Hyundai and Kia Are in Hot Water After Recalls

Hearing of electrical vehicles catching fire isn’t anything new, but Hyundai and Kia are facing something else entirely.

Typically, the safest and best place to park your vehicle is inside your garage. This is where your car, truck, or SUV can be protected from the exterior elements that can damage the paint. In areas with annual snowfall, a vehicle that’s warm and not covered in ice or snow is a serious benefit. Unfortunately, the recent problem facing these Korean auto brands has led them to tell owners of affected vehicles to park them outside.

There’s a bit of an Oddity to the Outside Parking of These Vehicles

The problem with the impacted vehicles is that the trailer hitch wiring is susceptible to catching fire. Strangely enough, this hitch wiring can catch fire when debris and moisture accumulate around the circuit board in the hitch area. These are conditions that should only occur when the vehicle is parked outside. That said if one of these vehicles does catch fire, the last place you want it is next to or inside a building. In this case, it’s better to lose the vehicle and not an entire house and the vehicle.

Does Hyundai have a Repair Ready for this Problem?

No, the impacted Hyundai and Kia vehicles do not have an actual fix that can make the trailering system operable and ensure the safety of the system yet. Because of this, an interim repair is offered. Owners are urged to bring their vehicles to respective dealerships to have the wiring inspected. At that time, the fuse for the trailer hitch wiring will be removed. This is not good news for owners that enjoy using their SUVs for towing trailers on the weekends.

What’s Happening with Impacted Vehicles Still on Dealer Lots?

Until a repair is offered that can make these vehicles safe to drive, both Korean brands are halting the sales of these SUVs. What makes this extremely difficult is the fact that the impacted vehicles are the Palisade and Telluride. These three-row SUVs have become two of the top-selling vehicles in the market for these two brands. This puts the pressure on the automakers to find a fix to prevent the possibility of fires in the trailer wiring. Until then, these popular SUVs won’t be sold, and that could impact the overall profits for the automakers.

Thankfully, This Problem Is Without Crashes

The potential of fires in the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade SUVs has not become a problem of crashes or injuries so far. There have been 25 fires or melting incidents reported in the United States and Canada because of this problem. With that in mind, the recall for these vehicles impacts 245,000 Palisade SUVs and 36,000 Telluride models. The model years affected by the recall are from 2020 to 2022, which pretty much covers the entire time these SUVs have been in the market. Hopefully, both automakers are looking at the 2023 models as well to ensure this isn’t a continued issue.

Why Would This Problem Impact Both Models?

The Telluride and Palisade share almost everything under the skin. The body panels and interior elements might be different, and the Palisade is a bit posher than the Telluride, but most of what you find in these two three-row SUVs is identical. The numbers we see for the recall tell us that more Palisade owners opted for the towing package than did Telluride owners. Either way, both of these SUVs are typically considered impressive, high-quality vehicles that are good for families to enjoy on any road.

What Does the Hyundai Palisade Offer?

It probably won’t be long before the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are sold again. That said, the Palisade is an impressive family-sized SUV that delivers a generous level of standard features and equipment for your driving experience. You’ll find a ton of safety tech, comfort features, and impressive materials. This SUV arrived in the market to unseat some of the traditional names. To do this, Hyundai delivers a pleasant driving experience with the comfort desired and an impressive powertrain, making the Palisade an easy choice for most consumers.

What Are Some Favorite Features of the Palisade?

Although the 8-inch touchscreen is now small compared to what we see in the market, it’s one of the fastest and most impressive systems in the industry. This system in the Palisade comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, making it easy to get connected and drive.

The Calligraphy trim is also an extremely popular feature of this SUV. While it’s actually a whole trim, the luxury levels it reaches makes the drive worthwhile. You’ll find a ritzy appearance package, quilted leather upholstery, a simulated suede headliner, and other upscale items that make this Hyundai SUV feel like a luxury vehicle.

What Does the Kia Telluride Offer?

The Kia Telluride is a three-row midsize SUV that delivers up to eight trims. With the number of trims, you should find one that matches your desires with the right price and equipment. When compared to the Hyundai Palisade, the Kia Telluride is the sportier of the pair. You’ll love the equipment levels offered, and the impressive powertrain warranty offered that gives you the confidence to drive this SUV for 100,000 miles without worry.

What Are Some Favorite Features of the Telluride?

The SX trim is the top model for this Kia SUV, and it brings you a standard blind-spot view monitor. This feature is optional on other trims. This feature uses side cameras and shows the image on the instrument cluster screen when you engage the turn signal.

Another useful item in the Telluride is the Rear-Seat Alert feature. This item is becoming standard in many vehicles, and it’s standard on this Kia SUV. This feature alerts you that something or someone might still be in the rear seat when you stop the vehicle and turn it off. This feature should help prevent kids or pets from being left in hot cars.

Hopefully, these Hyundai and Kia SUVs will have a fix for the trailer hitch wiring system very soon. These two vehicles are useful and family-oriented, making them important models for both brands.