Hyundai is recalling 54,337 Elantra Hybrids from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 model years because a software problem in the hybrid system could let the power control unit overheat and raise the risk of a fire. Some of the affected cars may enter reduced-power or limp mode, turn on the check engine light or even fail to start.
The recall centers on the hybrid power control unit, which contains a metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor. In some vehicles, the software now installed may not provide enough cooling, and overheating could cause localized thermal damage to the unit’s assembly and internal components. Hyundai said it will notify dealers and owners by July 13, and the fix will be a free software update performed at a dealership.
The recall documents were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, putting the defect squarely in the category regulators watch most closely: a software-driven cooling issue that can turn into a safety problem. Hyundai said the updated software will improve cooling for the transistor and limit maximum current delivery, a change meant to keep the unit from running hot enough to fail.
For owners, the immediate question is not whether the fix exists — it does — but how soon they will get it and whether their cars have already shown warning signs. Hyundai said it will reimburse owners who paid out of pocket to address the problem before the recall was announced, and once notified, affected drivers will be told to take their vehicles to a dealer for the free repair.
