In the early and mid-2000s, the reputations of South Korean automaker Hyundai and its sister brand Kia were in virtually different galaxies than their other Asian rivals, such as Toyota and Honda.
In their early years on the American market, Hyundai cars were advertised as “cars that made sense” as they were relatively cheaply priced compared to their Japanese contemporaries. Unfortunately, buyers got what they paid for and ultimately its reputation for quality, or lack thereof, became a joke to car enthusiasts.
Don't miss this amazing Black Friday move! Get 60% off TheStreet Pro. Act now before it's gone.
A pivotal scene from the 2006 film Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift best captures this sentiment. In the film, the character played by actor Sung Kang handed over possession of a sports car to the film's main protagonist as a sign of approval, much to his surprise.
“What do you think? I'll let you ride in a Hyundai?” Kang's character asked rhetorically.
However, while consistently good performance in quality surveys by JD Power and Consumer Reports has indicated that Hyundai has bounced back after years of intense setbacks, the automaker still faces some headwinds today.
hyundai
hyundai rearview mirror
According to a new filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Hyundai is recalling more than 200,000 of its cars and SUVs in the U.S. due to an issue with its rearview cameras that can cause a hazard. for security.
hyundai
The agency says rearview cameras in approximately 226,118 2021-22 Hyundai Santa Fe crossover SUVs and Elantra compact sedans may not display an image on the dashboard screen, which may pose a safety risk when reversing such cars. .
As a result, affected automobiles, including the 2021 through 2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV, and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV (plug-in hybrids), do not meet the requirements of the Federal NHTSA Act. Motor vehicle safety standard number 111.
This ruling, which has been in effect since May 2018, dictates that not only are rearview cameras required to be installed on all new cars sold in the U.S., but they must display an image within two seconds of being activated.
More automotive:
- Mazda's affordable EZ-6 EV starts below $20,000, but will it leave China?
- These Parents Avoid Uber for Waymo for a Built-in Safety Feature
- Struggling luxury sports car maker files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
in a document associated with the withdrawal, Hyundai says it tested rearview cameras from February to July of this year after some drivers complained that images produced by the cameras were “intermittent, distorted or inoperative.”
Later, from July to October of this year, further investigation found that the root cause of the problem was located within the camera's circuit board, as “the solder joints securing the integrated signal processor showed signs of damage.” occurred during manufacturing”. The weakened solder joints caused the processor to become detached from the rest of the circuit board, which is made worse given the high temperatures at which the device operates.
Hyundai will notify affected owners by mail about this issue by January 19, 2025. They will be able to replace their rearview cameras with an updated version for free at their local Hyundai dealer. Additionally, the automaker is refunding owners who already replaced their rearview cameras with new ones before the official recall.
Related: Hyundai and General Motors may team up to create an unusual but profitable car
It is not yet the end of the road (of retirement)
This recall for faulty rearview cameras came just days after another recall affecting numerous other Hyundai vehicles.
On November 18, Hyundai and Kia recalled more than 200,000 of their electric vehicles due to an issue that could cause a loss of driving power and pose a safety hazard to drivers.
According to NHTSA, the problem affects 145,235 units of the 2022 to 2024 IONIQ 5, 2023 to 2025 IONIQ 6, Genesis GV60, Genesis GV70 “Electrified” and 2023 to 2024 models of the Genesis G80 “Electrified” cars. as well as 62,872 units of the 2022 to 2024 models of the Kia EV6 hatchback.
In this case, the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) fuse is susceptible to failure. If it fails, the ICCU can stop charging the vehicle's 12-volt battery, causing a loss of power that can lead to an accident.
“The Integrated Charge Control Unit (ICCU) can become damaged over time due to high transient voltages and thermal cycling.” This was reported by Kia to its distributors in a document. “A damaged ICCU may not be able to charge the 12-volt battery, which can gradually discharge while driving with progressive reductions in motive force.”
“If the driver ignores the warnings associated with the battery discharge condition and continues to operate the vehicle in a reduced power mode, the vehicle may eventually experience a complete loss of motive power. A loss of motive power increases the risk of a accident”.
Affected Kia owners are expected to receive notifications by mail starting December 13 of this year, while affected Hyundai and Genesis owners will receive theirs starting January 17, 2025.
Related: Veteran Fund Manager Sees a World of Hurt for stocks
