Hyundai has recalled 429,686 Elantra sedans and wagons over the possibility there could be an electrical short in the ABS module that could cause an engine fire.

The engine can ignite both when the car is on or off due to the ABS module remaining energized, but only a few engine-compartment fires have been reported to NHTSA, and there have been no injuries.

The recall repair will shut off the ABS module when the car is off, but the module remains at risk of shorting and igniting when the vehicle is on.

Hyundai has issued a recall for nearly 430,000 of its 2006–2011 Elantra sedans and 2007–2011 Elantra Touring wagons. The recall was issued due to the likelihood of moisture entering the anti-lock brake (ABS) module and causing an electrical short, leading to an engine fire. Only a handful of fires have been reported to Hyundai, and there have been no injuries, according to a timeline of the problem published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring. Hyundai

The module can short both when the engine is on or off, according to the recall notice, as it remains energized even when the car is turned off. Hyundai says that it doesn’t know of any injuries resulting from this issue and since there have been very few cases of the module shorting and resulting in a fire, the company isn't recommending owners park their vehicles outside.

The fix for the recall, Hyundai says, will be a new relay which will turn off the ABS module when the vehicle is off. Nonetheless, NHTSA says that Hyundai hasn’t been able to find the reason why moisture is entering the module in the first place, still leaving the vehicle at risk of fire while it is on following the recall fix.

"When the vehicle is on, short circuits are preceded by other noticeable symptoms such as noise [or] ABS warning lights," a Hyundai spokesperson told C/D. "So with the vehicle on, the driver is present and will detect preceding symptoms if a short circuit were to occur. In this situation, the foundation brakes continue to be operational."

Owners and dealers of the affected Elantra models will be notified of the recall in April. To find out if a vehicle is included in the recall, owners can check the NHTSA recall site.

Separately, NHTSA began an investigation last April into nearly three million Hyundai and Kia vehicles with potentially defective engines that are at risk of catching fire. The regulatory agency opened an investigation after reviewing more than 3000 reports of fires that began without a crash. The Hyundai spokesperson clarified that this investigation is unrelated to the recall described above.



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