Auto and Auto Part Recalls in the United States
Automobile recalls and automobile part recalls are very common. An automobile manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can issue a recall when a safety issue or defect has been discovered.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues safety standards and requires manufacturers to recall vehicles and equipment that have safety-related defects. Consumers can report defects directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Database. If the agency receives enough complaints about the same product, this could indicate a safety-related issue and trigger an investigation. After the investigation is complete, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will either notify the manufacturer of recall recommendations or that no safety-related defects were found. If a defect has been found, the manufacturer is required to fix the problem by repairing, replacing, offering a refund or repurchasing a vehicle.
Hyundai Recall
In March of 2021, automobile manufacturer Hyundai recalled 95,000 of its Genesis Sedans due to a possible fire risk. Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand, recalled its G70 and G80 vehicles, the recall includes G80 sedans manufactured from 2015-2020 and the 2019-2021 models of the Genesis G70. The recalled vehicles pose a fire risk due to an electrical short in the anti-lock braking module. The fires can start while the vehicles are being driven as well as while they are parked.
Hyundai has reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that no crashes or injuries have been reported due to this defect but as of March 10, there were two reports of vehicle fires in the United States.
Owners of the recalled vehicles should park them away from structures in case of a fire starting while the vehicle is not in use. Owners could possibly see or smell smoke or may have the check engine or battery light illuminated on their dashboards before a fire starts.
In May, Hyundai will contact owners of the recalled vehicles to have their anti-lock braking module fused replaced and can also check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website to see if their vehicle has been affected. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 and reference campaign number 21V160000.
Hyundai has previously had issues with vehicles due to fire risks. In 2019, NHTSA launched an investigation into 2010–2015 Kia Soul, 2011–2014 Hyundai Sonata, Sonata hybrid, and Santa Fe and 2013–2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport after it received more than 3,000 reports of fires.
If you have questions about a case, contact a defective product lawyer like the professionals at Eglet Adams, for help.