Hyundai Engine Recall Affects 130,000 Vehicles

A new Hyundai engine recall has been issued over stalling and engine fires.

In early December, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Kia Motors America announced a recall of approximately 130,000 vehicles in connection with a vehicle defect involving engine failures. ABC News reported that the recall is connected to a 2019 investigation by the NHTSA following 3,100 engine fires, 103 injuries, and one death.

According to Hyundai, bearings on the affected vehicles’ connecting rods can wear out – causing the rods to puncture the engine. The defect could also cause engine stalls, or worse, vehicles’ oil leaking onto hot surfaces within the engine compartment, increasing the risk of an engine fire.

Warning signs of this engine failure may include abnormal knocking sounds from the engine area along with illuminated warning lights on the vehicle dashboard.

Hyundai Engine Recall: Included Vehicles

The recently announced Hyundai engine recall includes the following vehicles:

• 2012 Santa Fe SUVs
• 2015-2016 Veloster cars
• 2011, 2013-2016 Sonata Hybrids

These vehicles are reportedly equipped with 2.4-liter, 2-liter, or 1.6-liter engines. On Hyundai’s website, consumers can enter their vehicle VIN to see if their vehicle is affected by any recalls.

Recall notifications are scheduled to be sent to vehicle owners around Jan. 22. Owners can then take their vehicle to a local dealer for inspection. If bearings in the engines are damaged, the dealership will replace them. Additionally, all vehicles will be equipped with a knock sensor system. This is designed to monitor the engine for early symptoms of engine failure.

Safety Recall

Although the idea of a car engine catching fire is a driver’s worst nightmare, this is not the first time vehicles have been recalled over concerns about engine fires.

In September, Hyundai and Kia announced another recall of more than 600,000 vehicles due to concerns that leaking brake fluid could cause engine failure. The automakers recalled another 295,000 vehicles over concerns about engine compartment fires.

The Hyundai engine recall was announced just weeks after the NHTSA hit the company with $137 million in fines. According to the regulator, Hyundai and parent company Kia failed to initiate timely recalls of more than 1 million vehicles equipped with Theta II engines.

The $140 million in fines against Hyundai include an upfront payment of $54 million and an obligation that the automaker spend an additional $40 million to improve its vehicle safety performance measures. If certain conditions are not met, Hyundai may be on the hook for an additional $46 million deferred penalty.

Kia must pay a $70 million penalty that includes a $27 million upfront payment, and $16 million in safety improvements. Like Hyundai, Kia will be ordered to pay an additional $27 million if it fails to meet certain conditions.

Together, the companies are facing $210 million in civil penalties.

Additionally, Hyundai and Kia are bound by three-year and two-year consent orders, respectively. Under these orders, each is required to retain an independent safety auditor who will report to the NHTSA on the companies’ safety practices and compliance.

“Safety is NHTSA’s top priority,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said in a news release. “It’s critical that manufacturers appropriately recognize the urgency of their safety recall responsibilities and provide timely and candid information to the agency about all safety issues.”

Although NHTSA actions such as penalties and consent orders require automotive companies to improve safety measures, consumers affected by vehicle safety recalls may still be able to take legal action.