Hyundai recalls over two lakh Sonata sedans due to faulty fuel hoses

Hyundai Motor has issued a recall for more than 215,000 sedans in the US because issues in the fuel hoses can cause leak in the engine compartment and ultimately lead to fires. The recall covers certain 2013 and 2014 Sonata sedans, many of which were recalled for the same problem back in 2020. In documents posted US safety regulators, the automaker mentioned that a low pressure fuel hose can crack over time due to heat from the engine, causing fuel leaks.

In the 2020 recall, Hyundai dealers inspected the hoses and replaced them if they were damaged. If not, heat-resistant tape was installed. However, this time, all of the faulty hoses will be replaced. Hyundai has received 38 reports of problems in the US, but there are no confirmed cases of crashes, fires or injuries.

The carmaker will start notifying the owners about the recall starting July 5. The latest recall comes after the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stepped up a series of investigations into engine compartment fires that have plagued Hyundai and its affiliate Kia.

In December, the safety agency consolidated two investigations from 2017 into a new engineering analysis covering more than three million vehicles from the 2011 through 2016 model years. At the time, NHTSA had received 161 complaints of engine fires, some of which occurred in vehicles that had already been recalled.

In a separate development, the company is working on establishing a new electric vehicle manufacturing plant in the US and has been in discussions to build a facility in Georgia, near its existing plants for the Hyundai and Kia brands, Reuters reported, citing sources. Details of the investment, including its projected cost and the number of jobs it would be expected to create, is not known at the moment.

(with inputs from AP)

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