Hyundai & Kia recall over risk of fire, owners suggested to park cars outside

KUALA LUMPUR: Once in the late 2010s and then in the early 2020s, Kia and Hyundai issued recalls over potential engine component fire. The same issue has once again forced the two automakers to continue with the recall in 2022 as well.

Both Kia and Hyundai will be recalling nearly half a million cars and have instructed the affected vehicle owners to park their cars outdoors, away from other cars and structures until the issue is resolved. It is alarming to know that the affected cars can catch fire even with the engine turned off!

Which models are affected by the engine component problem?

Model	Year
Kia Sportage	2014 - 2016
Kia K900	2016 - 2019
Hyundai Santa Fe	2016 - 2018
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport	2017 - 2018
Hyundai Santa Fe XL	2019
Hyundai Tucson	2014 - 2015

 

That counts for 484,588 cars in total, 126,747 of which belong to Kia and the rest 357,830 to Hyundai.

What’s causing the fire?

The Hyundai cars are said to suffer from an ABS system malfunction that could lead to a short circuit, resulting in a fire.

As for Kia, the problem is expected to be with the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) that, like in the case of Hyundai, can cause a malfunction and ultimately a fire.

Solution?

While a new fuse for the HECU circuit board will be installed in affected Kias, Hyundai's technicians will inspect and replace the ABS module and install a new fuse.

Both the automakers will be notifying the owners of the affected cars via mail wherein they will be advised to contact their respective dealers and schedule the free repair. Kia will roll out the mail from Mar 31, 2022, and Hyundai will do the same starting April 5.

Also Read: BMW K1600 recalled over potential suspension failure