Originally published at: https://www.pakwheels.com/blog/possible-short-circuit-in-tucson-hyundai-nishat-takes-action/
Vehicle fires are not a new thing globally and we have seen it locally here in Pakistan as well and many times. In the past few years, we have seen a number of such incidents in Pakistan . While in most of the cases, there were older used cars, in some cases, the brand new models also caught fire and made headlines and as a reminder the 10th generation Honda Civic, KIA Sportage and now Hyundai Tucson. The very first reason and opinion people make after these fires is the installation of aftermarket accessories into the vehicle and, more specifically, any electrical component. Although any aftermarket component and its improper installation can cause electrical issues and short circuit and void vehicle warranty, there can be many other reasons for the fire, especially in the engine bay.
Earlier this year , I wrote a detailed article about reported fires in Pakistan assembled Tucson & Sportage and should it be ignored ? . Last week a social media video went viral about another Kia Sportage going on fire somewhere near Hyderabad and today I came across a new development regarding these fires and I thought, let go back to the subject matter. I would like to go over the entire background for our readers one more time.
KIA Sportage Fires ; March 2020 & May 2021
Last year back in
March of 2020, virtually a brand new [1500 kilometers on odometer]
KIA Sportage went on fire and made headlines. Obviously it started an
extensive discussion all cross the country among car enthusiasts and general public. Huge flams of fire were seen in this case and extreme heat melted every other part of the engine compartment. The fire was so intense, it even opened seams of the bonnet. The Sportage fire news spread on social media like always and after few days KIA Pakistan made an official statement via their Facebook page by releasing a 8 point report and I will also share that here.
The March 2020 Kia Sportage fire is now an old and shut case and public already forgot about it but the recent May 2021 fire in Sportage have now reminded everyone again and refreshed the memories. I would like to go over what we know from the official statement regarding the first / March 2020 Sportage fire and personally, I had some reservations on the report and I would share it as follows. Again its my opinion on basis of available information and I will go point by point.
- It is good to know the fire was contained within the engine compartment and didn’t engulf the passenger cabin. Also it’s very fortunate that the driver was able to stop car safely and exit the vehicle. Imagine if the fire started at high speeds and for any reasons the driver had panicked and the situation could have been worse. The fire was contained in the engine bay area, but the flames were going almost 10 feet above the engine bay anyone can easily image the intensity of heat and fire. Also the fire remained intact for several minutes until locals came and helped contain the fire.
- Engine oil was checked through the dip stick, but was the engine oil drained and checked for any solids? And in this case any metal shavings ? Was the engine head removed and inspected ? Was the engine de-mounted from the vehicle and inspected for any damage to engine block ? Checking the oil level via dip stick does not tell all the story. Was the head gasket inspected ? If not then how come we can say that everything is fine with an engine? Were fuel rails inspected as well as fuel feed lines ? Because there was a recall in North America from KIA / Hyundai for the low quality material used in manufacturing the fuel lines which can crack at certain vehicle operating conditions and can cause fire.
- The vehicle had 1500 kilometers approximately and most probably came with the factory oil most. What does the word “STANDARD” color mean? All engine oils turns of same color after use in vehicle even after few hundred kilometers. What is the control color with which the color of the oil of this vehicle was compared ? Was any transmittance instrument was used to check both the transmittance and reflectance ? OR the technician at the dealership just made a visual assessment by looking at it. As I said is there any control oil sample for a vehicle with 1500 kilometers ? Yes, normally in case of engine seizure the oil color can change when the coolant and oil mixes but if there is any coolant present in the vehicle cooling system. Will be discussed in the next point.
- The video clip with Sportage on fire shows the intensity of the fire and the damage it has done in the engine bay area. Almost all plastic and rubber parts melted even the plastic engine cover is gone. One can hardly pinpoint the parts of engine properly. It is very hard to comprehend that despite such an extensive heat which even melted everything and even opened the seams of the bonnet , it didn’t melt the rubber hoses going from engine to radiator.
As per statement the
engine coolant was found in normal condition and there is no sign of
engine overheating. There is an upper and lower radiator hoses for in and out movement of coolant while there is a hose which connects to the bottle for overflow/ expansion of coolant. In one of the
available clip one can see the damage to the lower coolant hose and even the clamp is moved away from its position because of extreme heat. At one spot, it seems like the
rubber hose has a slit opening. Again its very difficult for me to imagine that the
coolant remained in the system and the technicians were able to inspect it even after having damage to the engine cooling lines. The lower hose damage means there will be no coolant in the system. Again a clarification was required. It is also worth noting that initially
many Kia Sportage owners have been reporting consistent coolant level drop and without any reason. Coolant drop even below minimum levels on number of Kia Sportage were reported and as shared by their owners.
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- & 8 : One aftermarket installation as found. The only thing installed in the vehicle was a TRACKER which is stolen car recovery system. It was installed by the bank for car insurance purposes and protection. Thousands of cars roam around with trackers and although I agree that improper installation of TRACKER can result in any problems.
KIA mentions like any other car maker that any electrical modifications will result in voiding the warranty which is a typical warranty language. Well KIA didn’t mention what was that aftermarket installation ? Why there is no name for this aftermarket device? KIA must have named the device so, that there is no other such incident in future. In the larger interest of public and any potential buyers, KIA should have mentioned the exact aftermarket device and should not have used a blanket term. For any layman an aftermarket mean “HID, LED or any other electrical or mechanical additions or modification” . I failed to understand why KIA is protecting and hiding problem causing device , “IF TRACKER ” was the case of fire. KIA should update their warranty document and clearly mention that installation of any aftermarket accessories including ” THE TRACKER “.
I have to share my opinion and observation about the KIA official statement for my readers, so when we cross reference the previous and recent fire in Sportage as well as the Jan 2021 fire in Hyundai Tucson, we have some background information and especially the official statement from KIA in regards to the March 2020 Sportage fire.
Below you can find the video for the most recent / May 2021 , a second reported fire of KIA Sportage on M9 Motorway near Hyderabad . There had been no official statement from KIA about this second fire as of now. We can see that a large fire has engulfed that vehicle and apparently we can easily assume that this is a total loss. I hope the occupants of the vehicle are safe and they had some sort of insurance coverage for their vehicle to coverup their loss . I tried tracing the owner but no success as of writing this article.
Hyundai Tucson Fire; Jan 2021 :
Earlier this year like always, social media was buzzed with Hyundai Tucson fire. Dense smoke was seen coming out of the engine bay and passerby were helping to
put down a possible fire with sand and dirt. An actual
flame of fire was not seen but looking at the condition of the engine bay, once can assume easily that it really went into fire and went thorough
extreme heat event. Later one, rescue team arrived on the scene and handled the situation accordingly. No official statement was made by Hyundai-Nishat in this regard.
I personally tried tracing the owner of the vehicle to have an update but was not successful in my search. Back then we hoped that Hyundai Pakistan would officially take up this matter and investigate the cause of the fire and make it public. This will also help them secure the trust of the customers, especially in a new market of Pakistan.
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Hyundai-KIA US/Canada , Fire Hazard Recalls:
Now before I go further and discuss and divert my attention towards the title of our todays article, I would like to share some background info regarding Hyundai-KIA overseas engine compartment fire hazard recalls. We should know that both KIA/ Hyundai share engine, electricals and other components under their various model lines.
Kia and Hyundai vehicles going on fire have been in the news forever in North America. To make the matter worse for Hyundai/ Kia, an employee of the company came forward during the investigation and became a whistle-blower and told that the companies knew about the fire issues, but they remained silent and didn’t acknowledge the problem until the government agency intervened and take up the issue after thousands of complaints. Briefly, in North America the fire related recalls of Hyundai and Kia models of various years [ Optima, Tucson, Sorento, Santa Fe, Sportage, Soul, Seltos, cadenza , Elantra, Veloster and some more ] involved issues with brake fluid leaks, faulty oil pans, fuel leaks, oil leaks, and problems with the engines.
Last year Hyundai/ Kia reached a $760 Million settlement with the US government. This was after an extensive investigation by NHTSA [ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ], which was launched by a government agency after receiving complaints about engine failures and fires. Approximately 3100 engine fire/ failure complaints were received where more than 100 reported injuries, and there was no accident/ crash in these reported incidents, which could have caused an engine fire. The settlement includes the compensation for over 4 million Kia/ Hyundai owners affected by the engine failure and fire. So, let’s go over briefly what was causing the North American engine fires.
Basically, in the 2.0L or 2.4L Hyundai / Kia engines, during a manufacturing process of the engine block , some debris from the process of making an engine can be left behind, which can block a port and stop the flow of oil during engine operation, which can result in connecting rod bearing to fail. This can result in damage to the engine block and can cause the oil to leak and result in fire. While in some other causes, a high-pressure fuel line can leak and cause the engine fire. In some cases, fires were caused by the overheating of the catalytic converter. The affected vehicles were manufactured between 2011 to 2019, and faulty engines were used both by the Kia and Hyundai, which includes Sonata, Santa FE, Sportage, Sorento, Tucson, Optima. The overseas engine failures and fire issue are related to the engine manufactured at the Hyundai engine plant in North America, and it is believed that the problem is only exclusive to North America at this time.
While both KIA and Hyundai were still stuck with rectifying issues with the engine fires, another problem was reported and resulted in another extensive recall and this time again a fire hazard in the engine compartment BUT due to a different and new reason.
KIA & Hyundai North America have recalled number of models under their lineup for a possible engine compartment fire due to multiple issue related to the ABS module. As per official statement the , Anti-Lock Brake System “ABS” could malfunction internally and cause an electrical short over time potentially resulting in an engine compartment fire.
In another ABS related recall, a possible entry of moisture into the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit /HECU can cause electric short circuit and cause fire. While in an another reported recall, brake fluid may leak internally inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit / HECU which overtime, can result in an electrical short and electric short in HECU increases the risk of engine compartment fire.
In regards to ABS recalls, the Hyundai and Kia informed their customers that they can continue driving these vehicles; however they recommends parking these vehicles outside and away from building structures and enclosed garages , until the recall remedy is completed as the vehicles can catch fire even if the engine is switched off and the vehicle is parked .
The companies also informed owners that if they see ABS or Check engine light, they must stop the vehicle immediately and contact their local dealers right-away. To rectify the issues, both KIA and Hyundai is recalling hundreds and thousands of vehicles in North America to fix/ replace the ABS modules as well as making necessary measures to Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit /HECU.
Hyundai-KIA Australia, Fire Hazard Recalls:
Although initially the engine and ABS fire hazard recalls were reported for many years and exclusive to North American models, earlier this year the fire hazard recall were generated by
Hyundai Australia as well as
Kia Australia . In Australian market, Hyundai recalled around 93,000 units of Tucson manufactured between 2015 & 2021 while Kia recalled 56,203 units of Sportage manufactured between 2016 & 2021 and 1,649 units of Kia stinger from model year 2019. Both KIA & Hyundai Australian recall is related to the issue with the ABS module and similar to what has been reported in the North America.
As a reference , the KIA Australia is conducting the recall of the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit / HECU that controls the ABS, Stability & Traction control and could malfunction internally and cause an electrical short over time potentially resulting in an engine compartment fire. The Hyundai Australia statements is recalling for an increased risk of an electrical short circuit within the ABS module when it is exposed to moisture, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
There were two reported fires of Hyundai Tucson in Australia although the company officially never acknowledged these fires and no official investigation were launched. Both Hyundai and Kia urged owners of the recalled vehicle to park their vehicles away from any building and enclosed garages as the vehicle can catch fire even when switched off as the ABS module can still energize.
Hyundai- Kia Pakistan & " 3" Locally Reported Fires:
In our previous reported articles we repeatedly informed that the engine failure and fires or recalls in North American Kia /-Hyundai or the recent recalls by KIA and Hyundai from Australia regarding the ABS and fire hazard in the engine compartment does not necessarily mean that the fire caused in Pakistan assembled Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tucson could be because of the same reasons BUT it must raise red flags. We should keep in mind that Australia imports KIA and Hyundai models for sale in the country .
The percentage and ratio of 3 vehicles fires in Pakistan among thousands of Sportage + Tucson combined on the road makes a very low probability of any identical issues or any relevance with the overseas engine and other associated components recall BUT in all these local reported cases , we have seen similar fires with the similar engine under the hood of the two different vehicles. We should also note that 3100 fires were reported in North America which triggered a recall of over 5 Million vehicles for fire hazard because of various reasons while almost 150,000 units [ Kia + Hyundai ] are recalled in Australia for the same defective parts without any officially reported fire in the Australian market .
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Both Hyundai and KIA share engines and other components and mostly manufactured at the same location overseas , that is the reason the same problem is affecting models from both brands. Pakistan also imports CKD kits, electrical, mechanical and other parts including the ABS and other associated modules for the local assembly . There is a due chance that the problematic parts could end up into the Pakistan assembled Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage.
Unfortunately in our country there is no such independent agency who can take up such cases and investigate the technical problems and issues . In the end its between the owner and the car companies / dealerships. The poor owner of the vehicle is always at the receiving end with no actual help and remedy to his problems and concerns. It's also concerning that because of lack of any independent agency locally, these issues are investigated by the dealer / car companies themselves and they release a report and its highly unlikely that those investigations would be neutral.
In our previous writing, we stressed this matter number of times that both Kia Lucky Motors and Hyundai-Nishat must investigate these local reported fire [ Sportage and Tucson ] keeping in mind the situation of recalls overseas. It should be taken seriously and companies must not declared these just a one off random fire or blaming any aftermarket accessory causing the fire.
The fires in engine bays and recall of defective parts are officially investigated, documented overseas and companies are taking measure to resolve the problem. At this time no one knows what caused the fire in Pakistani Sportage or Tucson & we always highly recommend that a proper investigation should be carried out to know the reasons of the fire and local companies must back track, trace the parts and supply chain & make sure nothing defective got into our Pakistan assembled domestic models.
#000000;">At Last Hyundai-Nishat Acknowledgment:
While the first Sportage fire is more than a year old and public already forgot about the Hyundai Tucson fire earlier this year ( Jan 2021 ) in Pakistan, the recent second Sportage fire brings back the Hyundai-Kia overseas engine compartment fire hazard recalls back to limelight. The recent new fire of Sportage is less than a week old but around the same timeline another development happened and related to Hyundai.
Hyundai-Nishat have started contacting their Tucson owners via a SMS and it is related to "Customer Care Campaign". The message refers to the issue with the ABS module in Tucson ,which could potentially short-circuit. Hyundai urges their customer that they should visit their dealer and get the issue fixed. Now this Hyundai-Nishat campaign is related to the same ABS issue reported by the KIA-Hyundai North America as well as the KIA-Hyundai Australia.
One thing we can see in the care campaign that Hyundai-Nishat refrained from sharing a much detailed situation which can occur because of this short-circuit and the one which we can read publicly and officially declared and released by KIA-Hyundai overseas. That is " short-circuit#ff0000;"> can lead to an increased risk of an engine compartment fire ".
Overall, this is highly appreciated that Hyundai-Nishat did investigate the matter and seems like after the Tucson fire the company went to the bottom of it. This is what we have been stressing since the fire in Tucson as well Sportage. The acknowledgement of the problem with their model show's their higher level of commitment towards their customers although they could have also taken a non- serious approach and let the matter go as random.
Initiating the care campaign is very good gesture and obviously such steps must have been taken as the issue of the ABS is a safety & possible fire hazard BUT Hyundai-Nishat should have publicly announced this campaign like its done overseas. The company website as well as all other social media tools and resources should be utilized including posted recall letters so, that anyone who didn't receive the text message should get to know via another mean of communication.
What About KIA Lucky Motors ?
The last year fire in Kia Sportage was officially declared because of an aftermarket accessory as the main cause . I already shared the official statement by the company in this regard and shared my very personal opinion and reservation on the statement earlier in this article . The recent service campaign by Hyundai-Nishat for the issue with the short-circuit of the ABS while the most recent a second fire in Sportage cannot be left in isolation especially as we have seen that overseas both KIA and Hyundai models are affected by the same issues across the model lineup.
There is a due chance that this new recent Sportage fire incident is an unrelated fire and not necessarily because of the issue with ABS or any other recalled component as seen overseas or by Hyundai-Nishat but still its a high time and its highly recommended and important that Kia Lucky Motors/ KLM should also investigate the fires in Sportage one more time and also communicate with Hyundai-Nishat in this regard.
Both Tucson & Sportage are technically identical vehicles and uses same components and there is due chance, locally assembled Sportage might have got the same defective ABS modules which comes as an import. I have been in contact with number of Kia Sportage owners in Pakistan who have shown an extreme concern in this issue and very skeptical especially after the Tucson service campaign by Hyundai-Nishat.
It is extremely important that KLM release any official statement in this matter, either clearing the local assembled units and declaring it free from any possible issue which can cause short-circuit/ fire OR acknowledge the possibility of defective ABS or other part/s in the Pakistan domestic models and eventually initiate the service campaign if needed as its a high safety risk. We hope to hear from the KLM on this mater soon publicly as thousands of Kia Sportage are on the road and their owners are worried and confused at the same time.
Hyundai & KIA’s Role in Pakistan:
Kia and Hyundai has restarted their operation in Pakistan and consumers have a lot of expectations from them. An improved and higher standard after sale service is always a priority of the customer. Its again appreciated that Hyundai took a bold step and recalled their Tucson. Consumer is now more informed because of social media and access to internet and he/she also knows how a certain issue or problem is reported overseas and resolved. The consumer also knows the level of consumer protection outside Pakistan which unfortunately we lack here locally.
Pakistan in still in developmental phase of auto industry and I think sometime the car companies in Pakistan don't accept the issues and faults publicly with their models like they do overseas , because of possible backlash from the public. We as consumer should keep in mind that recalls are not a new phenomena in auto industry and every brand do so to rectify and fix a certain issue at company own cost . High end premium brands like even Rolls Royce, Bentley or even performance models from Ferrari , Lamborghini, Porsche and many other such brands are recalled for various reasons.
Recalls and fixing a problem is actually a customer service commitment which car companies do so, that their customer can avail the best possible experience driving their vehicles. Car companies try to reduce the causes which can result in recalls while the government regulator in overseas countries also make sure that a certain costumer complaint about certain issue is entertained and investigated if it has been reported multiple times or if there is any other abnormal situation. A Pakistani customer need same level of commitment from these companies as they offer overseas and mandated by law.
Pakistan auto industry extended many folds in last few years which is a very good sign as it increased competition, helped consumer with more choices and options but at the same time it is also very important and need of hour that Government of Pakistan develop a neutral regulator and agency like NHTSA / National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from USA or National Road Safety Strategy from Australia, who can look into issues and do investigation as well as outline automobile safety standards inline and at the same level as in the international / other countries.
Tips To Avoid Such Incidents:
As always, it’s
highly recommended that we never ever install any aftermarket accessories in our vehicle as that will void your warranty and in case if there is any problem with the car because of any other reason, the
dealer and carmaker will always bring those modifications at the time of claims and can decline your warranty claim. So, stay away from any modifications whatsoever.
