Hyundai announces big Sonata, Azera recall to fix rust problem
Hyundai is recalling about 239,000 Sonata and Azera sedans because the rear suspensions in the cars can rust and fail.
The South Korean automaker also will recall 20,300 Santa Fe Sport SUVs from the 2013 model year because a manufacturing flaw could cause the right front axle shaft to fracture.
The first recall includes 2006-2010 model year Sonatas and 2006-2011 Azera vehicles.
Hyundai is focusing on cars originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
It said road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember – a portion of the vehicle’s frame - leading to corrosion and the possible detachment of one of the rear control arms. That would suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched a probe into corrosion issues in March after hearing complaints that the rear suspension frames on some Sonatas can rust and fail.
In documents on its website, the NHTSA said it had received six complaints of suspension failures. Three of the cases involved failures at highway speeds, but no crashes or injuries were reported.
In one case, the owner of a 2006 Sonata reported a loss of control in the rear wheels, which triggered the car’s electronic stability control system.
Hyundai will ask owners of the vehicles to take the cars back to dealers for repairs. Hyundai customers with questions can contact the automaker at (734) 337-9499.
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