By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
Hyundai Motor will recall about 46,000 of its new Sonata sedans here and another 1,300 in the United States after the cars were discovered to have defective door locks, company officials said Wednesday.
The recall comes at an unfortunate time for Korea's largest carmaker, which hopes to avoid a Toyota-like public relations disaster amid increasing scrutiny over vehicle malfunctions.
Safety concerns have forced the Japanese auto giant to recall about 8.5 million cars worldwide and its President Akio Toyoda is set to testify before the U.S. Congress over the issue.
Hyundai will report the decision to Korea's Ministry of Land Transport and Maritime Affairs and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the next few days and announce a voluntary recall in both countries sometime in March.
According to Hyundai, the hinge on the front doors of the 2011 Sonata sedans could get stuck and prevent the door from closing when a passenger pulls down the door latch and holds down the lock at the same time.
The problem involves about 46,000 cars made in Korea prior to Dec. 6 and more than 5,000 cars produced by the company's Alabama factory before Feb. 16, of which 1,300 have already been sold to U.S. drivers.
The glitch was first discovered by a U.S. Hyundai employee and confirmed in two of the vehicles produced by the Alabama factory, company officials said.
"The same problem hasn't been found or reported in the Sonatas sold in Korea, but since we used the same component that caused the problem before it was replaced, we decided on a quick recall," a Hyundai spokesman said.
"Of the 3,700 cars produced by the Alabama factory through mid-February that remain unsold in the U.S., we will fix the doors by replacing the problematic parts with new ones and put them back on sale. No problems have been found in cars manufactured after mid-February."
The recall is obviously a letdown for Hyundai, as the first 2011 Sonata sedans, the company's most anticipated product in years, have just started reaching U.S. dealers.
The car, named YF Sonata here, has been the top-selling vehicle in Korea since its release last October.
The new Sonatas have been garnering generally positive reviews in the U.S., with several media outlets rating the cars highly for its design, fuel efficiency and smooth driving.
According to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, there were 123 consumer complaints involving the new Sonatas issued in the last three months.
The agency said that 49 of the complaints were related to the gearbox or other electrical issues, 45 involved the wheels and other driving problems, while 11 were related to engine problems.
Hyundai’s strength in affordable, fuel-efficient cars allowed it to be one of the few major automakers to weather the global economic crisis and finish 2009 on a high note.
The company particularly benefited from an improved reputation in the U.S. market, where sales rose more than 8 percent last year.
thkim@koreatimes.co.kr
