South Korea's Hyundai Motor and Kia are recalling almost 92,000 vehicles in the US because of a fire risk.
The recall affects several models and stems from an issue with an electrical component in a transmission oil pump, which could overheat.
The companies advised owners of the vehicles to park outside and away from buildings until they are inspected. This is the latest in a series of fire-related recalls of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in recent years. In relation to the latest recall, Kia said there had been six reports of “thermal incidents” but no crashes or injuries.
Hyundai said it had four similar reports and also recorded no crashes, injuries or deaths due to the issue.
As well as the fire risk, heat damage could trigger a short circuit affecting other vehicle controllers, Hyundai said.
“Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete,” the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.
“The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat,” it added. Vehicle owners will be contacted in late September and dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller if needed. The carmakers told the NHTSA that the suspect component was taken out of production in March.
Recalled Hyundai vehicles
- 2023 Elantra
- 2023 Kona
- 2023 Sonata
- 2023 Tucson
- 2023-2024 Palisade
Recalled Kia vehicles
- 2023 Soul
- 2023 Sportage
- 2023-2024 Seltos
Separately, the NHTSA said in March that Hyundai and Kia had issued recalls for more than 570,000 vehicles and urged “owners to park their vehicles outside and away from homes and other structures until the recall is remedied.” Those recalls were related to a potential electrical issue that could start fires in the wiring used when a vehicle tows a trailer.
In July, Hyundai announced a recall of more than 13,500 vehicles in Australia over a potential engine fault that could cause fires. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate businesses but are part of Hyundai Motor Group and share many components.
Both carmakers have also seen a sharp rise in vehicle thefts. Earlier this year, Kia and Hyundai offered car owners steering wheel locks and a software upgrade after TikTok videos popularised how to easily steal their cars.
“Kia Boyz” trended last year with videos showing thieves breaking into the cars and taking them for joyrides.
— CutC by bbc.com
