Fountain Valley, Calif. – Sept. 20, 2017 – Hyundai Motor America has recalled more than 200 vehicles believed to contain defective electronic power control units, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects 2017 Hyundai Ioniq plug-in electric sedans with production dates ranging from Nov. 17, 2016 to March 30, 2017. Hyundai suspects just 2 percent of the vehicles named in the recall contain the defective fixtures.

The Defect

Hyundai Ioniq sedans are equipped with aluminum-encased EPCU devices that transform alternating current power into direct current power for charging the battery system. The vehicles named in the campaign could contain EPCU devices whose aluminum shells feature small voids that allow coolant to leak onto EPCU circuit boards, leading to stalling. These cracked casings increase the likelihood of an accident – especially at high speeds – and therefore poses a serious danger to occupants. However, Hyundai has not received reports connecting the problematic EPCU coverings to any accidents or injuries.

Timeline of Events

In June 2017, the South Korean automaker received a field report outlining an instance in which an Ioniq owner was forced to tow his vehicle to a dealer after it stalled on the road. In this instance, the “check electrical vehicle system” light illuminated. Hyundai received another field report later in the month describing a similar situation.

In July, the car company collected parts from both vehicles and delivered them to engineering staff for evaluation. Personnel immediately spotted the cracked EPCU casings and diagnosed the root cause of both breakdowns. Hyundai then contacted the Korea-based parts provider responsible for delivering the defective aluminum fixtures. The company, Hyundai Mobis, traced the defective EPCU coverings to a manufacturing process revision made in April 2017. Hyundai quality assurance personnel reviewed all the available information related to the cracked EPCU housings and decided conduct a voluntary safety recall Aug. 17.

The car company notified owners of the action Sept. 1.

The Solution

Hyundai has directed dealers to inspect and replace the EPCU units in affected vehicles free of charge, according to a recall acknowledgement document from the NHTSA. The automaker plans to notify owners via first-class mail Sept. 29. Those in need of more immediate assistance can contact Hyundai customer service at (800) 633-5151. Callers should use the internal recall identification code 166. Owners can also reach out the NHTSA directly via its Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.

Fountain Valley, Calif.—June 9, 2017—In a much-publicized recall, Hyundai launched an effort to address possible latch issues in two models: the Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport. The model year ranges for these vehicles are the same, spanning 2013 to 2017. This was part of a pair of recent Hyundai recalls for different causes, and was the larger of the two unrelated actions.

The Defect

A recall acknowledgement statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that 437,400 units were potentially affected. The secondary hood latch in these vehicles could stay unlatched even after the hood is closed, depending on whether or not the actuating cable corrodes and binds. The risk comes from whether or not the hood would then open during travel, as it could potentially do.

The Resolution

The same statement said the manufacturer report date for this recall was June 5, with the recall itself expected to begin on June 30 as of that statement. To fix these affected vehicles, dealers will replace the latch.

The other recent Hyundai recall also concerned corrosion, although this separate case applied to a parking brake warning light switch that could deteriorate and cause potential safety concerns and confusion, as The Car Connection reported.

In 2016, Hyundai also oversaw a recall about hood latches. In a statement about recall campaign details for that action, the manufacturer said that dealer principals and other manager-level staff should inform customers to inspect the latch and hood before driving, and that interim repairs made to the affected vehicles did not indicate that the finished recall repairs were done.

That recall announcement came in June as well, with the recall itself continuing into the July of that year. The solution to that recall also involved dealers replacing the faulty hood latches.

Fountain Valley, Calif. – June 5, 2017 – Hyundai Motor America has recalled more than 17,000 sport utility vehicles that could contain defective driver-side seatbelts. The campaign affects the 2017 Santa Fe Sport compact SUV, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The car maker is unsure what percentage of the vehicles named in the campaign contain the defect. The recall carries the NHTSA serial number 17V365000.

This is the second recall involving the Santa Fe this month, according to The Car Connection. Hyundai issued a voluntary safety recall for more than 437,000 2013-2017 models of the popular SUV, citing the presence of ineffective hood latches.

The Defect
The models involved in this recent campaign could feature driver-side seatbelt assemblies with loose anchor bolts. This possess an immediate risk to operators, as their restraints might give way in the event of the crash, causing them serious injury. However, Hyundai has yet to hear of any accidents or injuries connected to the defect.

Timeline of Events
The car manufacturer has traced this fault back to the factory, as it seems the seatbelt anchor bolts on these vehicles were not sufficiently tightened during assembly.

The Solution
Hyundai has requested dealers to tighten the loose bolts, free of charge, according to the company’s website. Owners are expected to receive notification June 30, 2017. Those in need of immediate assistance can contact Hyundai Customer Service at (855) 671-3059 of the NHTSA Safety Hotline at (800) 424-9153.

Fountain Valley, Calif. – March 28, 2017 – Hyundai Motor America has recalled a number of vehicles equipped with defective power steering systems. The recall impacts Elantra sedans produced between Dec. 22 and Dec. 31, 2016. In 2016 Hyundai recalled several Elantra models also due to stability issues.

The Defect

According to documentation filed with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, affected vehicles include electronic power steering motors that fail to connect to the control unit; a similar recall affected Hyundai Sonata models in 2016. The steering assist feature is deactivated, producing an indicator on the instrument cluster. The loss of steering assist requires motorists to manually control the vehicle which can be difficult, especially at low speeds. This increases the likelihood of an accident. No accidents or injuries have been connected to this defect.

Timeline of Events

On March 6, 2017, representatives from Hyundai’s international headquarters contacted Hyundai Motor America and communicated a possible defect in EPS systems installed in recently produced Elantra sedans. Engineers at the car company’s HQ discovered that the power steering motors installed in these vehicles had been damaged during production, could not properly connect to EPS control units and might malfunction, leaving drivers without the steering assist feature. Hyundai Motor America reviewed the claim and the attached field data. No U.S. drivers had come forward with EPS-related problems. Even so, the stateside Hyundai division chose to initiate a voluntary recall on March 24. Dealers were notified on March 31.

The Solution

Hyundai Motor America has ordered dealers to replace defective EPS motors in affected vehicles. This particular part falls under the original factory warranty, which covers the EPS system and other components for five years or 60,000 miles. Therefore, owners should not incur expenses when taking their vehicles in for service. The automaker intends to notify affected Elantra owners via first-class mail by April 28.

Is your vehicle part of this recall? 

Many vehicles are part of this Hyundai recall. To do a Hyundai recall check, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Fountain Valley, Calif. — Apr. 10, 2017 — According to Hyundai and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some vehicles may have ineffective tire pressure monitoring systems that don’t comply with federal standards.

In 190 2017 Santa Fe SUV’s, the tire pressure monitoring systems may fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. All of the potentially affected vehicles are estimated to have the defect, and were produced between Feb. 1 and Nov. 15 last year in Georgia, as the Part 573 Safety Recall report stated.

The Defect:

The problem comes from the mode the sensors were set to during manufacture. These models reportedly could fail to detect underinflated tires, leading to possible safety issues for occupants, as well as lack of compliance. No injuries have been traced to this recall as of yet. A warning light could turn on if the defect is present.

Timeline of Events:

• Feb. 2, 2017: As the official chronology said, Kia Motor Manufacturing Georgia, where the vehicles were built, collaborated with Hyundai from Feb. 2 to Feb. 9, specifically looking at vehicles that may have been affected.
• Feb. 28, 2017: Hyundai decided to conduct the recall.
• March 6, 2017: This was both the official submission date for the Safety Recall Report and the listed Planned Dealer Notification Date.
• March 31, 2017: The Planned Owner Notification date is set for this date, according to the report.

The Resolution:

Dealers may have to both inspect and replace the sensors to resolve the matter. The official Technical Service Bulletin on this procedure said the replacement will require just two parts: the new sensor and a wheel sensor nut.

The procedure should also confirm that the replacement sensor works and doesn’t cause any in-system warning lights after installation. The sensor should fall under vehicle warranty and therefore not cost the owner.

Fountain Valley, Calif. — Apr. 06, 2017 — A five year span of Hyundai models could be at risk according to a new voluntary safety recall. Two specific vehicle types are involved: The 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata and the 2011 to 2015 Sonata Hybrid. As of March 7, the recall was number 17V152000 in the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration database.

The Defect

The Part 573 Safety Recall Report with the NHTSA said that affected vehicles could contain seatbelts at risk of coming apart. This would be because of a linkage problem with the seatbelt connector preventing it from latching completely.

This would put the person in the vehicle at higher risk, and Hyundai said it has already detected a single minor injury attributed to this defect. The report also said that the recall potentially involves 977,778 Hyundai cars, approximately 1 percent of which are thought to have the defect. The component manufacturer was ZF-TRW, from Livonia, Michigan.

• September- November, 2016: The official chronology document lodged with the NHTSA said that this period saw two different reports of incidents related to this case emerge.
• December-February, 2016: During these months, Hyundai worked with the component supplier on the issue, sharing information before Hyundai agreed on the recall on Feb. 28..
• March, 2017: After the recall report submission date of March 8, the dealer notification date is planned for March 31.
• April-May, 2017: The owner notification actions are scheduled for these months, ranging specifically from April 7 to May 5.

The Resolution

Though the report did not list specifics for the remedy, it did state that dealers could inspect the vehicles and look for problems with the connectors. The auto manufacturer itself has also stopped producing this model, and there was no specific recall schedule given as of this time.

Recall Masters – March 6, 2017

Hyundai Elantra Vehicles Recalled for Brake Booster Issue

In one of the most recent Hyundai recalls, the manufacturer has turned its attention to brake booster systems in thousands of its 2017 Elantra vehicles. Production dates for these models ranged from Sep.12, 2016 to Jan. 18, 2017.

The Defect
Brake boosters in these affected vehicles are possibly subject to a manufacturing error, leaving them prone to failure. The Part 573 Safety Recall Report said that the boosters could lose power after the diaphragm within them comes loose.

Exactly 33,803 vehicles are involved with this action, although the percentage of these thought to have the defect was not reported. The components came from the Georgia-based company Mando America Corporation…

Read the entire article on the Recall Masters website