— A 2020-2022 Hyundai Palisade tow hitch harness recall involves more than 250,000 SUVs at risk of fires.
Hyundai is warning owners to "park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete."
The Palisades are equipped with tow hitch harnesses either as original equipment or purchased as accessories at Hyundai dealers.
"Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire." — Hyundai
According to Hyundai, the Palisades could catch fire even with the Palisade shut off.
In March 2021, Hyundai Canada received a report from a dealership regarding a 2020 Palisade that experienced a fire originating in the bumper area while parked. Then in April 2021, Hyundai Canada received a report from a dealer about a 2020 Palisade equipped with a trailer accessory module that had melted.
Hyundai inspected the second Palisade and found the trailer hitch wiring harness hadn't been installed correctly. However, the automaker couldn't determine what caused the first incident.
In December 2021 another Palisade suffered a "thermal event" while the ignition was turned off, but Hyundai couldn't determine what caused the tow hitch wiring module to melt.
In April 2022, two more Canadian Palisade incidents occurred, with three of the four incidents involving fires. Engineers investigated the vehicles and found degradation of the B+ wires inside the modules.
To date, Hyundai is aware of three Palisade fires and eight melting incidents in Canada, and eight melting events in the U.S.
According to Hyundai, there are no confirmed crashes or injuries, and about 4,000 of the recalled Palisades are in Canada.
Hyundai expects to mail Palisade recall letters October 17, 2022, but dealers don't yet know how the SUVs will be repaired. As an interim repair, dealerships will inspect the tow hitch modules and remove the fuses.
Hyundai Palisade owners with concerns should call 855-371-9460 and use recall number 235.
