The engine block was incorrectly machined and the right side output gear in the transmission and the intermediate driveshaft are being damaged.
Hyundai is recalling model year 2010 Santa Fe 2wd SUVs equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4-liter engines manufactured from October 15, 2009 through March 5, 2010.
The parts used in the driveline of the Sante Fe are identical to the ones recalled by Kia on the Sorento, which was recalled first. (See Kia Recalls Spectra and Sorento Models for Safety Defects)
This Kia and Hyundai recall was promoted by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into the sudden loss of power on 2011 Sorento 2wd vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4-liter engines when an intermediate driveshaft failed.
It turns out the engine block was incorrectly machined and the right side output gear in the transmission and the intermediate driveshaft are being damaged in use, leading first to noise and ultimately to failure.
Hyundai owners can call 1-800-633-5151. (Kia owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.) Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to 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.
