Hyundai, Kia, and BMW Issue Recall for Over 107,000 Vehicles Due to Fire Hazards
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Seoul, Feb 25 (NationPress) Hyundai Motor, Kia, and BMW Korea have announced a voluntary recall of 107,158 vehicles across 37 different models due to manufacturing flaws that may present fire hazards, according to the transport ministry's statement on Wednesday.
The ministry reported that 37,690 units from four Hyundai models, including the Kona Electric, will undergo corrective action due to a battery management system (BMS) software glitch that could hinder the early detection of fire threats.
Kia is set to recall 1,590 units of the Niro electric vehicle (EV) for the same BMS software issue, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
In a separate announcement, BMW Korea will recall 67,878 vehicles across 32 different models, including the 520i and 320i, due to faulty starter motor components that may result in potential fires.
Previously, Hyundai Motor, Kia, and BMW Korea collectively recalled 179,880 vehicles across 51 models due to software-related manufacturing defects, the transport ministry indicated.
The ministry also revealed that Hyundai Motor recalled 36,603 units of the Porter II Electric due to a software malfunction that could compromise braking efficiency.
Kia recalled 25,078 units of the Bongo III electric vehicle (EV) due to a similar software issue affecting braking performance. Additionally, 69,137 Kia vehicles from 16 other models were recalled starting Tuesday for related concerns.
Furthermore, BMW Korea recalled 9,914 vehicles across 13 models, including the i5 eDrive40, due to a software fault in the air conditioning compressor control unit.
In other news, Kia’s production facility in Georgia, USA, has surpassed 5 million units in cumulative production, as announced on Wednesday.
A ceremony to celebrate the 5 millionth unit produced at the West Point plant took place on Tuesday (U.S. time), marking the unit, a Telluride SUV, as both the first hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) assembled in Georgia and Kia's first U.S.-made HEV, according to the company.
The South Korean automaker began producing the Telluride exclusively in Georgia in 2019.