- An investigation has revealed hydrogen gas can escape while the Nexo is being driven.
- The recall impacts 1,545 Nexo models delivered in the United States.
- Hyundai is not aware of any fires or crashes triggered by the faulty pressure relief device.
Hyundai is urging owners of 2019-2024 Nexo models to park their hydrogen-powered SUVs outside and “away from structures” because there’s a chance they could leak hydrogen and may catch fire. This recall certainly won’t help the broader hydrogen vehicle market, which, for the past few years, has been crawling along at a snail’s pace.
Hyundai says that impacted Nexo models are equipped with a thermally-activated Pressure Relief Device (TPRD) that vents hydrogen gas to the atmosphere to prevent over-pressurization of the hydrogen fuel tank if it detects any overheating. It vents this hydrogen through a glass bulb-type release mechanism which fractures when a specific operating temperature is reached.
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However, this mechanism can prematurely fracture because of microcracks in the glass. This could cause hydrogen gas to escape during normal vehicle operation. In a confined space with an ignition source, the leak could cause a fire. If a Nexo suffers from the leak, owners may notice a “loud wind-rushing noise” and “a white fog-like cloud” near the rear of the vehicle.
A total of 1,545 Hyundai Nexos in the United States are involved in the recall, all of which were manufactured from August 10, 2018, to August 25, 2023.
Hyundai first started to investigate the issue in April following reports of Nexo models in South Korea leaking hydrogen gas. A cause for the leak was soon found and the decision to issue a recall was made in early October for both the US and Canadian markets. The marque is not aware of any incidents, crashes, or fires caused by the fault.
Dealers and owners will be alerted to the recall on December 10. All owners will be told to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until they can take their Nexo to a dealer, where a new TPRD made from metal will be installed.
