U.S. Opens Probe into Hyundai-Kia Engine Fires
A federal probe into engine stalling problems with Hyundai and Kia vehicles has expanded to include complaints about engine fires, the Associated Press reports.
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A federal probe into engine stalling problems with Hyundai and Kia vehicles has expanded to include complaints about engine fires, the Associated Press reports.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is investigating more than 400 complaints about fires that occurred spontaneously or after a crash. The agency notes that many complaints about engine failures mention a fire too.
NHTSA was asked to investigate the fires by the Center for Auto Safety and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). Nelson says his office is aware of two dozen reports of spontaneous fires in Florida alone.
Hyundai-Kia previously recalled nearly 1.7 million vehicles in two campaigns to fix engine bearings that could fail because of debris left inside the engine during the manufacturing process. A bearing failure could cause engine overheating and significant damage.
Those callbacks involved the carmakers’ 2.0- and 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engines, which are used in such models as the Hyundai Sonata sedan and Santa Fe SUV, and the Kia Optima sedan and Sportage and Sorento SUVs.
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