Hyundai recalled 14 U.S. electric vehicles on July 9 after telling regulators that a battery defect could cause an internal short circuit and lead to a fire. The recall covers six 2023 and 2024 IONIQ 5 vehicles, one 2024 Kia EV9 and seven Kia EV6 vehicles from model years 2022 to 2024.
The recall is small, but the advice was not. Hyundai told owners to keep charging below 80%, park outside and away from buildings, and wait for a free battery system assembly replacement at a Hyundai dealer. That kind of instruction is usually reserved for defects treated as a fire risk, not a routine repair.
Hyundai said it had not identified any US incidents, crashes, fires or injuries linked to the problem. Even so, it moved ahead with the recall after finding a limited number of US vehicles fitted with defective battery modules made by SK On during a specific production period. In the battery cells, misaligned electrodes can allow an internal short circuit; once that happens, heat can build fast enough to create a fire hazard.
The gap in the recall is how wide the problem could have been before Hyundai narrowed it to 14 vehicles. The company has said the affected vehicles are only a small number of older US Hyundai and Kia EVs, and that it has not issued a recall in any other market. But it has not said which exact production window produced the faulty modules, leaving open how many other vehicles may have been screened out before the filing went in.
Owner notification letters are due Aug. 31, 2026 for Hyundai customers and Aug. 7, 2026 for Kia owners. Hyundai's recall number is 305, Kia's is SC375, and owners who need more information can contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460, Kia's contact service at 1-800-333-4542 or the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
