Fountain Valley, CA – January 31, 2022 – The U.S. government auto safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is currently conducting an investigation to see if the remedy offered in this recall was adequate. Please bookmark this page and come back for any updates. You can find more information about why this is happening here or use our free vehicle lookup tool to see if your car is part of a recall.
Fountain Valley, CA – January 20, 2022 – Hyundai (OTCMKTS: HYMTF) Hyundai has remedied issues with 49,948 vehicles at risk of engine fire such as the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. Additionally, 4,773 vehicles have been deemed unreachable and another 11,039 vehicles have been removed from the Hyundai recall.
Fountain Valley, CA – December 16, 2020 – Hyundai (OTCMKTS: HYMTF) is recalling 128,948 cars because connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear down and cause engine damage, increasing the risk of stalls or fires. The recall includes:
- 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs
- 2011-2013 and 2016 Hyundai Sonata hybrid cars
- 2015-2016 Hyundai Veloster hatchbacks
Recall summary
The recall concerns the vehicles’ engine rod bearings, which help reduce friction between two moving parts in the engine. These cars’ bearings could become worn, which could damage the engine. The damage may even cause the engine rod to snap and the vehicle to stall.
Separately, engines in these recalled cars can catch fire after being punctured by the rod.
High rates of fires
The recall comes a week after NHTSA issued Hyundai a consent order requiring them to clean up their act in regards to safety, by developing better resources, tools, and practices for catching vehicle safety problems early. The consent order was the result of a three-year probe into Hyundai’s behavior regarding recalls of 2011 model year vehicles.
NHTSA is disciplining Hyundai for moving too slowly to recall vehicles with engine issues and high rates of fires, and for reporting inaccurate information to NHTSA regarding the recalls. According to the consent order, Hyundai must create a US safety office, develop better data analytics programs to detect safety issues, and build a new safety testing facility in the US.
Safety concerns
Stalling and fires are both significant safety issues. Owners of recalled cars should watch out for abnormal knocking noises from the engine, reduced engine power or hesitation, the check engine light, the oil pressure light, a burning smell, a visible oil leak, and smoke, which all may be signs of trouble with the rod bearings.
For tips on what to do if your vehicle catches fire, please see the following page.
Repair
This Hyundai engine recall is set to start in late January of next year. Dealers will inspect the engine for any damage to the rod bearings. If it is damaged, the whole engine will be replaced. Hyundai will also be installing a software update designed to detect engine issues.
Is your vehicle affected by this recall?
Nearly 130,000 cars are included in this Hyundai motors recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
