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A 2013 Kia Optima will be on display at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2012. In September 2023, Hyundai and Kia recalled 3. 4 million cars in the U. S. The 2013 Kia Optima is the first time in the U. S.
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A 2013 Hyundai Elantra coupe is unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2012. In September 2023, Hyundai and Kia recalled 3. 4 million cars in the U. S. The 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
DETROIT >> In September, Hyundai and Kia recalled 3. 4 million of their cars in the U. S. with an ominous warning: Vehicles should be parked outdoors and away from buildings because they risk catching fire, regardless of whether the engines are on or off. off. .
Six months later, most of these vehicles are still on the road, unrepaired, exposing their owners, families, and potentially others to a fire hazard that could spread to garages, homes, or other vehicles.
Hyundai and Kia said there is little hope of repairing most of the affected vehicles until June or later, about nine months after announcing the recalls (Hyundai owns part of Kia, though the two companies operate independently).
Both corporations attributed the delays, in part, to the gigantic number of cars involved, one of the most gigantic in history. The fires, they say, occurred when brake fluid spilled onto the circuit forums of the anti-lock braking systems, causing an electrical short circuit. circuit and turning on the fluid.
The companies say they haven’t secured enough mandatory parts (fuses that reduce electricity on the forums) to repair most of the affected vehicles. Among them are some of its best-selling models for the 2010 to 2017 design years. , adding Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Elantra and Kia’s Sportage and Forte.
Hyundai and Kia have suggested vehicle owners contact companies or dealers if they see warning lights on the dashboard or smell something burned. Meanwhile, both companies say that despite the lingering risks, the cars are still on the road.
When they announced the recalls in September, the two automakers said the defect was due to fires from 56 vehicles and “thermal incidents,” adding burns, melts and fumes. No injuries or deaths have been reported, either before or after the recalls were announced.
However, safety advocates complain that maintenance takes much longer than maintenance resulting from car recalls. Typically, those maintenances start in 10 weeks or less; some may take longer if automakers can’t temporarily figure out the cause, which is not like in the case of the Hyundai-Kia issue.
While waiting for repairs, owners of the affected cars park outdoors and away from other cars to minimize the risk. Meanwhile, safety advocates point out that excessive brake fluid leakage can simply impair braking or extend the distance needed to bring a car to a stop.
The maintenance, which has been long delayed, is the latest in a long series of vehicle recalls related to engine fires at Hyundai and Kia cars that have affected the two Korean automakers since 2015. In total, thirteen million of its cars have been recalled for engine problems since 2010.
With the recall in place, auto protection advocates say they can’t explain why Hyundai and Kia are taking so long to get the mandatory fuses, a relatively undeniable part. Some also wonder if a fuse will reliably resolve brake fluid. Leaks. Some critics argue that companies could try to save money by identifying the solution as a new fuse, which is far less expensive than resolving fluid leaks.
“They’re putting a Band-Aid on this,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Automobile Safety. “It seems like it’s an affordable solution to solve the whole anti-lock braking system. “
Advocates also question why regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn’t force corporations to fix the leaks.
An NHTSA spokeswoman said the company is tracking the effectiveness of the recalls and is “working with automakers to the highest point of safety. “
Hyundai said repairing the affected cars requires complex fuse assembly, with new covers and labels. Although only one fuse will be added to the vehicle, both manufacturers said they want to acquire several new types of fuses to cover all models.
“To expedite processing,” Hyundai said in a statement, “we are working intensively with suppliers, emphasizing the top priority of the recall and ensuring the quality of replacement fuses. “
A timeline Hyundai submitted to the government shows that homeowners likely won’t start receiving letters warning them to repair their cars until April 22 at the earliest. Most of them probably wouldn’t receive the letters until May or June, eight or nine months after the recalls were announced. Some owners of affected Kia vehicles may not be notified until the end of June, the documents show.
In a statement, Kia said the new fuses it is investigating have been developed to prevent fires, “regardless of the cause of the electrical short circuit. “The company said it is working with spare parts suppliers to speed up fuse production.
The two corporations said that, in addition to adding a new fuse, dealers would repair any brake fluid leaks that could simply be detected during inspections. Brake fluid can leak if the O-rings, which seal fluid, lose strength if exposed to moisture, dirt or other contaminants in the fluid, according to Hyundai’s filings with the NHTSA. If the fluid level drops significantly, Hyundai said, the driver will see a caution light.
Since September, more than 500 owners have filed court cases accusing automakers of taking excessive time to make repairs, according to a review of NHTSA records. Fires have continued to occur at Hyundai and Kia as owners wait for repairs; At least five complainants reported fires in the engine compartment.
Several plaintiffs said they were concerned about driving those cars and asked NHTSA to require corporations to supply loaner cars or at least speed up the pace of repairs. Hyundai told dealers last year that they deserved to offer loans, at Hyundai’s expense, to homeowners. who don’t feel safe behind the wheel of their cars. After an investigation by a journalist, Kia said it would also offer loans.
Some plaintiffs say they are baffled by Hyundai’s claims that the recalled vehicles can be driven even though they can catch fire when the engines are running.
“This recall is urgent and incredibly dangerous,” a 2012 Hyundai Accent owner from Burbank, California, wrote in a complaint filed with NHTSA in December. (People who record court cases are not known in the NHTSA database. )The owner didn’t understand why Hyundai said the Accent was for driving, though he admitted it could still catch fire while driving.
Both corporations said that while fires remain rare, if they do occur, homeowners will smell the smoke or see warning lights on the dashboard. The precautions would “allow for a safe exit from the vehicle,” Kia said.
But Brooks, of the Center for Automotive Safety, says it’s irresponsible for corporations to assure owners that cars should drive when they know a fire is possible. If smoke or warning lights were to appear, he said, corporations can’t do it. Predict how long occupants would have to escape or lose children or other passengers who might not be able to get out on their own.
“There are a lot of (fire) conditions that consumers just weren’t aware of,” Brooks said. “This will compromise the time they have to escape the vehicle in the event of a fire. “He suggested that any and all owners of a recalled vehicle look for a borrowed car from companies.
Another plaintiff, from Austin, Texas, has asked NHTSA to fix the fluid leaks.
“They don’t seem to fix the root of the problem,” writes the plaintiff, who owns a 2013 Hyundai Tucson. “Leaks in brake systems are a protective factor of the greatest magnitude, as are tires and steering. It’s crazy.
Ellen Maisano of Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, said she parked her 2011 Kia Soul in her yard for four months until she changed it last January, frustrated by the slow pace of repairs.
“I don’t need to be on the road and get on fire,” said Mayano, who also complained to NHTSA, which, in turn, referred her to Kia.
He also didn’t need to leave the Soul near other cars in his workplace parking lot. And he was worried about parking it in his garage.
“All I want is for the garage to catch fire,” he said.
Maisano and his wife had to carpool to get to work, which became complicated after four months. Neither Kia, nor its dealership, nor its insurance company, he said, would pay for a rental car. So he had to shell out $23,000 for a used Honda HR-V, with a $410 monthly payment he hadn’t wanted to spend.
Like other owners, Maisano said he was also worried, in the face of an outbreak of thefts at Hyundai and Kia, that his Kia would be stolen if left outside. Many cars recalled for possible fire are also at risk of theft if parked outside. , as their keys and contacts don’t involve PC chips that need to be installed before the motors can start.
The thieves were supposed to borrow the cars seamlessly with a screwdriver and USB-C, a strategy shared in videos on TikTok and other social media sites. In a bid to prevent theft, Hyundai and Kia released software updates in February 2023 and came up with vague instructions. Wheel locks.
Documents filed by Hyundai and Kia with regulators show the companies attributed the fire problem to brake sets made by Mando, a South Korean supplier. In October, after the Hyundai and Kia vehicle recalls, Mando issued its own recall for 3. 4 million anti-lock brakes. modules that can simply leak fluid.
Some of those modules have also been awarded to General Motors, which has said it sets them apart from Hyundai and Kia. GM said it was not aware of any incidents involving the modules and that an internal investigation concluded there was no threat to customers. .
Mando did not comment on messages again.
In November, NHTSA began investigating whether Hyundai and Kia deserved to have acted more temporarily to recall vehicles equipped with Mando equipment that could catch fire. Since 2016, each automaker has announced eight recalls, covering approximately 6. 4 million vehicles equipped with those brake sets. .
NHTSA’s filings show 92 fires attributed to cars out of the 16 recalled, adding those announced in September. In 2020, NHTSA forced the two automakers to pay $137 million in fines and improve protection for being too slow to recall cars with engine problems.
Sean Kane, President, Security Research
“It’s remarkable that it’s gone on so long without a lot of scrutiny,” Kane said. “I don’t think this factor has been resolved yet as far as the withdrawal scenario is concerned. “
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