More than 570,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles recalled over fire risk

Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 570,000 vehicles over concerns that their tow hitches could catch fire due to an electrical short-circuit.

The recall, announced Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, covers the 2022-23 Santa Cruz, 2019-23 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2021-23 Santa Fe Hybrid, 2022-23 Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid, and 2022-23 Kia Carnival models.

The NHTSA urged owners to park their cars outside until repairs can be arranged.

Thursday’s action is related to an earlier recall in August 2022, in which 245,030 Hyundai Palisades were recalled due to fire risk. In that case, NHTSA warned that debris and moisture could accumulate on a circuit board that is part of the vehicle’s tow hitch, in some cases shorting it out and causing a fire.

Owners can determine whether their vehicle is covered by the recall by visiting www.NHTSA.gov/recalls and plugging in their 17-digit vehicle identification number.