14 EV Owners Are Told By Hyundai And Kia To Park Away From Their Homes

Kia and Hyundai have initiated safety recalls due to a critical battery defect that poses a significant fire risk to motorists. Both manufacturers identified that misaligned electrodes within the battery cells may cause internal short circuits, creating a potential fire hazard. Although these combined campaigns affect a limited total of 14 vehicles, owners are strongly advised to park their vehicles outdoors until the necessary repairs are completed.

Hyundai has confirmed that select 2023 and 2024 Ioniq 5 models may contain high-voltage battery cells with misaligned electrodes, a defect that poses a significant fire risk whether the vehicle is in motion or stationary.

Kia has issued a corresponding recall citing the same root cause. According to filings submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the supplier, SK On Co, has attributed the failure to a quality control deviation. This issue currently affects seven 2022–2024 Kia EV6 models and one 2024 Kia EV9 SUV.

While Hyundai has yet to release a comprehensive repair protocol, Kia plans to replace the entire high-voltage battery pack with units containing properly aligned cells. Given that both manufacturers utilize the same supplier and encounter identical defects, it is expected that Hyundai will implement a similar remedial strategy.

Until these repairs are finalized, the manufacturers advise owners to restrict vehicle charging to 80 percent capacity and to park outdoors, maintaining a safe distance from all structures. Although not explicitly mandated by the official recall, it is further recommended that owners park at a distance from other vehicles as an additional safety precaution.