As recently as the early to mid-2000s, the reputations of South Korean automaker Hyundai and its sister brand Kia were in virtually different galaxies from those of its other Asian rivals, such as Toyota and Honda.
In its first few years in the U.S. market, Hyundai cars were advertised as "cars that make sense," as they were priced relatively cheap compared to their Japanese contemporaries. Unfortunately, buyers got what they paid for, and ultimately, its reputation for quality, or the lack thereof, became a punchline for car enthusiasts.
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A pivotal scene in the 2006 film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift reflects this sentiment best. In the movie, the character played by actor Sung Kang handed over possession of a sports car to the movie's main protagonist as a display of approval, to his surprise.
"What you think? I'm gonna let you roll in a Hyundai?" Kang's character rhetorically asked.
However, while consistently good performance in quality surveys conducted by J.D. Power and Consumer Reports has indicated that Hyundai has turned itself around after years of intense hiccups, the automaker still faces some speed bumps today.
Hyundai
Hyundai's rearview
According to a new filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Hyundai is recalling more than 200,000 of its cars and SUVs in the U.S. due to an issue with its rearview cameras that can cause a safety hazard.
Hyundai
The agency says that the rearview cameras in about 226,118 2021 to 22 model-year Hyundai Santa Fe crossover SUVs and compact Elantra sedans can fail to display an image on the dashboard screen, which can pose a safety risk when backing up said cars.
As a result, the affected cars, including the 2021 to 2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV, and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV (plug-in hybrids), fail to comply with the requirements of the NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111.
This ruling, which has been in effect since May 2018, dictates that not only are rearview cameras required to be installed in all new cars sold in the U.S., but they must display an image within two seconds of being activated.
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In a document associated with the recall, Hyundai notes that it tested the rearview cameras from February to July this year after some drivers complained that the images produced by the cameras were "intermittent, distorted, or inoperative."
Subsequently, from July to October this year, further investigation found that the root cause of the problem was located within the camera's circuit board, as "the solder joints securing the integrated signal processor showed signs of damage occurring during manufacturing." The weakened solder joints caused the processor to become dislodged from the rest of the circuit board, which is made worse given the high temperatures at which the device itself operates.
Hyundai will notify affected owners via mail of this issue by January 19, 2025. They will be able to have their rearview cameras replaced with an updated version for free at their local Hyundai dealership. Additionally, the automaker is reimbursing owners who have already replaced their rearview cameras with new ones prior to the official recall.
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It is not the end of the [recall] road just yet
This recall for the faulty rearview cameras came just days after another recall that affected many other Hyundai vehicles.
On November 18, Hyundai and Kia recalled over 200,000 of their EVs due to an issue that could result in a loss of driving power and pose a safety hazard to drivers.
According to the NHTSA, the issue affects 145,235 units of the 2022 to 2024 model year IONIQ 5, 2023 to 2025 model year IONIQ 6, Genesis GV60, Genesis GV70 "Electrified" and 2023 to 2024 models of the Genesis G80 "Electrified" cars, as well as 62,872 units of the 2022 to 2024 models of the Kia EV6 hatchback.
Here, the Integrated Charging Control Unit's (ICCU) fuse is susceptible to failure. If it fails, the ICCU can stop charging the vehicle's 12-volt battery, resulting in a loss of power that can lead to a crash.
"The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) may become damaged over time from transient high voltage and thermal cycling," Kia told its dealers in a document. "A damaged ICCU may not be able to charge the 12-volt battery, which can discharge gradually while driving with progressive reductions of motive power."
"If the driver ignores the warnings associated with the discharging battery condition and continues to operate the vehicle in a reduced power mode, the vehicle may eventually experience a complete loss of drive power. A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash."
Affected Kia owners are expected to receive notifications in the mail starting on December 13 this year, while affected Hyundai and Genesis owners will receive theirs beginning on January 17, 2025.
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