Hyundai Recalls Over 42,000 Vehicles Due to Wiring Issue

Hyundai Motor North America has announced the recall of more than 42,000 vehicles because of a wiring issue that poses the risk of the automobiles potentially rolling away without warning. This announcement, made public on Wednesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affects the 2025 models of Hyundai Santa Cruz and Hyundai Tucson.

The affected vehicles have been identified with transmissions that are capable of shifting out of ‘park’ without the need for the brake pedal application. This raises the risk of possible crashes or injuries, according to the NHTSA. The recall encompasses all U.S.-sold 2025 models of the Santa Cruz and Tucson, involving over 35,500 Tucson and roughly 6,900 Santa Cruz vehicles. The NHTSA estimates that approximately 1% of these vehicles may contain the defect.

Owners of the affected vehicles are advised to use the parking brake as a precautionary measure while operating the car. «Dealers will reroute the console extension wiring assembly, free of charge,» stated the NHTSA. Owners can expect communication through mailed letters starting January 19, 2025.

The issue was initially identified in late October when Hyundai’s North American Safety Office (NASO) received a report of a 2025 Tucson model demonstrating self-movement, part of a corporate fleet in the U.S. By early November, this wiring problem was suspected to potentially affect the Santa Cruz models as well, prompting a review by the North America Safety Decision Authority on November 13, which subsequently led to the recall decision.

In addition to the Santa Cruz and Tucson recall, Hyundai is addressing another major recall involving over 145,000 electric Genesis and IONIQ vehicles, including the IONIQ 6 from 2023 to 2025 and the Genesis GV60 from 2023 to 2025. This recall relates to potential damages to the integrated charging control units (ICCU), which could interrupt battery charging processes. Hyundai has stated that dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the ICCU and its fuses while updating the ICCU software at no cost to the owners. Notification letters for this recall will be mailed on January 17, 2025.

The company has confirmed that no injuries, deaths, crashes, or fires have been reported in connection with the sold vehicles affected by these recalls.