Slapped with fine worth millions, Hyundai recalls more vehicles in this country

Hyundai Motor Company has recalled around 130,000 cars in the United States for a possible fault in the engine. This is the latest recall after a string of such recalls in the face of mounting pressure from the country's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which had previously hit the Korean car maker with a fine of 210 million for delay in recalling as many as 1.6 million suspect cars.

According to a new report in the Associated Press, Hyundai's latest recall covers 2021 Santa Fe SUVs, 2015 and 2016 Veloster, 2011 to 2013 and 2016 Sonata hybrid vehicles. The vehicles have 2.4-liter, 2-liter or 1.6-liter engines.

It is reported that the suspected defect pertains to a situation wherein the connecting rod bearings deteriorate in condition, eventually leading to the engine possibly failing. This is because an affected connecting rod could potentially damage the engine block. In the worst-case scenario, it could also lead to oil leaking on the heated engine, resulting in fire.

Owners of vehicles which may have this defect will begin getting communications from January 22 and the dealers have been tasked to inspect the problem and replace the necessary parts, if deemed faulty.

Hyundai and affiliated Korean automaker Kia have been under scrutiny from government agencies in the US for failing to check on possible faults in some of their cars. It is reported that over eight million vehicles over the past five years have had some issue or the other. "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," NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens had previously said.

On its part, Hyundai has assured speedy solutions for any and all potential problems. "We are taking immediate action to enhance our response to potential safety concerns," Brian Latouf, chief safety officer, Hyundai Motor North America,