Hyundai announced their plans to go head-to-head with Toyota's Prius. (Photo : Reuters)
South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai recently issued a recall order covering more than 64,000 Hyundai Sonata. The recall order was imposed after the discovery of a problem with the cars' ABS warning lights.
According to Auto Blog, the problem originated from Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light that warns the driver in case of any ABS malfunction. In case that a malfunction strikes, the ABS warning lights will be illuminated. However, on the recalled cars, the warning lights do not illuminate.
The warning light issue means that the cars fail to comply with the requirements imposed by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135 that cover Light Vehicle Brake Systems.
According to Consumer Affairs, the issue with the ABS warning light may render drivers unaware of the malfunction. In some cases, the brakes may automatically lock up while braking, increasing the risk of accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration described the problem on its website posting, "If the driver is alerted there is a brake system malfunction, but not specifically with the ABS system, the driver may operate the vehicle unaware that the vehicle's brakes may lock up during hard braking, increasing the risk of a crash."
Hyundai will recall 64,744 Sonatas in the United States. Hyundai said that Sonatas with model year 2015 and 2016 will be affected. More specifically, Sonatas manufactured from May 28, 2014 to Aug. 21, 2015.
Hyundai will send out notifications to owners of affected vehicles. The company also said that they have already notified its dealers and will fix and update the ABS control unit software for free. Hyundai will start the recall on Dec. 11.
