• Genesis recalls 90,000 vehicles due to a risk of fire.
Hyundai and Genesis have recalled 90,000 vehicles from 2015 to 2019 model-years due to a fire hazard. The affected models are sedans, namely the 2015-2016 Hyundai Genesis, 2017-2019 Genesis G80, 2017-2019 Genesis G90 and 2019 G70.
According to the manufacturer's document filed with the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the equivalent of Transport Canada, the problem can occur when water damages the starter solenoid. This can cause an electrical short, which Hyundai says "can lead to a fire in the engine compartment."
This can happen while driving or when the vehicle is parked.
If the short circuit causes a fire, the blaze can then potentially engulf the engine compartment and spread backwards through the rest of the car, the company says.
To fix the problem, a corrective relay assembly will be installed in the engine junction box of affected models.
To avoid the worst, owners are also being asked to park their vehicles away from structures.
Hyundai says a handful of "thermal incidents" have occurred as a result of the problem, but it's not known if any of them turned into full-blown fires.
None of the incidents resulted in accidents or injuries, but the risk of an underhood fire is real.
Every Genesis owner is exposed to this risk and needs to have their vehicle repaired as soon as possible.