect the control modules in their recalled vehicles and replace them if needed.
Owners can find out if their vehicle is among those recalled by visiting the website NHTSA.gov/Recalls and entering their 17-digit vehicle identification number. They can also call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.
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The latest recalls by Hyundai and Kia come after the NHTSA launched a series of investigations regarding engine compartment fires in their vehicles. According to the data collected by the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, there has been at least 30 U.S. fire and engine-related recalls from Kia and Hyundai since 2015.
The recalls affected over 8.4 million vehicles, involving more than 20 models from 2006 to 2021. Most of the recalls from Kia and Hyundai had to do with manufacturing defects that stopped oil from flowing through the engine block, and many of them involved expensive engine replacements.
The vehicle fires under investigation by the NHTSA involve the Korean automakers' Theta II MPI, Theta II MPI hybrid, Nu GDI, Gamma GDI, and Theta II GDI engines.
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