Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride SUVs recalled for increased fire risk

There’s a growing trend of newer vehicles catching fire while being parked. The Chevrolet Bolt was a widely known example, with more on that here. The Hyundai Kona has also had their own issues, outlined here.

And now we can add the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride to the mix.

Three-row Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride SUVs from 2020 to 2022 are being recalled due to a fire risk due to a short circuit in the tow hitch wiring. According to the NHTSA, the automakers have advised owners to store their SUVs outside and away from buildings, garages, and other structures while the problem is being fixed because the cars could catch fire while being driven or while being parked with the engine off.

Hyundai is recalling every Palisade sold in the U.S. since SUV's 2020 model year launch , totaling 245,000 SUVs despite only 40,480 of them being equipped at dealers with the faulty tow hitch wiring harness.

Only 36,417 units of the 2020–2022 Kia Telluride fitted with a 4-pin harness provided by Mobis Parts America are being recalled by Kia. With the 2021 Telluride, that specific harness assembly was replaced with a 7-pin harness.

Regarding the actual fires, it’s believed that moisture could cause a short circuit that, in turn, could set off a fire in the tow hitch harness. While owners can keep driving their cars, Hyundai advises keeping them outside and away from buildings while the recall is ongoing. Between January 2020 and July 15, 2022, Hyundai reported 19 known occurrences of the harness module melting, including three car fires.

Owners should expect notification by mail as early as Oct. 14 and reimbursement as well as repair costs will be covered by Hyundai and Kia. Palisade owners can contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Telluride owners can contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.