Hyundai and Kia have recalled 570,000 vehicles due to a tow hitch harness that can catch fire. According to a statement, owners should “park outside” and keep the cars away from structures until repaired.
Hyundai, Kia recall over vehicles catching fire
Affiliated Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 570,000 SUVs and minivans in the US due to a faulty tow hitch harness that can suddenly catch fire.
According to the recall, an electrical short could potentially start a fire in the tow hitch harness module. According to documents posted by US safety regulators for Kia America and Hyundai America, the tow hitch harness modules are susceptible to water seeping in and causing an electrical short in the circuit board, increasing the risk of igniting a fire while driving or even while the vehicle is parked with the ignition off.
According to a consumer alert from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Owners should continue to park their vehicles outdoors and away from other vehicles or buildings, even if the vehicle is turned off.”
Similar problem last year caused recall of 245,000 vehicles
Last year, a similar problem affected 2020 through 2022 Hyundai Palisade SUVs, and the automaker recalled more than 245,000 vehicles, NPR reported. The NHTSA said this latest recall was a result of the agency monitoring the Palisade recall from last year and finding this latest defect.
Hyundai said it had reports of one fire and five heat damage incidents, all with no injuries, while Kia had no reports of fires or injuries.
Which vehicles are affected?
More than 570,000 vehicles are affected by the recall, which includes:
-2022-2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz
-2019-2023 Hyundai Santa Fe
-2021-2023 Santa Fe Hybrid
-2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid
-2022-2023 Kia Carnival
Repairs are free, see dealer ASAP to eliminate fire risk
Owners of any affected Hyundai or Kia vehicles should contact a dealership to schedule a FREE repair.
Owners of the affected vehicles are urged to visit a dealer right away. The dealer will remove the fuse and tow hitch computer model to eliminate the fire risk until a fix for the problem is available.
Once a new unit is available, the dealer will install a new fuse and wire extension that has an improved connector that is waterproof. Owners will begin receiving notifications starting on May 16.
More information and updates
For more information, vehicle owners may visit NHTSA.gov/recalls or call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) to check if their vehicle is under recall.
To stay informed on current recalls, the NHTSA encourages all vehicle owners to download its SaferCar app to be alerted and stay updated.
