Kia warns owners of 48,000 recalled Seltos SUVs in Canada to park outside

Owners of more than 48,000 recalled Kia vehicles in Canada are being warned that a possible fire hazard may remain even after the SUV has been switched off.

Transport Canada's recall covers more than 48,000 Kia vehicles in Canada, applying only to all-wheel-drive Seltos models from the 2024, 2025, and 2026 model years.

In the recall notice, Transport Canada said that "on certain vehicles, the 4WD control unit under the driver's seat may become contaminated by a mixture of salt and moisture inside the vehicle. Over time, this can lead to corrosion that could cause a short circuit."

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That electrical fault could cause a fire, and the danger isn't limited to when the vehicle is being driven.

Because the hazard can remain even with the ignition off, the concern extends to places where the vehicle is parked, including driveways, garages, and shared parking areas.

Until dealers complete the repair, affected owners are being told to keep their vehicles outdoors and away from buildings or other cars.

Affected owners will get a mailed notice from Kia instructing them to bring the Seltos to a dealership, where technicians will inspect the 4WD control unit.

If needed, technicians will replace the control unit and related components.

Dealers will also install a cover over the 4WD unit to help reduce the chance of the contamination problem happening again.

The interim advice remains: park the vehicle outdoors, away from buildings or other cars.

Widespread 'park outside' recalls

Kia isn't the only automaker to tell owners to park outside after a fire-related recall.

According to vehicle history reporting company Carfax, more than 3.2 million vehicles across the United States have unrepaired "park outside" recalls.

"Park outside recalls, first off is among the most serious types of vehicle safety recalls. And essentially what happens there is the vehicle could catch fire even when it's turned off and unattended," said Em Nguyen of Carfax.

One of the largest recent "park outside" recalls involves more than one million Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators from model years 2021 through 2025.

Automaker Stellantis warned that wiring associated with the hydraulic power steering pump could overheat, potentially causing a fire even when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is turned off.

The company reported being aware of at least 72 fires associated with the issue, and one injury.

Kia America also issued a "park outside" recall this summer affecting nearly 463,000 Telluride SUVs due to a front power-seat switch that could overheat and ignite the seat.

The automaker reported seven seat fires and 11 incidents involving melting seat motors.

"There are probably dozens, maybe hundreds of other active park outside recalls, maybe even thousands," Nguyen said.

Carfax is urging drivers to take these warnings seriously, particularly because a vehicle doesn't have to be running for a fire to start.

Vehicle owners can check for outstanding safety recalls using free resources like the NHTSA or Carfax websites.

If a vehicle is affected by a "park outside" recall, owners should follow the manufacturer's safety instructions and contact an authorized dealership to arrange the necessary repairs.

Owners can find recall details on Kia's website and in the Transport Canada recall notice. Novello Desserts reported in October that the recall affects all-wheel drive models and warns owners to park outdoors until repairs are made.

With files from Yahoo News and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth