Kia, Hyundai recall millions of cars in US over engine fire hazards
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The South Korean car makers will be recalling almost 3.4 million vehicles in the next few months.
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2012 Kia Sorento on fire after engine suddenly burst into flames on Interstate 4 in Orlando, United States in May 2018 (Social media)
South Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai started recalling around 3.4 million vehicles from the United States market after increased incidents of engines catching fire due to flawed parts, US auto safety regulator NHTSA said.
The recalls cover various car and SUV models from the 2010 through 2019 model years, including Hyundai’s Santa Fe SUV and Kia’s Sorrento SUV.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit in these cars "may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving."
Documents released on Wednesday by the NHTSA added that the vehicles' anti-lock braking system (ABS) module "may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving."
The giant car producers advised owners to park outside and away from structures until repairs are complete, adding that dealers will replace the HECU and ABS fuses as necessary.
Kia and Hyundai are set to inform their clients of the recall dates starting November 14 and 21 respectively.
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Hyundai said since 2017, it has received reports of 21 fires and 21 other heat incidents related to the recalls. Meanwhile, Kia said it has reports of at least 10 confirmed fires and thermal issues.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, questioned why the carmakers aren’t fixing the leak problem and why are they waiting so long to communicate with the owners.
The solution is replacing one fuse with another, but brake fluid can still leak, potentially causing safety hazards, he said.
“Why not fix the problem?” Brooks asked. “What you’re not doing here is fixing the O-ring and the leak that’s causing the problem in the first place. You’re combatting a symptom or part of the problem without actually fixing the underlying design issue.”
Kia is pulling back about 1.7 million vehicles, while Hyundai's recalls are to be over 1.6 million.
