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 – October 15, 2021 – Hyundai (OTCMKTS:HYMTF) has announced its fifth recall this year due to the risk of fire. This recall includes 95,515 cars and is caused by “premature wear” of engine components.

Affected vehicles include: 

• 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
• 2017 Hyundai Tucson

Recall summary  

Connection rods are engine components which help reduce friction between moving parts in the engine. In affected vehicles, these bearings may suffer from “premature wear,” which may cause the engine to stall while driving. In addition, the connection rod can snap and pierce the engine, which results in oil leaks that may cause fire. 

All vehicles that are part of this Hyundai recall have a 2.0-liter “Nu” GDI engine made in their plant in Ulsan, South Korea, between May 12, 2016 and December 27, 2017. 

Warning signs

Warning signs include a metallic knocking sound and “hesitation” when accelerating. These may be accompanied by illuminated “oil pressure” and “check engine” warning lights on the dashboard, as well as “burning smell, oil leak or smoke.”

To prevent any further damage, the driver should stop the vehicle at the first safe spot and turn off the engine.

Recall risks

Stalling can lead to dangerous situations, especially if it happens in high-speed or dense traffic. A fire inside the engine compartment that occurs while driving has a wide range of potential hazards. Besides the risk of collision, stopping and leaving the vehicle in time may not be possible, which could result in injury or death. There is also a risk of property damage, as the burning vehicle may damage surrounding structures and vehicles.

For tips on what to do in the event of a fire, please refer to the following page.

Other Hyundai recalls

This recall is the newest addition to a long list of fire-related recalls that have been affecting Hyundai and Kia vehicles and is a result of an ongoing investigation into “non-collision” fires by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Among recent recalls is a Hyundai Sonata recall that happened in December  and was caused by connection rod bearings issues nearly identical to this one. In January, there was another Hyundai Tucson recall concerning fire risk, although that one was caused by a leaking ABS module. 

The repair

Dealers will address this problem by inspecting the engine for signs of rod bearing damage and replacing the whole engine if needed. In addition, they will update the control software with one that would detect if engines start producing any unusual vibrations. Notifications about the repair will be  sent to vehicle owners on November 12, 2021.  

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

This Hyundai recall includes more than 95,000 vehicles. To check for this and other recalls, use  MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.