Hyundai, Kia issue safety recall for 3.3 million cars over fear of them suddenly catching fire
By Bryan Ke
Hyundai and Kia have reportedly issued a safety recall to owners for some of their older-model cars, advising them to park their vehicles outside over fear that they may suddenly catch on fire.
Safety issue: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced in a press release on Wednesday that Hyundai and Kia, which are both part of the Hyundai Motor Group, had issued a safety recall to owners to park their cars outside and away from homes or structures until their get their cars repaired.
What causes it: According to the manufacturers, the problem could be caused by the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS) leaking brake fluid internally, which could cause an electrical short, overheating and increase the “risk of an engine compartment fire while driving or parked.”
While Hyundai is planning to notify owners to take their vehicles to the nearest dealership to replace the ABS module fuse, Kia is reportedly still working on a remedy for the issue.
Car models recalled: The NHTSA noted that the recent safety recall applies to about 1.73 million Hyundai cars with models such as the 2012-2015 Accent, 2012-2015 Azera and 2011-2015 Elantra, to name a few.
Meanwhile, 1.73 million Kia cars, with some of the models including the 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2011-2013 Forte/Forte Koup, 2015-2017 K900 and 2010-2015 Optima, to name a few, are also being recalled.
Number of cases: According to the NHTSA, neither Hyundai nor Kia know of any crashes, injuries or fatalities associated with the recent safety issues of their vehicles to date.
The transportation agency reported that there had been 21 cases of vehicle fires and 22 thermal incidents, such as visible smoke, burning and melting, for Hyundai cars in the U.S. The agency also noted that Kia only had one engine compartment fire, three fires in the unit and six instances in which components had melted.
Similar fire risks: The recent recall came on the heels after Hyundai and Kia reportedly issued a similar warning to 90,000 vehicle owners in August of a possible fire caused by the vehicle’s automatic engine start-stop system.
In August 2022, Hyundai and Kia also recalled over 280,000 cars over fire risk due to faulty wiring.
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