Hyundai recalls Kona and Ioniq vehicles that may catch fire

Fountain Valley, CA – May 26, 2022 – Hyundai North America has remedied issues with 3,159 vehicles including the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric dealing with short-circuit problems caused by their lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, 62 of these Hyundai Ioniq EV’s have been categorized as unreachable and 9 have been removed from the recall. Three groups of these 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric with Lithium-Ion Battery Issues were remedied during 2021 and one group in 2022.

Fountain Valley, CA – March 31, 2021 – Hyundai North America (NASDAQ:HYMTF) has recalled 4,696 vehicles equipped with lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The batteries may short circuit and potentially cause an engine fire. The recall includes Hyundai Kona 2019 and 2020 Electric vehicles (EV) and 2020 Hyundai Ioniq EV sedans.

Recall summary  

Due to a manufacturing error, the Li-ion batteries in these Hyundai Ioniq Electric and Hyundai Kona EVs may short-circuit and lead to an engine fire

The U.S. recall is being conducted as part of a global recall announced by the manufacturer last month. Among the included countries is South Korea that recently launched its second recall on the back of at least 11 Kona EV fires.

Fire reports

In 2019, three parked Hyundai Kona EV sedans caught on fire in Korea, two in Canada and one in Europe. In each case, the parked vehicle had a full battery charge. Seven more fires were reported in 2020. In each case, Hyundai suspected that the fire was caused by an electrical short in the Li-ion battery. The cause of the issue was identified earlier this year and turned out to be incorrectly folded battery cells.

South Korean recall and subsequent fire

In October of last year, the manufacturer issued a recall South Korea for more than 25,000 Kona Electric vehicles due the risk of fire. After a recalled and repaired Kona caught fire, Hyundai issued another recall in the country.

Warning signs 

The electrical short may take place when the vehicle is parked or while driving. The driver may smell smoke or a burning/melting odor when a battery fire occurs. Additionally, the malfunction indicator (MIL) or the battery lights may come on.

Risks

A fire can injure occupants and a crash due to a fire may injure other drivers or pedestrians. For tips on what to do in the event of a fire, please refer to this recent article about a different Hyundai recall

The repair

The recall is set to begin on April 30. In the short-term, the repair is a software update that the owners can conduct themselves or through their dealer.

The long-term repair is for dealers to replace the Battery System Assembly (BSA). This work will be performed once parts are available.  It is important to note that the recalled Kona EV that caught fire in South Korea only received a software update, but not the battery replacement, according to press reports.

Until the repair is completed, do NOT park your car inside. Instead, park it away from structures, including your home, garages and carports.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 4,600 vehicles are included in this Hyundai recall. To perform a Hyundai recall check, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Ken BoydHyundai recalls Kona and Ioniq vehicles that may catch fire

Hyundai’s Nexo and Kona cars recalled for faulty brakes

Fountain Valley, CA – December 28, 2020 – Hyundai Motor Company (NASDAQ:HYMTF) has recalled 8,176 vehicles, due to a sensor signal malfunction that may “significantly” reduce braking power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall includes 2019-2020 Nexo Fuel Cell sedans and 2019-2021 Kona Electric SUVs.

Recall summary  

These vehicles operate with an Integrated Electronic Brake (IEB) system which is designed to automatically reduce the speed of a car when the system determines that the risk of a crash is increasing.  

Recalled vehicles’ IEB may receive a faulty “sensor signal,” which may illuminate the malfunction indicator lamp and increase the time it takes the vehicle to slow down after applying brakes.

Hyundai recalled the 2020 Nexo due to a self-parking system issue in April of 2020. Several model years of Hyundai Kona electric vehicles were recalled in 2020 for a battery issue that could lead to a fire.

Risks 

If the brakes do not work as designed, the driver may not brake in time to avoid hitting another vehicle, a pedestrian or a stationary object, such as the curb, railing or a tree. A crash may injure the vehicle occupants or passengers in other vehicles.

An owner of a 2019 Nexo logged a complaint of last year that mentioned that the brakes would intermittently fail, causing the braking power to fall dramatically and the car speed to be limited to 13 mph. The failure also seemed to allow the car to “roll backward when the brake is not applied.” The complaint was logged before Hyundai started its investigation.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will need to update the IEB software. The repair is free of charge. Hyundai expects the recall to begin on January 22, 2021. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 8,100 vehicles are included in this Hyundai Kona Electric and Nexo recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Ken BoydHyundai’s Nexo and Kona cars recalled for faulty brakes