2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Recalled for ABS Short Circuits
The recall covers nearly 45,000 SUVs.
Electrical shorts can send electricity in unintended directions, increasing the risk of a component being overwhelmed and failing, sometimes catastrophically. That's the reasoning behind the latest recall from Hyundai for one of its compact SUVs.
Hyundai has issued a recall for 44,396 examples of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport small SUV. All the affected vehicles carry build dates between May 1, 2017 and May 10, 2018. While the recall population is fairly large, according to the documents Hyundai filed with NHTSA, the automaker believes only about 1% of these cars actually have the defect.
The problem comes from the anti-lock braking system (ABS) module. Inside this component, an electrical short circuit is possible, which could cause an overcurrent that may lead to an engine compartment fire. While the automaker is still working to determine the root cause, Hyundai did note that owners may notice something is amiss through the presence of smoke, warning-light illumination or a burning or melting odor.
Upon receiving a recall notification, an owner can contact their local dealer to bring the car in for service, where it will be fitted with a new multi-fuse that is claimed to mitigate the risk of a fire. Hyundai insists the vehicles can still be driven; however, it does recommend that affected SUVs are parked outside and away from structures. Representatives for Hyundai did not immediately return a request for additional comment. According to NHTSA's documents, owners should expect to receive recall notifications in the mail starting in December.
If this recall sounds familiar, it's because it is. This is an extension of a February recall that covered approximately 500,000 examples of Kia and Hyundai vehicles for the exact same ABS module malfunction.