Hyundai Motor America to recall 567,912 vehicles - NHTSA

(Reuters) - Hyundai Motor America will recall 567,912 vehicles, as some models equipped with a tow hitch harness could catch fire due to a short circuit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday.

The NHTSA also advised owners to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed.

The recall includes the 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe hybrid, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in hybrid and Santa Cruz models.

"Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire," the NHTSA said.

Kia America Inc will also recall 3,555 units of its Carnival model manufactured between 2022 and 2023 over a similar defect, NHTSA said in a notice dated March 17.

The recalls come after both Korean carmakers said that they would provide free software fixes for 8.3 million vehicles to stop a rash of thefts inspired by TikTok videos.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)