Hyundai, Kia announce recall for almost 500,000 vehicles in the US

Hyundai and Kia have issued a recall for some models of their vehicle line this week. Owners were also warned that their vehicles could catch fire even when the engine is turned off.

According to Fox Business, customers of Hyundai and Kia Motors were told to park their vehicles outside and away from other vehicles or properties since there is a risk of fire. It was reported that a total of 485,000 model units are affected by the latest recall in the United States.

The country's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has listed the Hyundai and Kia models that should be fixed as soon as possible and these are the Kia Sportage SUVs from 2014 to 2016, and the Kia K900 sedan from 2016 to 2018.

For Kia's parent company which is the Hyundai Motor Group, its Santa Fe sports utility vehicles from 2016 to 2018 are affected. The brand's Santa Fe Sports from 2017 to 2018, Santa Fe XL's 2019 model, and Tucson SUVs from 2014 and 2015 are all covered by the recall as well.

The newest recalls from the Korean vehicle manufacturers are addition to the series of fire and engine defects that have been reported in the last six years. In this case, the NHTSA said that

Hyundai and Kia think the fire risk may be caused by the "electrical component in the anti-lock brake system that may experience an internal electrical short circuit."

The automakers explained that if this happens, the risk of a fire is heightened not only when the unit is being driven but even when it is parked. The NHTSA stated that at this time, both Kia and Hyundai are aware of 11 cases of fires that were reported in the U.S. Then again, it is fortunate that there is no report of injuries or deaths yet related to the recall.

Finally, CNN Business reported that authorized dealers of Kia and Hyundai will be inspecting the vehicles' anti-lock braking control module to fix the issue. They may replace this small computer system that controls the emergency anti-lock braking system. It was mentioned that the fuse may also be replaced and all the repairs and replacements will be free of charge.