Hyundai this week recalled 90,000 Genesis-branded cars built between 2015 and 2019 to address a fire risk to a number of its sedans. The recall affects 2015–2016 Hyundai Genesis models, 2017–2019 Genesis G90s, 2017–2019 Genesis G80s, and 2019 Genesis G70s.
According to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem is created when water damages the starter solenoid. This, in turn, can cause an electrical short, which Hyundai says “can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.” If the short does cause a fire, the inferno could then potentially engulf the car’s engine compartment and move backward through the rest of the car.
The filing states that the brand plans to fix the issue by installing a remedy relay kit in the engine junction box of affected models. As a precaution to avoid turning a car fire into a house fire, owners are being asked to park their cars away from potentially flammable structures until the recall repair is completed.
Hyundai says that a small handful of “thermal incidents” have occurred as a result of the issue, but it is unclear if any of those escalated into an actual car fire. None of those events are known to have caused crashes or injuries, but the danger of a potential fire risk under a car’s hood is clear. Any Genesis owner with a car at risk should seek out a recall fix as soon as possible.