Hyundai and Kia are telling owners of more than 571,000 SUVs and minivans in the U.S. to park outdoors because towing harnesses can catch fire when parked or driven.
An affiliated Korean automaker is recalling the vehicle and warning people to park away from the structure until repairs are made.
Affected Hyundai vehicles include 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. The only affected Kia is the 2022 and 2023 Carnival minivan. .
All have Hyundai or Kia tow harnesses that come as original equipment or they are installed by dealers.
The Korean automaker said in a document posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators that water can get into circuit boards and cause short circuits even when the ignition is off.
Hyundai has reported one fire and five incidents of heat damage without injury. There were no reports of fires or injuries.
The dealer will initially remove the fuse and tow the problem computer module until a fix is available. Later they will install new fuses and cable extensions with better connectors that are waterproof. Owners will be notified starting May 16.
Last year, Hyundai recalled more than 245,000 2020 to 2022 Palisade SUVs for the same problem.