Both Hyundai and Kia have recalled more than 500,000 vehicles across the United States due to a possible fire risk and warned that motorists should park their vehicles away from structures in the meantime.
Affected Hyundai vehicles include the 2019 to 2023 Santa Fe, the 2021 to 2023 Santa Fe Hybrid, the 2022 and 2023 Santa Fe Plug-in hybrid, and the 2022 and 2023 Santa Cruz. The only Kia affected is the Carnival minivan from 2022 and 2023. All have Hyundai or Kia tow hitch harnesses that came as original equipment or were installed by dealers.
“Until the free recall repair is completed, owners should continue to park their vehicles outdoors and away from other vehicles or buildings, even if the vehicle is turned off,” according to a “consumer alert” that was issued by the U.S. National Highway Safety Transportation Agency. “An electrical short could potentially start a fire in the tow hitch harness module. Owners should contact their Hyundai or Kia dealership to schedule a FREE repair.”
Owners of the vehicles under recall should communicate with their manufacturer’s customer service department to see if their vehicle is affected.
The spokesperson added that Hyundai is taking “an interim step” and that the car manufacturer is “also planning on removing the fuse to an equipped trailer tow hitch module to address the fire risk while in operation and parked. This remedy will be offered at no cost for all affected customers, if necessary.”
A Kia spokesperson told Fox Business that they will notify owners of the recalled vehicles via first-class mail starting in May. It will include instructions to bring their Kia to a dealership for a fix.
Other Recalls
Several days ago, Honda announced it is recalling 500,000 vehicles due to a seat belt problem as U.S. safety regulators that the surface coating on the channel for the buckle can deteriorate over time. The release button can shrink against the channel at lower temperatures, increasing friction and stopping the buckle from latching.That recall covers the 2017 through 2020 CR-V, the 2018 and 2019 Accord, the 2018 through 2020 Odyssey, and the 2019 Insight. It also includes Acura RDX from the 2019 and 2020 model years.
Honda said in its recall that it has no reports of injuries caused by the seat belt issue.
“The vehicles passed a pre-delivery quality check and connected vehicle data shows no anomalies,” the Ford spokesperson said.
In February, F-150 Lightning production was halted by the Detroit auto giant amid reports of a truck catching on fire during a quality check. The cause of the fire was found to be a battery cell defect, the company said. Production of the F-150 Lightning was restarted in March.