Overview
- NHTSA data show more than 1.5 million vehicles have been recalled so far this year for 'key-off' fires and the agency recorded 17 park‑outside recall campaigns in the first seven months of 2026.
- Major manufacturer actions include Stellantis’s June recall of about 1,076,999 Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers tied to an electrical wiring fault in a hydraulic power‑steering pump and Kia’s July recall of about 462,869 Tellurides for an overheating front‑seat motor.
- Owners of affected models are being told to park recalled vehicles away from homes, garages and other cars and to follow specific dealer instructions because fires have occurred after vehicles were shut off.
- Safety experts say the problem stems from more electronics packed into modern cars and higher operating temperatures that let wiring, relays, seat motors and battery systems stay hot and occasionally ignite after shutdown.
- The trend has grown steadily from roughly 10 park‑outside recalls in 2024 to 19 in 2025 and the current wave in 2026, creating repair delays, parking burdens for owners and increased scrutiny of automakers and NHTSA oversight.