Hyundai announces voluntary recall

By Liam Orlita

Hyundai Motor announced a voluntary recall of more than 47,000 Sonata sedans due to front door latch problems.

The news out of Seoul, South Korea on Wednesday indicates the decision is at least partly due to customer complaints.

The Associated Press is reporting the automaker identified a mechanical problem related to the latches that prevents proper closing in certain circumstances.

There is no indication if this voluntary recall will affect Hyundai Canada. The Canadian subsidiary has yet to release a statement on its website.

Hyundai was quick to point out the recall was not required by regulators.
 
Roughly 46,000 of the affected models were made in South Korea. Another 1,300 others were manufactured at Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama facility.

“To avoid a possible occurrence of the problem, Hyundai has been applying modified parts to some of its Korean and U.S. production models,” Hyundai said in a statement to news agencies.

The company plans to inform U.S. and South Korean authorities of the recall this week and start making the repairs next month.

Hyundai’s recall woes come as representatives of Toyota meet with U.S. regulators to discuss what caused the largest recall in the Japanese automaker’s history. For more information on the U.S. Congressional hearings with Toyota, click here.

- with files from The Associated Press