SEOUL — Hyundai Motor, Kia, and two other automakers will recall more than 530,000 vehicles in South Korea to address a range of defective components, the country’s transport ministry said Wednesday.
The four companies — Hyundai Motor, Kia, KG Mobility Corp., and Toyota Motor Korea — will recall a combined 532,144 vehicles across 17 models.
Hyundai Motor accounts for the largest share, recalling 239,683 vehicles across four models, including the Santa Fe SUV, due to a seat belt defect that could fail to properly protect passengers in a crash. The company will also recall 202 units of its Elec City commercial bus over potential structural cracks in the upper body frame.
Kia will recall 220,059 units of its Ray compact vehicle because of a software issue that could cause the engine to shut down.
KG Mobility plans to recall 51,535 vehicles across six models, including the Torres SUV, due to a software memory overload that could cause the instrument panel display to freeze or shut off.
Toyota Motor Korea will recall 2,132 vehicles across three models, including the Prius 2WD, due to a faulty rear door handle that could allow the door to open while the vehicle is in motion.
The latest recalls follow a similar action earlier this year. In February, Hyundai Motor, Kia, and BMW Korea recalled a combined 107,158 vehicles across 37 models over manufacturing defects that posed potential fire risks.
As part of that earlier recall, Hyundai addressed 37,690 vehicles, including the Kona Electric, over a battery management system software issue that could hinder early detection of fire hazards. Kia recalled 1,590 units of the Niro electric vehicle for the same issue.
BMW Korea, meanwhile, recalled 67,878 vehicles across 32 models, including the 520i and 320i, due to defective starter motor components that could lead to fires. (Source: IANS)
