Hyundai And Kia Are On Fire

No, they're literally on fire.

Image via YouTube

Hyundai and Kia both have a bad history of fires. While in the past the problem has been certain engines spontaneously combusting, this time around the culprit seems to be an accessory tow hitch sold through dealerships, according to a release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles are certain 2020-2022 Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride models. NHTSA says the risk of a sudden fire is so severe owners should park away from buildings until their vehicle is repaired.

Image via Kia

A stop sale has been issued by NHTSA as well, meaning any unsold crossovers will be retained by dealers or the automakers until the defect is repaired. In total, 245,030 vehicles have been recalled for the sudden fire risk.

According to NHTSA, the problem is the accessory tow hitch might allow moisture into the harness module, leading to a short circuit which can in turn spark a rapid fire. This could happen while the vehicle is being driven or even when it’s parked and turned off.

Even though no confirmed fires have been reported in the US, NHTSA has issued the recall out of an abundance of caution. If you know anyone who has one of these Hyundai or Kia crossovers, please let them know about the risk immediately.

Image via Hyundai

For now, Hyundai dealers will be doing a temporary repair on Palisades by removing the fuse from the tow hitch module. NHTSA says there’s no interim repair for Kia Tellurides at the moment. A final repair of the problem is forthcoming, with a mailed notification coming to all owners of affected vehicles once that solution has been finalized. Until then, it’s probably best to not park in your garage or anywhere near your house.

I personally recommend going to the NHTSA recalls tool, entering your vehicle’s VIN, and seeing if it has any open recalls. You might be surprised what you find.