Hyundai is recalling some of its most popular cars in cold weather areas of North America in order to fix front springs that could rust out.
The recall covers 14,800 cars in Canada (12,700 Elantras and 2,100 Sonatas), and 27,700 total cars in the “salt-belt” states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as Washington, D.C.
In those jurisdictions, the use of salt for cold-weather road surface management could lead to corrosion of the front coil springs, causing them to fracture. That could lead to tire punctures or other malfunctions that would cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash and subsequent injuries. Hyundai is aware of the problem but not of any injuries or incidents resulting from spring failures.
Affected are early-build mid-sized Sonatas and compact Elantras from the 2011 model year. Owners will start receiving notices in the mail around the end of November, asking them to return their cars to the nearest dealerships for inspection and replacement of the front coils.
Cars originally bought in the jurisdictions noted above, but which are now operating in other areas, may also be affected by the recall. Owners are urged to call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236 or to check the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) at www.safercar.gov.