URGENT Notice: Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade Owners Advised to Park Their Cars Outside Due to Fire Risk

Nov 13, 2023

If possible, park outside and away from structures

Both manufacturers filed Recall Defect Notices with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urging Palisade and Telluride SUV owners to park outside until further notice, where possible. To date, Hyundai's Canadian entity confirmed three reports of fire incidents between March 1, 2021 and April 12, 2022.

No actual fires were reported in the U.S. through August 2022, though Hyundai inspected two vehicles in June and found "a degradation of the B+ wire" inside one trailer hitch module. Through a joint investigation with several other firms that same week, the automaker noted a similar defect in one of the Canadian vehicles that did catch fire.

The recall campaign specifically covers 2020-2022 Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride models equipped with OEM towing harnesses. The Hyundai's recall population is significantly larger, covering 245,030 vehicles built between April 10, 2019, and May 30, 2022. As for the Kia Telluride, this wiring harness recall affects 36,417 vehicles.

At the moment, this recall does not affect the facelifted 2023 Hyundai Palisade.

Both Hyundai and Kia will reach out to owners in early October by mail. Both companies noted that foreign contaminants and moisture can degrade the tow hitch harness module's printed circuit board (PCB). If that happens, the module could short circuit and cause a fire.

For more detail, you can read Hyundai's Recall Defect Notice here, and Kia's respective document here.

According to the Recall Defect Notices, a permanent remedy is still in development. Hyundai says owners can still drive their vehicles but encourages them to park away from any structures just in case. In the meantime, dealers will inspect the tow hitch harness and remove the fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Kia's notice, for its part, does not mention that interim fix, though it has notified its dealers not to sell a 4-pin tow hitch harness to Telluride owners, and return any unsold harnesses back to Kia America.

Beginning with the 2021 model year, Kia discontinued the 4-pin wiring harness as a port-installed option (PIO) for the Telluride, installing a 7-pin harness instead. The problem should only impact 4-pin harnesses supplied by Mobis Parts America, though it will notify all owners in the recall population regardless of which tow hitch harness they have installed.

For more details on your specific car, you can always reach out to your dealer's service department. Beyond that, though, there are multiple avenues to find out whether your car is affected by this campaign.

For the Hyundai Palisade, the NHTSA's recall number is 22V-633. Hyundai's recall numbers is 235.

For the Kia Telluride, the NHTSA's recall number is 22V-626. Kia's recall number is SC247.