Carmakers the world over have learned to take the better part of prudence over valor. Rather than be sorry and pay millions of dollars in claims, they have become more proactive when it comes to the safety of their vehicles.
South Korean carmaker Hyundai Corporation is the latest to have joined the bandwagon of safety-conscious automakers as it has decided to recall on February 28 a total of 204,768 of its Elantra sedans due to power steering defect.
Hyundai filed the recall order with the US auto safety regulators and cited that the power steering problem on the Hyundai Elantra can cause the car to suddenly revert to manual steering.
While it is not too dangerous per se, the sudden change in the maneuverability of the steering wheel might surprise the driver and may cause unnecessary accidents, which is what Hyundai wants to address with its recall order.
In the same report, Hyundai said that steering control can still be maintained even when the vehicle reverts to manual steering mode but when that happens, it would require greater effort on the driver particularly in low speeds which could then increase the risk of crash.
Affected models
Hyundai said that its recall order affects the four-door Elantra sedans that the South Korean carmaker manufactured from June 1, 2008 to April 30, 2010, as well as the 2009-10 variant of the Elantra Touring hatchback.
The carmakers’ report is actually posted on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, points out Reuters.
The total number of Hyundai Elantras being recalled is only 3% of the total number of Elantra sedans that are now out in the market in the US.
Hyundai has started manufacturing the compact car Elantra beginning in 1990 and the current model of the sedan is actually the fifth generation already. Those that are covered by the recall order belongs to the fourth generation of Hyundai Elantras that were manufactured from 2006 to 2010.
Safety is most important
The Elantra was initially marketed as the Lantra in Australia and some European markets. But Mitsubishi questioned the name of the Hyundai sedan because it was also producing the Mitsubishi Magna Elante model resulting to disagreement between the two automakers. Hyundai later on changed the name to Elantra and has since become the model’s name worldwide since 2001.
Hyundai said that while it is aware that the loss of power steering assist is not considered a safety defect in the US for as long as the manual steering is maintained, the carmaker said that it is still conducting the campaign as a safety recall so that it will remain consistent and relevant to current trends in the motoring industry.
The carmaker did not report whether there had been any reported incidents or accidents involving those Hyundai Elantras affected by the safety recall.