Hyundai and Kia recall nearly 500,000 cars due to fire risk

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Hyundai and Kia warned that engines in almost 500,000 of their cars may spontaneously catch fire.
• The issue lies in an electrical component in their anti-lock brake systems that could short circuit.
• In the meantime, both automakers advised owners to park outdoors and away from buildings.

Hyundai and Kia have issued recalls for nearly 500,000 vehicles in the US over concern of a potential fire risk in the engines of several models. The auto companies also advised owners to park their cars outdoors and away from buildings.

Per Consumer Reports, the recalled vehicles are: 2016-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL, 2014-2015 Hyundai Tucson, and 2014-2016 Kia Sportage SUVs, and the 2016-2018 Kia K900 sedan.

Kia is recalling certain vehicles due to a faulty Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA. It warns that the HECU “could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.” 

Kia is recalling 126,747 vehicles that may have been affected.

The automaker reported three incidents in which their vehicles caught fire, none of which resulted in fatalities, injuries, or crashes, according to NHTSA documents. 

Meanwhile, Hyundai has issued a recall of 357,830 vehicles over faulty Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) modules, which the NHTSA warns “could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.” 

Eight Hyundai vehicles affected by the recall caught fire in separate incidents, none of which resulted in injury, the safety administration said.

Moving forward, both car companies will notify owners of affected vehicles and will replace the faulty parts, free of charge.

Both Hyundai and Kia have issued similar recalls as recently as May of 2021, March 2021 and February 2020.

Michael Brooks, chief counsel for the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, told NBC News that the most recent recalls present a new challenge. 

“Although NHTSA has the authority to order a recall and potentially a buyback of all affected vehicles, the separate fire defects that have plagued millions of Hyundai vehicles across multiple model years makes this a very difficult task,” he said.

Source: Yahoo! News