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Hyundai recalls nearly half a million Tucson SUVs over fire risk

Hyundai is recalling 471,000 SUVs registered in the U.S. to fix a fault that could cause a fire. The move by the Korean automaker comes four months after it recalled 180,000 vehicles for the same issue.

The vehicle requiring attention is the Hyundai Tucson, model years 2016 through 2018, as well as model years 2020 through 2021. Tucson SUVs with Hyundai’s Smart Cruise Control feature are not part of the recall.

The problem concerns a potential electrical short in the Tucson’s antilock brake system computer that could lead to a fire. The issue is deemed so serious that the company is recommending owners park their vehicle outside and away from buildings until the necessary repairs have taken place.

About a dozen fires are known to have occurred as a result of the fault, though no injuries or deaths have been reported to date.

The nearly half a million additional Tucson SUVs were added to the recall in recent days after new findings emerged during a long-running investigation, the Seoul-based auto giant said.

Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by Hyundai in late February and asked to take their Tucson SUV to a dealer, which will carry out work to replace the faulty fuse at no cost.

Don’t want to wait until then? Then head over to Hyundai’s U.S. site and tap in your vehicle identification number to quickly see if your Tucson is part of the recall. The automaker also has a customer assistance center offering a range of ways to get in touch.

Hyundai has issued a number of recall notices in recent years, including one in early 2020 that saw the Korean firm calling in 430,000 Elantra sedans, also over a fire risk.

The company was also in the news last week after it confirmed it’s in talks with Apple about a possible partnership to build an electric car, though nothing has yet been confirmed.

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Trevor Mogg
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