Hyundai is working with the NHTSA to recall almost one million vehicles from 1999 through 2008 due to various suspension components that could fail. The general issue is that when these parts are exposed to road salt over several years, they could erode to the point of failure. Another part of the recall involves stop lamp switches that malfunction.
Though the corrosion issue is somewhat typical on non-premium vehicles in the snow belt areas of the country, Hyundai feels this is a major safety issue and is spending the resources to ensure that its customers are safe.
The list of vehicles and summary of issues is below.
2001-2003 Hyundai Santa Fe-The rear trailing arms could corrode internally, leading to deformation and the loss of structural rigidity of the arms, which could lead to a crash if the arms separates while driving.
1999-2004 Hyundai Sonata; 2001-2004 Hyundai XG300/XG350-The front sub-frame steel could corrode internally, which may lead to the forward mounting of the lower control arm to detach from the sub-frame. This may lead to a crash because the driver loses power to the wheels and the wheel may make contact with the fender or wheel well.
2001-2003 Hyundai Elantra; 2003 Hyundai Tiburon-Road salt can corrode and thin the steel in the front lower control arm. A perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the front and rear pivot attachments to the chassis. This may result in reduced control of the direction of the front wheel or wheels.
Several newer Hyundai's are part of the stop lamp switch recall, including:
2006-2007 Hyundai Accent, Entourage, and Sonata; 2007 Hyundai Azera, Elantra, and Santa Fe; 2005-2007 Hyundai Tucson; 2007-2008 Hyundai Veracruz
The recall for all of the above vehicles is a result of malfunctioning stop lamp switches which may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed, or remain lit when the pedal is released. It may also prevent the vehicle from being able to be shifted from Park, the Electronic Stability Control system to malfunction, and the cruise control may not deactivate when the brake pedal is depressed. These may all lead to a crash.
If your vehicle is mentioned above, get it to your nearest Hyundai dealership for free repairs ASAP. You may also call Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151 for assistance.
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