DETROIT (AP) – Hyundai is recalling nearly a half-million midsize cars in the U.S. to replace key engine parts because a manufacturing problem could cause them to fail.
The recall covers 470,000 Sonata sedans from the 2011 and 2012 model years equipped with 2-liter or 2.4-liter gasoline engines. At the time, the Sonata was Hyundai’s top-selling vehicle in the U.S.
The company also is recalling nearly 100,000 Accent small cars because the brake lights can fail.
In documents on the Sonata recall posted Friday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Hyundai says that metal debris may not have been fully removed from the crankshaft area during manufacturing at Hyundai’s Alabama engine plant. That can restrict oil flow to the connecting rod bearings, and since they are cooled by oil, they could fail. If that happens, the engines could stall and cause a crash.
So far, Hyundai said it has no reports of crashes or injuries from the problem. The company says in documents that a worn connecting rod bearing will make a cyclical knocking noise, and it also could cause the oil pressure warning light to illuminate. Continued driving with the problem can cause the bearing to fail and engine stalling.