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February 9, 2022
Automakers are announcing separate recalls for 484,000 vehicles, saying the hydraulic electronic control unit modules could malfunction and cause fires in the engine compartments of those cars.
South Korean automakers hyundai and Kia on Tuesday advised owners of 484,000 U.S. vehicles to park outdoors and away from other vehicles due to fire hazards until they get further recall repairs.
hyundai Motor and its subsidiary Kia have announced separate recalls in the United States because a hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) module may malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Dealers will install a new fuse for the circuit board to deal with fire hazards.
New recalls cover 2014-2016 Kia Sportage, 2016-2018 Kia K900 and 2016-2018 Kia Sportage hyundai Santa Fe Vehicles. Owners must park vehicles outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures, even if vehicles are turned off.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has urged owners to follow the advice of automakers.
“The manufacturers believe that an electrical component of the anti-lock braking system may experience an internal electrical short that could increase the risk of fire both while driving or parking the vehicle,” the agency said.
The recalls affect 126,747 Kia vehicles and 357,830 hyundai Vehicles. No injuries were reported, but a total of 11 fires were reported, the automakers said.
Korean automakers have issued and expanded several recalls in recent years for fire hazards.
In November, NHTSA awarded the first-ever whistleblower award, handing out more than $24 million to a former hyundai employee who reported to NHTSA in 2016 that car manufacturer failed to fix a design flaw related to its Theta II engines.
In 2020, hyundai and Kia’s U.S. units agreed to a record civil fine of $210 million after NHTSA said they failed to recall vehicles for engine problems in a timely manner.
- Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard
