Risk of fire in Hyundai and Kia cars. Cars can catch fire spontaneously, even when parked

About 500,000 Hyundai and Kia cars are being recalled for a fault in the ABS system, which could lead to a short circuit and fire. Owners of the affected car series are encouraged to park as far away from home or other cars as possible.

It is unclear at this time whether the alert issued in the USA targets a defect manifested exclusively in cars sold in this country, or the recall criterion could be applicable in other markets covered by the two South Korean brands. But we can say with certainty that the defect is a component of a critical safety system for any modern car, responsible for reducing the stopping distance for emergency braking and maintaining control over the direction of travel.

According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one of the electrical components of the ABS system can cause circuit failure and spontaneous ignition of the engine compartment.

Reacting to the situation, Hyundai and Kia decided to recall 357,830 and 126,747 cars, respectively, which include the respective component of the ABS system. These are the Kia Sportage models sold between 2014-2016, the Kia K900 sedan, and the Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs sold between 2016-2018, Santa Fe Xl 2019 and Hyundai Tucson 2014-2015.

Hyundai Motor Group owns part of the shares of Kia, the two South Korean manufacturers delivering cars manufactured in factories hosted in the USA. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.