Hyundai and Kia: Troubles Behind for 571,000 Cars in the USA

The two South Korean brands have issued a warning about certain of their vehicles due to a risk of fire from their trailer harness.

The manufacturers from Seoul (South Korea) notified the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that some of their models were defective to the point of igniting trailer circuits. This issue affects more than 571,000 SUVs and minivans in the United States.

To be honest, it seems that Hyundai is the most affected by the fire problem. Hyundai and Kia have alerted owners about this. The brands recommend that owners park their vehicles as far away as possible from fragile infrastructure until a solution is found.

Indeed, water can penetrate the printed circuit of the trailers. This can cause a short circuit even if the ignition circuits are turned off.

KIA had already made an announcement last month to the American regulator in response to a social media challenge called the #KIAChallenge. Thieves could use their mobile phones to open and start the vehicle. To counter this, the brand had created an anti-theft software for its owners.

Which models are affected?

At Hyundai, the following models are under the spotlight: 

• Santa Fe produced from 2019 to 2023;
• Santa Fe Hybrid from 2021 to 2023;
• Santa Fe PHEV from 2022 and 2023;
• Santa Cruz from 2022 and 2023

At KIA, only the 2022 and 2023 Carnival minivan models have this trailer harness issue. These spontaneous fires pose problems in the United States and could potentially be responsible for future forest fires if not quickly resolved. Without action, some American travelers’ vacations might turn into a giant barbecue…

Also read: Tesla FSD, 360,000 vehicles “recalled” for semi-automatic driving