Hyundai, Kia Recall Vehicles for Possible Fuel Hose Leak

Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are recalling about 207,000 vehicles due to a potential fuel hose leak, reports say.

Models affected by the recall include 2013-2014 Sonatas with build dates between November 2012 and January 2014, which are found to have fuel line issues that could put passengers and drivers at risk of a fire.

According to a document filed at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the low-pressure fuel hose equipped in the Sonata could crack over time due to the heat coming from the engine compartment. The NHTSA says the problem could cause a fuel leak, increasing the risk of an engine-compartment fire. Car passengers may also get a whiff of fuel smell inside the vehicle.

Hyundai says investigation is still ongoing at the company headquarters to pinpoint the cause of the problem. A solution also has yet to be made.

At the moment, Hyundai is looking at the possibility that the hose material might be more susceptible to heat under “certain vehicle operating conditions.”

The automaker also clarified it is not aware of any accidents, injuries, or fires that may have been caused by the problem. However, it announced that it will be coordinating with dealers and owners of the affected models as soon as possible.

Hyundai’s sister company, Kia, is also recalling around 142,000 units of the Optima for the same issue.

On top of the fuel hose leak issue, Kia is also recalling some 51,000 Sedona minivans from the 2011 and 2012 model years due to a fuel rail that could crack and leak fuel, according to a separate document filed at the NHTSA.