DETROIT (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The owners of nearly 485,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles are being told to park them outdoors because they can catch fire — even if the engines are turned off.
The recalls from the two Korean automakers are another in a long string of fire and engine failure problems that have dogged the companies for the past six years.
This time the problem is contamination in the antilock brake control module that can cause an electrical short.
Affected are certain Kia Sportage SUVs from 2014 through 2016, and the 2016 through 2018 K900 sedan. Recalled Hyundai vehicles include certain 2016 through 2018 Santa Fe SUVs, 2017 and 2018 Santa Fe Sports, the 2019 Santa Fe XL and 2014 and 2015 Tucson SUVs.
The automakers say they have 11 reports of fires in the U.S. but no injuries.
Documents posted by U.S. safety regulators say owners should park the vehicles outside and away from structures until repairs are made.
Dealers will replace a fuse. In addition, Hyundai dealers will inspect the control modules and replace them if needed. Hyundai owners will be notified starting April 5. Kia expects to mail letters starting March 31.
The recalls come after U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stepped up a series of investigations into engine compartment fires that have plagued the Korean automakers.
In December, the agency consolidated two investigations from 2017 into a new a new engineering analysis covering more than 3 million vehicles from the 2011 through 2016 model years. At the time, NHTSA had received 161 complaints of engine fires, some of which occurred in vehicles that had already been recalled.
The first recall from the companies related to engine failures and fires reaches all the way back to September 2015. Since then it has issued at least eight more recalls for a host of engine problems, according to NHTSA documents.
The agency said it’s opening the engineering analysis to evaluate whether previous recalls covered enough vehicles. It also will monitor the effectiveness of previous recalls “as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia.”
At the time Hyundai and Kia said they are cooperating with the agency.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
