Two popular car brands have issued urgent warnings for drivers amid concerns that vehicle issues could lead to serious fire risks.
In new documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, more than 235,000 vehicles have been recalled.
Kia announced that it was recalling certain Carnival models manufactured between 2022 and 2026 over a fuel leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.
It warned that more than 141,000 vehicles could have a "suspected production deviation" that may lead to the fuel pipe nuts loosening over time.
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Any fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source will increase the risk of a fire and heighten the possibility of an injury.
As part of the remedy process for the issue, dealers will inspect the high-pressure crossover pipe for a fuel leak.
In the event that a leak is identified, mechanics will replace the high-pressure crossover pipe with a new one.
Even if a recalled vehicle does not have a located leak, the high-pressure crossover pipe nuts will be securely fastened.
Drivers are being warned of hundreds of thousands of vehicles that could be at risk of causing a fire
|THE CAR EXPERT/GETTY
Owners are expected to be notified of the issue no later than the start of June, while dealers will receive a letter around a week earlier.
The NHTSA has warned that any dealer could be breaking the law by selling the vehicle if they know that an issue is present.
The recall states: "It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect is remedied."
In recall acknowledgement documents, Kia stated that it had not identified any fires, accidents or injuries relating to the issue.
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The Kia Carnival
|KIA
However, it did find 258 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) with a fuel leak, prompting the recall notice to be issued.
Another popular car brand, Hyundai, has lodged a recall with the NHTSA impacting 94,760 vehicles.
These include the Genesis GV80 (2021-2025), Genesis G80 (2021-2025), Genesis GV70 (2022-2026) and the Genesis G90 (2023-2025).
It states: "The crossover fuel pipe connecting the left and right fuel rails of the engines in the subject vehicles may have been installed with retention fasteners that may gradually loosen over time.
The Genesis GV70
|GENESIS
"The retention fasteners were tightened with insufficient concentrations of torque stabiliser at the fuel rail connections during vehicle assembly, causing the retention (axial) force to diminish over time.
"A fuel pipe with loose connections could allow fuel to leak, increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire."
Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary. Any remedy included in a recall notice will be completed free of charge.
Between October 29, 2021, and January 27, 2026, Hyundai said it was aware of 129 reports of the condition in the US, although there had been no crashes, fires or injuries.