In today’s reminder that combustion vehicles are more fire-prone than electric cars, Korean giants Hyundai and Kia are issuing a recall for half a million American cars, according to an announcement by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

“Kia Motors America and Hyundai Motor America recommend that owners of select model year 2014-2016 Kia Sportage, 2016-2018 Kia K900 and 2016-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles park their vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures due to a risk of fire, even if the vehicle is turned off.”

The recall affects 126,747 Kia vehicles and 357,830 Hyundai vehicles in the United States. The NHTSA statement says that Kia and Hyundai have identified an increasing risk of an engine compartment fire. 

“Although the cause remains unknown, the manufacturers believe an electrical component in the anti-lock brake system may experience an internal electrical short circuit that could increase the risk of fire both while the vehicle is being driven or parked.”

If you or someone you know have been impacted by this recall, visit NHTSA.gov/Recalls to find out if a specific VIN number is affected. If it is, the owner should park their vehicle outdoors until the recall repair is completed.