Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride SUVs Are Recalled for Trailer Hitch Fire Risk
Owners should park outside and away from structures until they can get a free repair
By Keith Barry
Kia and Hyundai are recalling more cars due to a fire risk and warning owners of all 2020 through 2022 Hyundai Palisade SUVs and some 2020 through 2022 Kia Telluride SUVs to park outside and away from structures. More than 281,000 vehicles are involved in the two recalls.
This time the problem has to do with faulty trailer hitch wiring harnesses that have already been responsible for at least 25 incidents of fires and/or melting, some of which happened when the vehicles were turned off. The recalled hitches were installed as original equipment or purchased at Kia and Hyundai dealerships.
Both automakers say that they’re currently working on a fix for the problem but that a repair isn’t available yet.
The problem occurs when debris accumulates on a printed circuit board inside the trailer hitch, which can cause a short circuit and lead to a fire. A majority of the complaints reported to the automakers involve melting, although some vehicles experienced more involved fires.
In documents provided to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Hyundai said that it’s aware of three related fires in Canada but none in the U.S., in addition to eight melting incidents in Canada and eight more in the U.S. Kia said it knows of six fires, five of which caused only “localized melting.” No injuries or crashes have been reported in relation to either recall, according to NHTSA documentation.
The Hyundai Motor Company is the largest shareholder in Kia Motors, with 33.88 percent ownership. Both automakers share parts, designs, and suppliers. In recent years both Hyundai and Kia have issued multiple fire-related recalls including more than 3.7 million vehicles. They involved brake fluid leaks, fuel leaks, oil leaks, ABS sensor issues, hydraulic brake component issues, and engine problems.
In 2020, NHTSA announced civil penalties totaling $210 million for Hyundai and Kia after the agency determined that the automakers hadn’t conducted earlier fire-related recalls in a timely manner.
Photo: Kia
The Details
Vehicles Recalled
• Certain 2020 through 2022 Kia Telluride SUVs equipped with a Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness accessory supplied by Mobis Parts America. This part may have been installed prior to delivery to customers or as an accessory by a Kia dealership.
• All 2020 through 2022 Hyundai Palisade SUVs equipped with a faulty tow hitch accessory wiring harness assembly. Although not all Palisades have the faulty harness installed, Hyundai is recalling every Palisade sold in the U.S. to check.
The problem: Debris buildup on the trailer hitch may cause a short circuit that could lead to a fire.
The fix: There’s no fix at this time. Both automakers are working on a repair and will let owners know when it’s ready. In the meantime, owners of recalled vehicles should park outdoors and away from structures.
How to contact the manufacturer: Owners can call Hyundai at 855-371-9460 or Kia at 800-333-4542. Both Kia and Hyundai will start notifying owners of affected vehicles by mail starting on Oct. 14, 2022. They will send another notification as soon as a repair is ready.
NHTSA campaign number: 22V633 for Hyundai; 22V626 for Kia. Hyundai’s own number for this recall is 235; Kia’s is SC247.
Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.
If you plug your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have one. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly.
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