U.S. auto safety regulators have opened a probe into 16 separate recalls issued by Hyundai and Kia, Reuters reports.
The recalls issued by the automakers covered 6.4 million vehicles that are leaking brake fluid. Since 2016, the automakers have issued several recalls for antilock braking systems (ABS) and Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) which were manufactured by the same supplier.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an audit query into the companies to judge how timely their decisions were and how much they have complied with reporting requirements.
In September, the automakers recalled a total of 3.37 million vehicles due to a risk of engine fires. That same month, Hyundai reported having received 21 instances of fires and 21 other thermal incidents since 2017. For Kia, they’ve received at least 10 confirmed fires and melting incidents.
Kia has said that the HECU in recalled vehicles may experience an electrical short due to brake fluid leaks. Hyundai has said an electrical short may be caused by ABS modules leaking brake fluid internally.
