An insurance study shows that owners of five Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs file fire insurance claims at a rate far higher than the average for comparable vehicles.
The Highway Loss Data Institute analyzed claims data from insurers representing about 85 percent of the U.S. industry.
It found that some Hyundai and Kia vehicles equipped with four-cylinder engines have at least double the noncrash fire claim rates than the average of comparable vehicles.
The institute began the study after a consumer group found that owners of some Hyundai and Kia models made a higher-than-normal number of fire complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Last week the South Korean brands announced they would recall about 168,000 vehicles to fix a fuel pipe problem that can cause engine fires.