Drivers of several popular car brands are being urged to check their vehicles immediately following a series of urgent safety recalls issued by manufacturers. The widespread action affects hundreds of thousands of Honda, Kia, Ford, and Hyundai vehicles across the United States due to potentially dangerous defects.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published multiple recall notices detailing serious health and safety concerns that could put road users at risk. Owners of affected models are being advised to contact their local dealerships to arrange necessary repairs.
Specific Vehicle Defects and Risks
Honda has announced two significant recalls affecting American drivers. The Japanese automaker is recalling 256,603 Accord hybrid vehicles due to a software error that may cause a sudden loss of drive power while operating the vehicle. According to NHTSA documents, parts of the vehicle's internal software may unexpectedly restart during driving, potentially causing a loss of vehicle control.
Additionally, Honda previously recalled 406,290 Civic vehicles earlier this month due to a manufacturing flaw that could cause aluminium alloy wheels to detach from the vehicle, creating another serious safety hazard.
Kia America, Inc. has issued a recall for over 250,000 vehicles following the discovery of a fault that could cause the fuel tank to melt, leak, and significantly increase fire risk. An official notice posted on November 17 explained that a damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, which may melt the tank.
Repair Procedures and Owner Actions
For Honda owners, dealerships will reprogram the software free of charge to resolve the issue in affected Accord hybrid models. The company has confirmed that all repairs will be conducted at no cost to consumers.
Kia has outlined a comprehensive repair process for impacted vehicles. Car owners can bring their vehicles to authorised dealerships for a free inspection and check valve replacement. If necessary, the entire fuel tank will be replaced without charge. The company plans to send official notification letters to affected customers in January.
Kia has also provided a customer service hotline at 800-333-4542 for concerned owners seeking additional information about the recall.
Additional Manufacturers Affected
Ford has recalled almost 230,000 of its 2025-2026 Bronco and Bronco Sport models due to a fault with the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC). NHTSA documents state that the IPC could fail when the vehicle starts, preventing critical information such as warning lights or vehicle speed from displaying. This failure significantly increases crash risk according to safety regulators.
Hyundai is recalling 85,000 of its 2020-2023 Sonata vehicles for a similar fuel system fault to the Kia recall. Documents indicate that drivers might notice the problem if they hear a popping noise from the rear of the vehicle, experience starting difficulties, or detect a strong fuel odour. Hyundai expects to send owner notification letters by January 16, 2026.
All vehicle owners are encouraged to check the official NHTSA recall database using their vehicle identification number to verify whether their specific car, parts, or accessories are subject to any active safety recalls.
