(Bloomberg) -- Almost half a million Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. drivers in the U.S. have been told to park their cars outside and away from other vehicles because of a heightened risk they could spontaneously catch fire. 

The South Korean automakers have identified an increasing risk of an engine compartment fire, even if the vehicle is turned off, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement Tuesday. While the exact cause is unknown, the manufacturers believe an electrical component in the anti-lock brake system may experience an internal short circuit, the statement said. 

Hyundai has recalled 357,830 cars, including Santa Fe SUVs manufactured from 2016-19 and Tucson SUVs from 2014-15 to fix the fault for free. Kia has recalled 126,747 vehicles, including the 2016 Sportage SUV and K900 sedans manufactured between 2016-2018.   

The agency said in December that it had opened an engineering analysis into 3 million vehicles produced by Hyundai and Kia, focused on 2011-2016 models. In 2020, Hyundai and Kia agreed to pay a total of $210 million in penalties in the U.S. to settle complaints related to faulty engines. 

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