Hyundai and Kia Latest Engine Fire Updates

Hyundai and Kia are still having problems with engine fires.  The manufacturers are now telling owners to park their vehicles outside of their garages and carports because their vehicles can suddenly ignite even if the vehicles have not been driven.  The warning applies to approximately 485,000 vehicles in the U.S.  The problem is with the antilock braking system module which can leak fluid and cause an internal short circuit that leads to a fire.  This recall now includes 2014 – 2016 Kia Sportage, 2016 – 2019 K900 Sedans, 2016 – 2018 Santa Fe SUVs, 2017 – 2018 Santa Fe Sports, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014 – 2015 Tucson SUVs.  Dealers are supposed to replace a fuse and if necessary the anti-lock brake control module.  Kia is expected to begin notifying owners beginning on March 31^st and Hyundai owners will be notified beginning on April 5^th.  We have previously reported on this issue and the articles are still available for review.  The articles are in the following posting sates: Feb 2020, Sept 2020, Jan 2021, May 2021, and Dec 2021.  The articles can be accessed by clicking on the month and year located on the right side margin and scrolling through the page after it loads.  For additional information, about the recalls, owners can contact Hyundai or Kia by phone or email as listed in the articles.   

Ford F 350 Engine Fire

In our last blog update, January 7, we talked about the recall issued by Hyundai regarding faulty antilock brake and hydraulic electronic control units.  In that blog, we also discussed the recall of thousands of Tucson SUVs that contained a defective ABS/HECU control circuit board.  The circuit board has a tendency to corrode, short circuit and cause an engine fire.  A recent investigation into an engine fire in a 2017 Ford F350 showed that a similar ABS/HECU was installed in that vehicle at the factory.  The vehicle was purchased new by the insured/owner and as a result, the ABS/HECU had never been replaced.  A photograph of the ABS/HECU is shown below.  When compared to the photograph of the ABS/HECU in the previous blog entry, the units are identical.  Although it is unknown if the unit in the Ford truck is the same as the recalled unit in the Hyundai Tucson, corrosion could still be the reason why the engine fire occurred in the Ford vehicle.  Engine fires attributed to the faulty ABS/HECU units can occur without warning.  That is, there are no instrument panel warning lights that illuminate prior to a fire.  In this particular case, the warning that the owner got was that the engine lost power (since it was a diesel engine).        

ABS/HECU found in Ford F 350

Hyundai Recalls Sonata and Santa FE Sport Vehicles for Fuel Leaks

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 2013-2014 Hyundai Sonata vehicles due to a fuel leak that can occur in a low pressure fuel hose.  The hose in question connects the low pressure fuel pump to the direct injection fuel pump.  As a result of engine heat, the hose can crack over time resulting in fuel leakage that can become a fire hazard.  The recall affects approximately 206,896 vehicles.  Dealers will inspect the hose and replace it as necessary.  If no damage or leakage is found, dealers will wrap the hose in heat protective tape.  Repairs will be performed at no cost to the owner.  For additional information, owners can contact Hyundai customer service by calling 1-855-371-9460 and referencing recall number 189.  The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 20V121000.

Hyundai Motor America is also recalling 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata as well as 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport Vehicles.  These vehicles were previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226 and affect approximately 150,730 vehicles.  During the repairs to these vehicles, the high pressure fuel pipe that attaches to the outlet of the fuel pump could have been improperly installed.  That is, the pipe could have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued, resulting in fuel leakage from the pipe.  This is an outstanding recall that was begun March 1, 2019.  For additional information, owners can contact Hyundai customer service by calling 1-855-371-9460 and referencing recall number 180.  The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 18V934000.  

Toyota Recalls Vehicles for Electronic Defect

NBC News is reporting that Toyota is recalling 3.4 million vehicles worldwide for an electronic defect that results in the failure of air bags to deploy.  2.9 million of the recalled vehicles have been identified as sold in the United States.  The recall applies to 2011 – 2019 Corolla, 2011 – 2013 Matrix, 2012 – 2018 Avalon, and 2013 – 2018 Avalon Hybrid.  The problem with the electronic circuit is that it is not adequately protected against electrical noise.  Electrical noise can occur during a crash and can result in incomplete or non-deployment of the air bags.  NBC is also reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) expanded a probe last April which included approximately 12 million vehicles for this air bag problem.  That probe also included the vehicles that Toyota is recalling.  In addition, the probe involved vehicles manufactured between 2010 and 2019 and sold by Fiat, Chrysler, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, as well as Toyota.  Owners of any of these vehicles should check with their local dealers to see if their vehicle has been recalled for this particular problem.  Toyota owners can also visit Toyota’s website at www.toyota.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Safety Recalls”, then enter their vehicle identification number to determine if their has been recalled.

Hyundai Recalls Vehicles Due to Fire Risk

Hyundai Motor America has recalled approximately one half million vehicles as a result of engine problems that pose a fire risk.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that approximately 380,000 Kia Soul and Sportage vehicles will be recalled by Hyundai.  The Kia Soul vehicles are equipped with 1.6 liter engines and can operate at higher than normal exhaust gas temperatures due to abnormal combustion.  The elevated exhaust temperatures can damage the catalytic converter as well as ignite combustible material such as oil, fuel and plastic.  The affected year models are 2012 through 2016.  NHTSA has also announced that Hyundai is recalling approximately 120,000 Tucson vehicles for a potential oil pan leak.  The Kia Sportage is also being recalled for this same problem.  Oil leakage in the presence of an ignition source, such as a hot engine, can pose a fire hazard risk.  The affected year models are 2011 through 2012 for the Sportage and 2011 through 2013 for Tucson vehicles.

For additional information, owners can contact Hyundai Motor America at 855-671-3059 or visiting https://hyundaiengineinfo.com.

Hyundai Santa Fe Recall

The National Highway Traffic Administration has announced that Hyundai Motor America is recalling approximately 43,941 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles.  All of the vehicles involved in the recall are for model year 2018.  The problem with the vehicles is that the steering wheel can break and separate from the steering column resulting in a loss of control and possibly a crash.  Hyundai is planning to notify owners and will replace the steering wheel assembly free of charge if necessary.  The recall is expected to begin on March 16, 2018.  Hyundai’s recall number for this campaign is 173.  For additional information, consumers can contact Hyundai be calling customer service at 1-855-371-9460.

Recalls From Volkswagen and Hyundai

Volkswagen Group of America has recalled approximately 240,487 vehicles as a result of a fuel pump problem. More specifically, the recall applies to 2013-2017 Audi Q5 and Q7.  These vehicles are equipped with a fuel pump that has a flange which can crack.  The crack in turn, can allow fuel to leak and fuel in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.  Audi will advise owners (usually by regular mail) and dealers will replace cracked fuel pumps free of charge.  If fuel pumps are found to be crack free, then a protective film will be applied in order to prevent cracking, also free of charge.  The recall is expected to begin on July 2, 2017.  For further information, owners can contact Volkswagen by calling 1-800253-2834.  The recall number for this campaign is 20Z8

Hyundai Motor Company has announced that it is recalling approximately 600,000 vehicles in two recalls. The first recall involves 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport, about 437,400 vehicles. Corrosion can attack the secondary hood latch and cause it to malfunction.  More specifically, the actuating cable can bind causing the hood to open while the vehicle is in motion.  The recall will begin June 30 with Hyundai notifying owners and dealers replacing the hood latch free of charge.  The second recall applies to 16,074 Hyundai Genesis and Sonata Vehicles manufactured between 2015 and 2016.  Corrosion is also to blame for attacking the parking brake switch.  As a result, the parking brake light may not illuminate if the driver does not realize that the parking brake is applied.  This recall will also begin on June 30 with the notification of vehicle owners.  Again, dealers will repair the affected vehicles free of charge.  For further information on either of these recalls, owners can contact Hyundai by calling 1-888-327-4236.

Hyundai Kia Recalls

ABC news has announced that Hyundai and Kia have recently recalled over 1 million vehicles for faulty engines. The recall applies to 2011-2014 Kia Optima, 2011-2013 Kia Sportage, 2012-2014 Kia Sorento.  The vehicles are equipped with 2 liter or 2.4 liter engines which were manufactured by Hyundai’s engine plant in Alabama.  The problem with the engines is that internal parts were not cleaned properly and debris from manufacturing could restrict or block oil flow.  As a result, bearings can fail and cause the engine to stall.  Possible indications of an impending engine failure include engine warning lights and a knocking sound that increases in frequency with engine speed.  Owners should take their vehicles to their Hyundai/Kia dealers to have them checked.  The dealers will replace the block if necessary at no cost to the owner.  The recall is scheduled to begin on May 19, 2017.  It should be noted that this recall is the second recall issued in the past two years for the same engine problem.  In 2015, Hyundai recalled 470,000 2011-2012 Sonata sedans with the same engines.  For additional information, owners can contact Hyundai/Kia by calling 1-800-333-4542 or visiting www.kia.com.

Hyundai Sonata Recall

I just finished posting a recall to our website which talks about how Hyundai is recalling 883,000 Sonata vehicles for a defective automatic transmission shift cable. I know that there have been larger numbers of vehicles recalled by other manufacturers but, this isn’t about the numbers. It’s about whether manufacturers have learned anything. You would think that as long as cars and trucks have been built, especially here in the US, that manufacturers would have a handle on keeping problems to a minimum. But, how does a faulty ignition switch get by a company like General Motors? Ford and Chrysler have had their problems as well. One only has to do a little research to find something that had a significant impact on the company’s bottom line. Remember Ford’s electronic ignition that caused fires in F 150s back in the lat 90s? Remember the Jeep sudden acceleration/inadvertent movement that wouldn’t go away? The problems aren’t limited to American made vehicles. The Japanese have had their share of recalled vehicles as well. Remember the Toyota floor mat fiasco? If all of the people that worked for all of the world’s car manufacturers were put under one roof, there has to be an untold number of millennia of experience and yet, recalls are a part of everyone’s life.

Serious Recalls

The news section of our web site has been updated and discusses recalls from Chrysler, Hyundai, and Prevost for defects that can be life threatening. Please visit www.rjhill.com/news for the latest information.