Hyundai recalls 2018-2020 Kona EV again over fire risk

Hyundai Australia is recalling its electrified Kona for a second time due to a fire risk associated with its battery.

The problem affects 615 Kona EVs made between 2018 and 2020.

According to the Department for Infrastructure, due to a manufacturing defect, the battery does not meet specifications and may lead to an electrical short which could start a fire.

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A list of VINs for affected vehicles can be found here.

Kona EV owners involved have been contacted by Hyundai to arrange a battery replacement.

For further information, call Hyundai on: 1800 186 306.

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Late last year, Hyundai recalled almost 800 Kona Electric small SUVs in Australia over a similar, potentially deadly, fire risk.

Under the previous recall, the Kona’s 65kW lithium-ion battery was said to possibly have internal damage, or the battery management system (BMS) control software may cause an electrical short circuit after charging.

The issue, which affected 77,000 cars worldwide at the time, is believed to be the cause of at least nine Kona Electric fires reported globally, though at this stage no such issues have been reported in Australia.

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A spokesperson for Hyundai told WhichCar the issue is part of a wider problem identified globally, but the two recalls are linked."The first recall was for a software check. This is different software check, linked to a potential hardware issue, and it applies to a smaller number of vehicles," they said."There have been no incidents in Australia related to this issue."