As Minnesota residents may know, Hyundai has recalled almost 205,000 Elantras for power steering problems. The National Highway Safety Administration announced the recall that includes four-door models manufactured from the beginning of June 2008 to the end of April 2010 and touring hatchbacks manufactured from the beginning of November 2009 through the end of April 2010.
According to the manufacturer, the problem lies in the automatic steering, which can suddenly revert to manual, making it more difficult to control the vehicle, especially at lower speeds. Hyundai estimates that about 3 percent of the vehicles may be affected.
Hyundai states in the report that the electronic power steering system may read a problem with the torque circuitry and revert the steering to manual when a diagnostic code automatically shuts off the power steering. While switching the motor off and back on again usually turns the power steering back on, the sudden switch to manual steering may increase the risk of an accident, according to Hyundai.
The Hyundai recall is the latest in a number of automobile recalls by different manufacturers. In 2014, almost 64 million motor vehicles were recalled for safety concerns, which is more that the total number of recalls made in the past three years. The latest recalls include vehicles manufactured by Fiat Chrysler, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz.
Auto manufacturers have a duty to provide vehicles that are free of automotive defects that may cause accidents or present a danger to the driver and his or her passengers. If an individual has been injured in an accident due to a defect, it may result in medical bills, lost time from work and other expenses. An attorney may assist by investigating accident reports and recalls to prepare a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer to recover damages.
Source: PBS, “Hyundai recalls 200k cars due to power steering defects,” Triana Kalmanoff, March 1, 2015