Hyundai and Kia are telling owners of some of their large SUVs to park them outdoors and away from buildings after a series of fires involving trailer hitch wiring. 

The Korean automakers are recalling more than 281,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because of the problem, but they haven't figured out how to fix it yet. The automakers reported 25 fires or melting incidents in the two countries caused by the problem, but no crashes or injuries.

The recalls cover more than 245,000 Hyundai Palisade and over 36,000 Kia Telluride SUVs from the 2020 through 2022 model years.

Approximately 22,345 Hyundai vehicles will be recalled in Canada, a representative for the automaker told CBC News in an email. The company has confirmed three unique fire incidents and eight incidents of melting in Canada, according to the representative.

In an email to CBC News, a representative for Kia did not respond to an inquiry about how many vehicles were affected in Canada but said the company is recalling a tow hitch harness accessory that fits on the aforementioned models. They said 2,863 of these parts were sold in Canada between May 28, 2019 and Aug. 15, 2022.

In documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the companies said debris and moisture can accumulate in a circuit board in the tow hitch wiring. That can cause an electrical short, which can lead to a fire.

According to the NHTSA, the issue was first documented in October 2021 when Kia Canada reported a fire incident to the Kia North America Safety office.

Hyundai said that dealers will inspect the wiring and remove a fuse as an interim repair. Kia doesn't have an interim repair. The companies say a final repair is being developed.

In addition, dealers from both automakers have stopped selling the affected SUVs until repairs are made.

With files from Jenna Benchetrit

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