Fountain Valley, CA — November 2, 2015 — Starting November 30, Hyundai Motor America is expected to recall as many as 27,700 vehicles produced between 2009 and 2011. According to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recalls apply to Elantra and Sonata models and are registered in 21 different states, including the District of Columbia. Front coil springs in these vehicles could be subject to fracture.
This not only poses a risk to the suspension itself, but to the tires that come into contact with it an get punctured. The condition is especially problematic in the winter, when excessive road salt can weaken the spring, and could play the biggest factor in the “salt belt” states spanning the east coast and stretching over into the upper Midwest as far as Iowa. However, the defect is not limited to this time of year: the first notifications of the problem appeared in June, when multiple complaints emerged connected to the Sonatas.
Dealers will fix the issue by replacing front coil springs without charge. The chronology of this recall, also published by the NHTSA, describes the efforts the manufacturer has made in recent months. The document also notes that previous tests determined a driver could still stay stable in a vehicle suffering this condition, although this did not deter the final Hyundai recalls.
“On September 30, 2015 Hyundai made the determination to proceed with a safety recall campaign, even though there have been no accidents or injuries, or reports of significant loss of vehicle stability or control,” the chronology reads.
