Safety group wants Hyundai and Kia to recall 2.9m vehicles

A nonprofit auto safety group is demanding that Hyundai and Kia recall 2.9 million cars and SUVs in the US due to consumer complaints that they can catch fire.

The Center For Auto Safety said Friday that there have been more than 220 complaints to the US government since 2010 about fires and another 200 complaints about melted wires as well as smoke and burning odors. The complaints involve the 2011 through 2014 Kia Sorento and Optima and the Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe. Also included is the 2010 through 2015 Kia Soul.

The fires are being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of a 2017 probe into Hyundai and Kia engine failures.

“The volume of fires here make it appear that Hyundai and Kia are content to sit back and allow consumers and insurers to bear the brunt of poorly designed, manufactured and repaired vehicles,” Jason Levine, the center’s executive director, said. The fire reports have come in from across the country, including a death in Ohio in April of 2017, he said.

Hyundai says it monitors safety concerns and acts quickly to recall defective vehicles. “We have a robust system in place for monitoring and investigating reported vehicle fires that includes investigation and reporting to NHTSA as required,” a company statement said. Kia said it is using company and thirdparty fire investigators to determine what caused the fires so it can address them.

“A vehicle fire may be the result of any number of complex factors, such as a manufacturing issue, inadequate maintenance, the installation of aftermarket parts, an improper repair, arson, or some other non-vehicle source, and must be carefully evaluated by a qualified and trained investigator,” the company said in a statement. (AP)

A traffic light sign can be seen in front of the headquarters of German car maker Opel in Ruesselsheim, western Germany on Oct 15. Germanpolice said on Monday they had raided Frenchowned carmaker Opel, as local media reported the manufacturer was the latest suspected of having manipulated diesel cars’ exhaust emissions to cheat regulatory tests.(AFP)