Hyundai is recalling the 2018 Santa Fe Sport for potential engine fires — again

Hyundai is recalling some 2018 Santa Fe Sport SUVs over a malfunction with the antilock braking system (ABS) module that could cause an electrical short and engine fire while the vehicle is parked.

The recall involves 44,396 model-year 2018 SUVs. Hyundai says the ABS module malfunction can cause a short over time, which may lead to an engine compartment fire. The issue can happen when the vehicle is parked or in motion, so there’s no specific activity to avoid to prevent a problem.

Hyundai has recorded four fires involving the 2018 Santa Fe Sport and says two of the incidents involved vehicles already fixed in a previous recall action. Two of the fires are from a group of cars not included in the first recall, which Hyundai states were “inadvertently excluded.” No crashes or injuries have been reported

Hyundai is working on a fix and says that owners will be notified by December 26. In the meantime, owners can continue driving their Santa Fe Sport, though Hyundai says the vehicle should be parked outside and away from buildings. The fix is free of charge, and the automaker will reimburse owners for expenses incurred during the repair process.

The Santa Fe Sport recall follows a much larger action in February that involved almost 360,000 units. That recall included the 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson.