Hyundai And Kia Recall SUVs, Advise Owners To Park Outside Due To Fire Risk

Hyundai and Kia announced a recall of more than 281,000 SUVs due to a fire risk. The recall covers 245,030 Hyundai Palisades from 2020-2022 and 36,417 2020-2022 Kia Tellurides. The automakers have advised owners to park their vehicles outside because the fires can start even when the vehicles are not running.

The issue is caused by a defect in the tow hitch system that lets moisture and debris in, which can result in a short circuit that could spark a fire. Kia said it received reports of six fires due to the issue, though there were no injuries or crashes related to the problem.

The manufacturers have not determined a permanent fix for the problem. However, Hyundai said it has a temporary solution and will remove the fuse from the tow hitch to eliminate the risk of a fire.

The car companies said they will begin to notify owners in October.

You can check to see if our vehicle is subject to a recall by visiting nhtsa.gov/recalls and entering your VIN number.