On March 29, 2021, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall for 2019-2020 Hyundai Kona Electric and 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric vehicles after more than a dozen reports surfaced of fires caused by an electrical short within the lithium-ion battery cells.
No one has yet been injured, but the electrical short increases the risk of fire while parked, charging, or driving.
The NHTSA warns owners of the affected models to park their vehicles outside, “away from homes, other structures and other flammable materials such as vegetation until their vehicles have been repaired, due to new and separate recalls for the risk of fire.”
This is the second recall for the Hyundai Kona but the first that is global. Hyundai said it will recall a total of 82,000 vehicles, which will cost an estimated $900 million, or $11,000 per vehicle.