Photo: Hyundai
Hyundai and Kia issued another fire-related recall after the one in March caused by a faulty tow hitch harness module. This time, the transmission oil pump is to blame, but the consequences could be just as dangerous: the vehicles catching fire. The Korean carmakers urged the owners to park outside until the issue is fixed.
Hyundai and Kia recalled nearly 92,000 vehicles and instructed owners to park them outside and away from structures because of fire risk. The campaign covers the 2023 Elantra, 2023 Kona, 2023-2024 Palisade, 2023 Sonata, 2023 Tucson, 2023-2024 Seltos, 2023 Soul and 2023 Sportage. The Korean manufacturers discovered issues with the electric oil pump used with the automatic stop/start system (Idle Stop & Go). According to the NHTSA documents, the problem affects 52,008 Hyundai and 39,765 Kia vehicles.
The Korean carmakers explained that some electric oil pumps were shipped with electronic controllers that may have damaged electrical components, causing the pumps to overheat. This increases the risk of a vehicle fire, hence the recommendation to park outside. If a short-circuit occurs, drivers may notice smoke coming from the engine compartment, smell a burning or melting odor, be unable to turn the engine off, or see the check engine or other warning lights on the dashboard.
No fire has been reported by Hyundai or Kia, although four Hyundai and six Kia vehicles experienced thermal events with localized melting. Following investigations that started in December 2022 (Hyundai) and May 2023 (Kia), both carmakers identified the affected population and initiated the recall. As part of the remedy campaign, dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller as necessary. Owner notifications are expected to be mailed toward the end of September.
This is the second fire-related recall this year involving Hyundai and Kia vehicles. In March, the two carmakers recalled 567,912 Hyundai and 3,555 Kia vehicles because of an issue with the tow hitch harness module. Manufactured by SEGI Korea, the module featured a printed circuit board susceptible to water ingress through the four-pin connector. If water got inside, it could cause a short circuit and start a vehicle fire. That's why the affected owners were advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the issue is fixed.
With vehicles becoming more complicated and standardized platforms shared across segments and brands, any faulty component can cause huge headaches for a carmaker. A tiny mistake can be replicated hundreds of thousands of times before someone catches and corrects it. About 1,000 vehicle recalls happen every year, with the most ever recorded in 2021 (1,093). The statistic you can visualize on the Visual Capitalist website indicates that the number of recalled cars peaked in 2015 (86 million vehicles, with 2014 and 2016 not far behind) due to the massive Takata recall.
The Korean carmakers explained that some electric oil pumps were shipped with electronic controllers that may have damaged electrical components, causing the pumps to overheat. This increases the risk of a vehicle fire, hence the recommendation to park outside. If a short-circuit occurs, drivers may notice smoke coming from the engine compartment, smell a burning or melting odor, be unable to turn the engine off, or see the check engine or other warning lights on the dashboard.
No fire has been reported by Hyundai or Kia, although four Hyundai and six Kia vehicles experienced thermal events with localized melting. Following investigations that started in December 2022 (Hyundai) and May 2023 (Kia), both carmakers identified the affected population and initiated the recall. As part of the remedy campaign, dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller as necessary. Owner notifications are expected to be mailed toward the end of September.
This is the second fire-related recall this year involving Hyundai and Kia vehicles. In March, the two carmakers recalled 567,912 Hyundai and 3,555 Kia vehicles because of an issue with the tow hitch harness module. Manufactured by SEGI Korea, the module featured a printed circuit board susceptible to water ingress through the four-pin connector. If water got inside, it could cause a short circuit and start a vehicle fire. That's why the affected owners were advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the issue is fixed.
With vehicles becoming more complicated and standardized platforms shared across segments and brands, any faulty component can cause huge headaches for a carmaker. A tiny mistake can be replicated hundreds of thousands of times before someone catches and corrects it. About 1,000 vehicle recalls happen every year, with the most ever recorded in 2021 (1,093). The statistic you can visualize on the Visual Capitalist website indicates that the number of recalled cars peaked in 2015 (86 million vehicles, with 2014 and 2016 not far behind) due to the massive Takata recall.
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