Hyundai to recall over 180,000 vehicles due to defects

Official recall announcement

“A total of 260,184 vehicles across 57 models, manufactured, imported, or sold by Hyundai Motor, Kia, BMW Korea, and Stellantis Korea, will be voluntarily recalled due to identified manufacturing defects,” the Ministry of Land and Transport said in an official statement.

The ministry further clarified that Hyundai Motor Group accounts for more than 180,000 of the vehicles involved in the recall.

Hyundai’s recall details

According to the ministry, Hyundai Motor will recall 85,355 units of the Porter II Electric model from October 30, due to a potential fire hazard caused by a design flaw in the battery management system software.

Kia’s recall of Bongo III EV

The ministry also confirmed that Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor, will begin recalling 54,532 units of the Bongo III EV model from October 30, for the same software defect that could potentially lead to battery fires.

Additional Hyundai and Kia models affected

Other affected Hyundai models include the Tucson, which is being recalled due to a design flaw in the fuel filter components, while Kia’s Seltos is being recalled for a similar issue that could cause the engine to shut down.

Background: Previous battery fire concerns

Last year, an electric vehicle battery fire caused significant alarm nationwide, damaging hundreds of vehicles and prompting temporary parking bans across South Korea. The incident led to growing public concern and calls for greater transparency in EV battery supply chains.

South Korea’s expanding EV industry

South Korea is a major global producer of batteries and electric vehicles, home to leading carmakers such as Hyundai and Kia. Electric vehicles accounted for 9.3 percent of new car sales in the country last year — a higher proportion than in the United States.