If you’re going to have a fault that leads to a fire, you could pick a worse time to learn about it than an independent crash test. And that’s exactly what happened with the 2024 Hyundai Kona, powered by the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine.
Back in November, the vehicle was being crash tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Following the 40 percent frontal overlap evaluation (which was performed at 40 mph/64 km/h), test engineers noticed smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment.
Worse still, the IIHS claims that the fire reignited twice after its personnel put it out the first time. It says that the incident only ended after it fully disconnected the 12-volt battery.
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The automaker and the safety organization decided to tear down the test vehicle to figure out what was going on. They found that both the alternator and the 12-volt positive wiring were damaged in the wake of the incident.
They also found that the electronic control module (ECM) had been pushed into the 12-volt battery’s positive cable. Therefore, it was determined that the ECM bracket shifted in the crash, allowing it to damage and make contact with the exposed copper core of the battery cable, leading to an electrical short, and ultimately catching fire.
Hyundai’s fix includes adding new sheathing to the positive side of the Kona’s battery to protect it in the event of an accident. In a subsequent crash test, it says that the fix prevented an electrical short.
Now it will reach out to the 10,984 American owners of the 2024 Hyundai Kona that are equipped with a 1.6T-GDI engine that are at risk of experiencing this issue. They will be asked to return their vehicle to a nearby dealer, where the protective sheathing will be installed in their vehicle, free of charge.
