Hyundai is recalling 883,000 Sonata mid- size sedans in the US to fix faulty gear shift levers.
Hyundai, one of the largest car makers around the world, is recalling its popular Sonata mid-size sedans to address risky gear shift levers that elevate the risk of accidents. The recall affects 883,000 vehicles in the US and Puerto Rico. It involves Sonata cars from model years 2011 to 2014, affecting the transmission-shift cable that could detach from the shift-lever pin and causing mismatched gear shifts, say the U.S. Safety regulators.
According to Reuters, the faulty gear shift lever may cause the vehicle to roll away even if the driver puts the transmission in park position. This could result in injuring the passengers, drivers or even the bystanders. The vehicle may not start due to the inability to shift into park position.
The recall follows several complaints from customers. The report filed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Hyundai received 1,171 warrant claims and seven other reports with similar gear shift problem. The car maker did not receive any reports of injuries or crashes.
Most of the affected vehicles, about 880,000 of them, were sold in the U.S. and the rest in Puerto Rico.
The report further adds that Hyundai is adding 5,650 2015 Sonata cars in a separate recall issued for the vehicles in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The faulty front-brake calipers are at risk of cracking in the secondary recall, which increases the danger of crash due to ineffective braking.
During the launch of all-new Hyundai Sonata in March, the car maker attracted some heat for its overstated mileage. The difference in mileage, which came to light during the government testing of the vehicle, was 28.4mpg instead of 29.6mph.
The Korean automaker will contact owners of the affected cars and repair the problem at no cost to the customers.
