3.2 million American vehicles sit under an unresolved order to park outside

An analysis of federal recall filings puts the number of U.S. vehicles currently carrying an unresolved “park outside” fire recall at roughly 3.2 million, a tally that has climbed sharply this year as automakers issue a wave of warnings telling owners to keep their cars away from garages and homes even when the engine is off. The figure, compiled by vehicle-history firm Carfax and first reported alongside a Washington Post investigation, has since been corroborated by multiple outlets tracking the same federal filings into September.

The designation is not new, but the pace at which it is being used is. Automakers issued roughly one park-outside recall a year on average between 2015 and 2019. In the first seven months of 2026 alone, that number reached 17, with eight of those campaigns announced in June and July together covering more than 1.7 million vehicles.

How a “Park Outside” Order Actually Works

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration created the park-outside label in 2015 to flag defects that can ignite a vehicle even after it has been shut off and parked, and it added a dedicated warning box to its online recall listings in 2022 to make the notices easier for owners to spot. Unlike a standard recall, which usually addresses a risk while driving, a park-outside order tells owners the vehicle itself is a fire hazard at rest, and in some cases instructs them not to charge it, park in an attached garage, or leave it near a structure until a repair is available.

Why Circuits Stay Energized After the Key Comes Out

Former NHTSA investigator Frank Borris, now a safety consultant, has described the underlying issue as a byproduct of how much a modern vehicle keeps running even when it looks off. Seat motors, power steering wiring, starter relays, and always-on control modules can all remain energized well after a driver walks away, regardless of whether the vehicle runs on gasoline, a hybrid system, or a battery pack alone. That is the common thread across this year’s recalls, more than any single powertrain type.

Two Recalls That Illustrate the Pattern

Stellantis’s June 2026 campaign covering roughly 1.08 million Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles from the 2021 through 2025 model years traced the fire risk to a power steering pump connection that could overheat, not to a battery cell. NHTSA first received reports of fires in those models in 2023, and as of May 2026 the agency had logged 63 customer assistance reports and 72 field reports tied to the issue. A separate campaign from Kia, confirmed in NHTSA’s own recall notice, covers 462,869 2020-2024 Telluride SUVs, which had already been recalled once in 2024 for the same defect: a front power seat switch that can be struck, dislodged, and left running until the motor overheats. Kia says it is aware of seven seat fires and 11 melted seat motors tied to the issue, and dealers are installing an electronic fuse meant to cut power automatically if the switch is damaged.

Electric Vehicles Are Part of the Trend, Not the Cause of It

Battery-related fire risk has not disappeared from the recall list; NHTSA issued a park-outside order for the Volvo EX30 in January 2026 over its high-voltage battery, and EV charging has been restricted under some campaigns until repairs are complete. But NHTSA’s own data show gasoline and diesel vehicles account for most park-outside recalls issued since 2021, partly because they still make up the bulk of vehicles on U.S. roads. A gas-powered Ford Bronco recall over an engine-compartment fire risk, with no high-voltage battery involved at all, sits on the same list as the Jeep and Kia campaigns, underscoring that the driver is added vehicle electronics rather than any one type of powertrain.

The Dilemma Facing Owners With Nowhere to Park

Safety advocates say the guidance leaves many owners with few good options. Sean Kane, president of the auto-safety research firm Safety Research and Strategies, has pointed out that people living in condominiums or apartment buildings with enclosed parking often have nowhere else to put an affected vehicle. The problem is compounded for owners of some Hyundai models, which have carried both park-outside fire recalls and, separately, a documented theft risk tied to missing anti-theft technology, leaving those drivers weighing a fire hazard against a security risk depending on where the car spends the night. Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, has noted that an unattended fire in a garage or attached structure can escalate well beyond the vehicle itself before anyone notices.

Checking Whether a Vehicle Is Affected

Owners can confirm whether their vehicle carries an open park-outside recall by entering their vehicle identification number directly into NHTSA’s recall lookup tool or by calling the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline. Because new campaigns have continued to be added through the year, safety researchers recommend rechecking a VIN periodically rather than relying on a single past search, particularly for owners of models built by manufacturers that have issued more than one park-outside notice for the same underlying component.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.

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