Hyundai and Kia Recall 570K Vehicles

Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 571,000 vehicles due to the tow hitch harnesses catching fire, AP News reports.

Hyundai has recalled “the 2019 to 2023 Santa Fe, the 2021 to 2023 Santa Fe Hybrid, the 2022 and 2023 Santa Fe Plug-in hybrid and the 2022 and 2023 Santa Cruz.” Only one Kia vehicle was recalled: 2022 and 2023 Carnival minivans. 

The cars were equipped with tow hitch harnesses “that came as original equipment or were installed by dealers.” According to documents from U.S. federal safety regulators, water is prone to enter inside “a circuit board on the hitches,” causing a short circuit, regardless of if the vehicle is on or not.

Hyundai has reported one incident of a fire and five that resulted in heat damage, with no injuries occurring. Kia has not reported any injuries or fires. Vehicle owners are being advised to park the cars outside and away from structures. 

The solution will be to have dealers “remove the fuse and tow hitch computer module” until a repair is available. Later on, a new fuse and wire extension with a waterproof connector will be installed. Owners of affected vehicles will begin to receive more information from the manufacturer starting May 16.