Hyundai, Kia Recall 92,000 Vehicles Over Fire Risk

Hyundai and Kia issued a recall notice on Wednesday for nearly 92,000 vehicles in the United States, instructing owners to park their vehicles outside while they await repairs. The recall comes as a result of an electrical controller within the impacted models’ oil pumps, presenting an increased fire risk.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety recall report, 52,008 Hyundai vehicles are impacted. That includes 28,623 Hyundai Palisades, 4,238 Hyundai Tucsons, 13,160 Hyundai Konas, 4,844 Hyundai Elantras, and 1,143 Hyundai Sonatas. Most impacted models are from the 2023 model year, though some 2024 model year Palisades are also included in the recall. The enthusiast-focused Elantra N and Kona N models are not included in the recall. Things are similar on the Kia front, with a total of 39,765 impacted vehicles. These include 20,453 Kia Souls, 4,411 Sportage SUVs, and 14,901 Seltos SUVs. The recall impacts 2023 model year Kias as well, with some 2024 Seltos models included too.

The automaker’s NHTSA filing state that a capacitor located on a circuit board attached to the oil pump assembly may have been damaged during manufacturing. Hyundai and Kia claim this damage was the fault of one of their suppliers and that it can cause the board to short-circuit. Such an event can lead to a fire, hence why owners are being asked to park their vehicles outside and away from any structures. Warning signs of an issue might include smoke protruding from the underside of the vehicle, a melting odor, or a series of warning lights on the dashboard. The vehicle may also go into limp mode, and you may not be able to turn off the engine.