
The unidentified supplier of the defective part had been changed.
The latest Hyundai recall affects more than 200,000 Veracruz and Santa Fe SUVs because of a defective part that can make the driver airbag fail in a crash. Hyundai Veracruz SUVs manufactured from December 26, 2006, through March 21, 2008, and model year 2007-2008 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from April 19, 2006 through March 20, 2008 are covered by the airbag recall.
The recall appears to have been prompted by a request for an explanation about a high number of Hyundai warranty claims in data looked at by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In a subsequent filing with NHTSA, which was the Hyundai response, Hyundai said a clock spring contact assembly for the driver’s air bag supplemental restraint system may become damaged through usage over time. The driver’s air bag electrical circuit will then experience a high resistance problem, potentially causing the driver’s air bag to not deploy. Hyundai said it would recall the vehicles, and that the unidentified supplier of the defective component had been changed.
Hyundai dealers will replace the vehicle’s driver’s air bag clock spring contact assembly as necessary free of charge as is required by law – if the airbag warning light is on. Hyundai is also putting in effect a lifetime warranty on the vehicles. Critics maintain that this potentially leaves unsafe vehicles on the road.
Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Connect Center at 1-800-633-5151 about Hyundai safety recall campaign number 103. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to the web at http://www.safercar.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.