Hyundai is recalling more than 11,000 Kona electric vehicles in the U.S. and Canada due to a risk of battery fires.
The recall includes the entire population of 6,707 Kona electric vehicles in the U.S. that were manufactured between August 28, 2018 and March 2, 2020. In Canada, 4,375 Kona vehicles are also being recalled.
Hyundai is asking owners of the recalled vehicles to park outside and away from structures until they are repaired.
Hyundai said it is aware of 13 unexplained battery fires while the vehicles were parked. Hyundai linked the fires to electrical short-circuits in fully-charged lithium-ion batteries.
LG Chem Ltd, the maker of the battery cells, and Hyundai have not determined what caused the fires. On October 16, the vehicles will be inspected, have their software updated, and battery packs replaced.
Hyundai said they suspect “defective production of high-voltage batteries used in the vehicles, which may have contributed to the reported fires.”
Hyundai said it is “continuing to actively investigate this condition for identification of an exact root cause,” and noted that the high-voltage system “might contain certain electrical deficiencies.”
Source: Hyundai to expand Kona EV recall to North America, Europe over battery fire risk – Yonhap