Hyundai has announced the recall of nearly 140,000 Sonatas almost a month after the United States’ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started a preliminary investigation on the car’s steering system.
In the report filed with the NHTSA, Hyundai said, "The steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections may have been either improperly assembled or insufficiently tightened." This could result in "a complete separation or compromised attachment of the connections, such that the driver could experience a loss of, or reduction in, steering capability increasing the risk of a crash."
Hyundai said 139,500 units manufactured between December 11, 2009, and September 10, 2010, are affected by the recall.
Hyundai will inspect the steering assembly of recalled vehicles, re-torque, it if necessary, and update the power steering surface. Services for recalled vehicles are free of charge.
Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of the Korean brand in the Philippines, is still confirming if there is a need to recall locally sold Sonata units.
HARI public relations manager Raphael Ryan Batuigas earlier said the Sonatas sold in the United States are equipped with an electric power steering system which is different from the hydraulic-assisted power steering system used in the Sonatas sold in the Philippines.
