October 10, 2025
Get ready, Hyundai Santa Fe owners! The South Korean car giant just dropped a major recall bombshell. Over 135,000 Santa Fe SUVs sold in the United States are called back to fix a potential fire danger. Hyundai announced on October 2 that Santa Fe vehicles made between December 28, 2023, and July 7, 2025, may have an electrical short problem. The culprit? An improperly installed B+ positive terminal cover on the starter motor assembly. If this cover isn’t seated perfectly, it could touch the cooling fan assembly causing an electrical short. This sparks a serious worry - a fire risk that could even lead to a crash! Here's the spicy detail from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Hyundai thinks about 1% of these over 135,000 vehicles might have this faulty cover installed incorrectly. Luckily, as of the recall date, they got just one report — from November 2024 — showing signs of a thermal event. No accidents, injuries, or deaths have popped up in the US so far. Why this recall, exactly? The recall report explains that some units "may have been assembled with a cover that was not fully seated" on the starter motor’s terminal. This flaw means the terminal can actually touch the cooling fan assembly and cause a short circuit. The scary part? "An electrical short can increase the risk of an electrical fire." That's a huge red flag! What should Hyundai Santa Fe owners do now? Worry not! Owners will get a notice in the mail soon. It will guide them to take their car to any Hyundai dealership for a free checkup. If the cover is not right, Hyundai will fix it at zero cost. Plus, if owners have already paid for such repairs out of pocket, Hyundai promises to reimburse those expenses. So, if you have a Santa Fe from late 2023 to mid-2025, keep an eye on your mailbox. Safety first, because a tiny cover mix-up could spark big trouble in your engine bay! Hyundai’s move is swift and clear — better safe than sorry when it comes to fire risks.
Tags: Hyundai, Santa fe recall, Car fire risk, Electrical short, Nhtsa, Vehicle safety,
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