Hyundai announces recall of roughly 200,000 Sante Fe, Veracruz models

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association announced earlier in the week more than 300,000 vehicles manufactured by Honda were being recalled. A manufacturing defect in the company's Pilot sport utility vehicle models was cited as the cause, prompting the safety warning.

The NHTSA announced on Friday yet another large-scale recall, though Honda was not implicated. Seoul, South Korea-based Hyundai was cited by the federal regulatory agency. Two of the company's popular vehicle models were found to have potential issues stemming from faulty air bag systems, the NHTSA said.

Hyundai is recalling its 2007 to 2008 model year Sante Fe and Veracruz vehicles. Company officials asserted roughly 205,000 vehicles would be affected by the recall, which was spurred by a defective air bag system implemented in the company's popular models.

Engineers said a clock spring contact assembly for the passenger side air bag system could potentially become damaged over time through usage. If the clock spring develops high resistance, the air bags in the vehicles could potentially not deploy in the event of an actual accident, the NHTSA concluded in a safety report.
*Editor's Note, an individual contacted us and informed us that this statement may not be correct.
The driver's side air bag would primarily be affected by the gradual degradation of the critical safety system. Sante Fe models affected by the recall were manufactured from April 16, 2006, through March 20, 2008. Affected Veracruz models were manufactured between December 26, 2006, and March 21, 2008, according to NHTSA data.

Hyundai has cooperated with the government through the newly issued recall. The company, which has experienced significant sales growth in the U.S. over the past few years, asserted consumers who owned either of the affected vehicle models should bring their cars into local Hyundai dealerships.

Hyundai officials said local dealers would replace the vehicle's driver's air bag clock spring contact assembly at no cost to the car's owner. The safety recall has already taken effect, and owners who believe they own one of the potentially affected vehicles should contact a Hyundai dealer to ensure their vehicle is safe, experts said.

Hyundai has successfully overhauled its business model over the past decade, and has gained a sizeable market share in the U.S. The company announced earlier in the month its U.S. auto sales jumped 9 percent in August, compared to the same period in 2010, according to The Detroit News.