Hyundai Tucson fire risk recall: your questions answered
Hyundai has set up a page on its website covering the most common questions, after recalling more than 93,000 cars due to fire risk.
The fire risk recall notice for the Hyundai Tucson in Australia – issued last week for examples built from November 2014 to November 2020 – has prompted the company to create a dedicated page on its website to answer the most commonly asked questions.
More than 93,000 current generation Hyundai Tucson SUVs were recalled last week because there was a risk they could catch fire even when parked.
Contrary to some mainstream media reports, the fault will not cause the cars to "explode", as some headlines described.
The safety notice was triggered after about a dozen Hyundai Tucson SUVs caught fire in the USA. The company says it has received no reports in Australia.
However, Hyundai Australia has issued the safety bulletin to advise customers they will soon receive a notice to bring their cars in – once replacement parts arrive.
The parts are expected to arrive from late February onwards; all 93,000 replacement components won't arrive at once as it takes time to produce them.
On its website, Hyundai again clarifies that it is safe to continue driving the vehicles and that the brakes will still work as normal.
The recall notice page also asks: “Why have (we) instigated a recall without parts supply?”
The answer: “Like all car manufacturers, we follow a process for recalls whereby they are announced to government bodies within a certain timeframe regardless of parts supply.”
Once replacement parts arrive in dealer stock, the recall work – fitting a fuse repair kit – should take about 40 minutes and will be free of charge at Hyundai dealers.
If you or someone you know owns a Hyundai Tucson and may not have heard about the recall, this link should answer most questions.
To recap, the safety fault was “an increased risk of an electrical short circuit within the (brake) module when it is exposed to moisture, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of an engine compartment fire”.
This could occur even when the engine was switched off because there is constant power supply to this component.
“You can continue to drive your vehicle,” says Hyundai. “However as an added precaution you may wish to park your Tucson away from structures e.g. not in a garage. If your vehicle displays an engine warning light, please stop driving and contact your local Hyundai dealer.”
MORE: The original Hyundai Tucson recall story
MORE: Hyundai's recall web page
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