Hyundai/Kia Asks Vehicle Owners To Park Outside Due To Fire Risk

Three Kia vehicles have gone up in flames due to problems with their ABS modules.

Hyundai and Kia have told half a million vehicles owners in the United States to park outside or away from buildings due to the possibility that their vehicles might just catch fire, even without it being turned on.

According to CNN, following the risks involved, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has even issued a warning to owners of the Kia Sportage (2014-2016), Kia K900 (2016-2018) and Hyundai Santa Fe (2016-2018) models to park their vehicles outside their homes or away from vehicles and other structures.

It is understood that the cause of the problem is from the ABS module where an electrical short can develop, increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

"In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Kia said it is aware of three vehicles that have caught fire. The companies also said owners could safely continue driving the vehicles, but they should be parked away from any buildings or structures."

If problems occur while driving where owners can see smoke coming out of the engine compartment or a burning smell, and MIL (check engine light) or ABS lights on the dashboard, then they should park safely and exit the vehicle.

CNN also reported that Hyundai and KIA dealers have been instructed to inspect the anti-lock braking control modules on the vehicles and may replace them with a new one. They will also replace a fuse that controls the electric current to the ABS module to reduce the amount of power going into the module.

Currently, there is no advisory from Hyundai/KIA for the Malaysian market, so perhaps Hyundai and Kia owners on this side of the pond have different components in their vehicles that are completely safe.