Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival recall: reason, affected models, and all you need to know

Over 570,000 Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival vehicles are being recalled by the two major car manufacturers due to fire hazard concerns. It is feared that the recalled vehicles' "tow hitch harnesses" are prone to catching fire while parked or being driven. Hyundai and Kia are urging all owners to park the recalled vehicles outside and away from homes and other flammable structures until all known issues are fixed.

Announced on March 23, the recall is a direct result of the 2022 Palisade recall monitoring that is being conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Palisade recall affected over 245,000 SUVs which had a similar problem.

In documents posted by United States safety regulators, the Korean automakers have said that the circuit board on the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival "tow hitches" can be prone to water damage, causing a short circuit even if the ignitions are off. A major short circuit could potentially result in a full-fledged fire.

As of now, Hyundai has received reports of at least one fire and over five heat damage incidents that could have been caused due to a short circuit problem. Kia, on the other hand, has received no such reports of fires or other damage. Neither the NHTSA nor the two Korean automakers have received reports of any injuries or fatalities.

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All you need to know about Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival recall

The recall affects nearly 571,000 Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival vehicles produced by the two major Korean automakers, Hyundai and Kia. Several Hyundai Santa Fe models, including the 2019–2023 Santa Fe, 2021–2023 Santa Fe Hybrid, 2022–2023 Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid, and 2022–2023 Santa Cruz, are among the affected Hyundai models.

The single Kia vehicle affected by the recall is the Kia Carnival minivan from 2022 to 2023. All of the recalled vehicles are equipped with Hyundai or Kia 'tow hitch harnesses' that came as original equipment or were later installed by dealers. As mentioned earlier, the 'tow hitch harness' on the recalled vehicles is prone to water damage and short circuits, and could eventually result in a full-fledged fire.

Over 571,000 Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival vehicles are being recalled over fore hazard concerns (Image via Hyundai/Kia)

Customers who may have the recalled Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival vehicles in their garage are urged to park them outside and away from their homes and other highly combustible structures. The two automakers have assured customers that all affected vehicles will receive free repairs. As of now, the dealers will remove the fuse and tow hitch computer module from the affected vehicles to ensure customer safety.

Later, when the fix is available across the country, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Carnival owners will be able to get a new fuse and wire extension with an improved connector that's waterproof. Automakers will start notifying all known owners starting May 16. However, owners of the recalled vehicles can get in touch with the automakers and/or the dealers if they want to get the faulty hitches removed urgently.