More About Hyundai and Kia Engine Fires

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that it is continuing its investigation of engine fires in Hyundai and Kia vehicles.  NHTSA has reportedly opened a new engineering analysis that covers in excess of 3 million vehicles.  It should be noted that some of the vehicles have already been recalled.  The vehicles in question are 2011 through 2016 Hyundai Elantra, Santa Fe and Sonata; and, Kia Optima, Rio, Sorento, and Soul.  These are the same engine problems that were reported in September of 2020 and again in January and May of 2021 on our blog.  All of the vehicles involved in the investigation are equipped with one of the following engines: Theta II GDI, Theta II MPI, Theta II MPI Hybrid, NU GDI, and Gamma GDI. For additional information, owners can visit NHTSA’s website at www.nhtsa.gov or contact their Hyundai/Kia dealer.       

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.