Hyundai recalls Palisade SUVs with faulty wipers following US government investigation

Fountain Valley, CA – April 2, 2023 – Hyundai (NASDAQ: HYMTF) has recalled 167,085 2021-2023 Hyundai Palisade SUVs because their windshield wipers may fail to operate. This reduces visibility, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. 

This recall, which comes on the heels of an ongoing U.S. government investigation, is an expansion of a previous one conducted for the same issue in August 2022. 

Recall summary  

Windshield wipers are held in place and moved with a metal arm, which is mounted to the wiper mechanism with an electric motor. 

In affected vehicles, snow and ice may build up around the wiper arm’s base and obstruct its movement. This may result in the wipers stopping to work.

The component causing this recall is the driver’s windshield wiper arm, with part number 98311-S8000. 

Recall risks

Inoperable windshield wipers will reduce the driver’s visibility, especially in harsh weather, which increases the risk of a crash and injury.  

Background of the recall 

This windshield wiper problem was first spotted on Hyundai Palisade models made before the end of November 2020 around three years ago and was addressed during a recall in August 2022. However, soon after, the U.S. government auto safety regulator, the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation to access the adequacy and scope of that recall as it was revealed that SUV made after November 2020 were also potentially affected. The present recall is a direct result of the investigation.

Other Hyundai recalls

Apart from this Hyundai Palisade recall, vehicles made by this manufacturer have been plagued by various issues causing them to catch fire.  Aside from this, the manufacturer is currently dealing with an ongoing issue with its seat belt pretensioners, which so far resulted in seven recalls.

The repair

Dealers will replace the driver’s windshield wiper arms with an upgraded version, which is not prone to snow and ice accumulation. The repair will be free of charge.

Owners will be notified on May 16, 2023. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 160,000 SUVs are recalled over this Hyundai windshield wiper failure. To do a Hyundai recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool

Bojan PopicHyundai recalls Palisade SUVs with faulty wipers following US government investigation

Hyundai recalls Santa Fe SUVs that may catch fire

Irvine, CA – November 10, 2022 – Hyundai (OTCMKTS:HYMTF) is recalling 44,396 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SUVs, over the risk of catching fire while driving or parked. This increases the risk of crash, injury, or property damage.

This is the latest in the long list of both Hyundai and its sister company Kia fire-related recalls.

Recall summary  

Affected vehicles are equipped with the anti-lock brake system, or ABS, which prevents the wheels from locking up when braking. Due to the reasons still unknown, the electronic module that controls this system may overheat. In some cases, this may result in a fire inside the engine compartment, where this system is located. 

The component causing this recall is the ABS module with part number 58920-4Z300, made by Korean manufacturer Mando. 

Recall risks

For more on the risks of this recall, please visit the following page about a recent Kia recall caused by the same risk.

Other Hyundai recalls

Just a few days ago, Hyundai recalled a range of their models, including Santa Fe, over the risk of stalling.

Both Kia and Hyundai have recalled countless vehicles due to the risk of fire. You can see a summary of the issues here. Since the publication of that article, another Kia fire recall came out less than a week ago.

The repair

As with previous similar issues, the dealers will replace the fuse for the ABS system with a modified one. This new fuse will blow out if the module starts overheating, cutting power to it and preventing it from catching fire. The repair is free of charge.

Owners will be notified on December 26, 2022. 

Safety tips

Owners should park their vehicles away from structures until the new fuse is installed. For more on what to do in the event of a fire, please visit the following page.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

These Hyundai fire issues are affecting more than 40,000 SUVs. To do a Hyundai recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool

Bojan PopicHyundai recalls Santa Fe SUVs that may catch fire

Hyundai Tucson recall expanded due to risk of engine fire

Fountain Valley, CA – January 26, 2021 – Hyundai Motor Company (NASDAQ:HYMTF) expanded its September 4, 2020 recall of certain Tucson vehicles, due to an issue with the anti-lock brake system. The recall, which totals 652,024 vehicles, now includes 2016-2018 Tucson SUVs. The original recall involved Hyundai Tucson 2019 and Hyundai Tucson 2020, as well as the 2021 model year for the same car.

Recall summary  

The issue does not directly affect the brakes in the Tucson Instead, it concerns a hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU), which is a component of the anti-lock brake system. A defective circuit board inside the unit may corrode and cause an electrical short. This may result in an engine compartment fire.

For warning signs related to this issue, please see the article describing the original recall.

Engine fire lawsuit and previous recalls

The 2019 Hyundai Tucson equipped with Theta II gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines was among 2.3 million vehicles that were subject to a 2018 class action lawsuit that claimed that these vehicles were at a higher risk of engine fire and stalling, among other issues. The lawsuit was settled in 2019 with Hyundai and Kia – which used the engines supplied by Hyundai- agreeing to a host of remedies, including cash compensation, free inspection and reimbursement, according to a press release.

Both manufacturers subsequently announced several recalls of other cars – some equipped with Theta II engines – also due to the increased risk of fire. Both the recent Kia Optima and Sorento, as well as Hyundai Santa Fe Sport recalls were linked to brake fluid leaking into the HECU causing an electrical short and potentially, a fire. The third recall – conducted by Kia – did not have definitive reasons behind it.

Risks 

For risks related to this recall, see our previous coverage about this Hyundai Tucson recall here.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will add a fuse kit to the ABS module. Model year 2019-2021 Tucsons will also require an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) software update.

The latest leg of this recall starts on February 19 and the owners will be notified when the repair is available. Until repairs have been completed,  owners are urged to  park vehicles outside and away from structures. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 652,000 vehicles are included in this Hyundai recall. To see if your vehicle is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Ken BoydHyundai Tucson recall expanded due to risk of engine fire