Hyundai and Kia have issued a recall for more than 1,13,000 new vehicles in North America after discovering fire risks in some of their models. They have advised owners to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the necessary repairs are made.
The recall affects various models including the 2023-2024 Hyundai Palisade, 2023 Hyundai Tucson, Sonata, Elantra and Kona vehicles along with the 2023-2024 Kia Seltos and 2023 Kia Soul and Sportage.
In the United States, around 52,000 Hyundai vehicles and nearly 40,000 Kia vehicles are covered by the recall. In Canada, the recall affects 11,000 Hyundai vehicles and 10,700 Kia vehicles. There is no official word if these recall programme affects Indian models or not.
The reason for the recall is a potential issue with the electronic controllers for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly. These controllers may contain damaged electrical components that can lead to overheating of the pump. To address the problem, dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller as necessary. Owners will be notified about the recall in late September.
Both Hyundai and Kia have reported a few incidents of potentially related thermal events but fortunately there have been no accidents or injuries as a result of these issues. The automakers have already taken steps to address the problem and a suspect part causing the fire risk was removed from production in March.
Hyundai has taken the safety of their customers seriously and has advised dealers to provide rental vehicles to customers who do not feel safe driving their affected vehicles until the necessary repairs can be completed. They have also warned owners to report any burning or melting odour and not attempt to drive the vehicle in such cases.
Aside from the fire risk, there is a possibility of heat damage leading to a short circuit that could affect other onboard vehicle controllers.
The recall was initiated after Hyundai received a report of a 2023 Hyundai Palisade showing heat damage on the wire harness/connector of the electric oil pump. Kia also received a report of melting in a 2023 Soul, prompting them to investigate the issue.
Both companies are committed to ensuring the safety of their customers and are taking swift action to resolve the problem and prevent any further incidents.
