jruhi4

As reported on Autoblog:

BREAKING: Hyundai issues stop-sale on 2011 Sonata over possible door latch malfunction
by Chris Paukert

With the first units of its 2011 Sonata sedan having just begun hitting dealers, Hyundai is in the unfortunate position of having to issue a stop-sale on its most hotly anticipated new model in some time. According to Hyundai, an estimated 5,000 Sonatas may have a defective front door latch that could require replacement:

The [Sonata's] front doors incorporate a convenience feature that allows a locked door to be unlocked and opened by pulling the inside door release handle without first unlocking the door with the inside door lock switch. If a front inside door lock switch is held in the locked position while the inside door handle is pulled to open the door, the door latch may malfunction. If this occurs, the inside door handle will not return to its normal, stowed position and the door latch will remain in the unlatched position when attempting to close the door.

Because the two rear doors do not incorporate the automatic unlock pull-handle-to-open convenience feature, they are not affected by this issue, but both driver and passenger front door mechanisms could be in need of repair. Spokesperson Miles Johnson tells Autoblog that Hyundai will be working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall vehicles that are already in customer hands (roughly 1,300 units have been sold since the first examples hit dealerships over the past couple of weeks), and the company will begin shipping replacement latches to its 790 dealers tomorrow in order to fix both customer and dealer stock Sonatas as soon as possible. Once the new latches are installed (a process that Johnson says takes about an hour per vehicle), the stop sale will be ended.

Johnson also acknowledged that Hyundai is keenly aware that the eyes of the media, public, and Capitol Hill are on Toyota and NHTSA at this time, and the company hopes to effect a swift and complete fix for this door latch issue on a model range that is expected to remain the company's volume leader.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/23/b...over-possible/

LexFather

Lol........

RXSF

har har, jkjk. at least it was anything that life threatening.

IS-SV

Good thing they caught that somewhat quickly.

LexBob2

A good time to catch a problem like this before too many cars are sold. I believe there was a stop sale on the new LaCrosse to fix some glitches in the electronics.

mmarshall

Very interesting. I just reviewed a new Sonata yesterday. I was unaware of that feature...(and, of course, didn't try it)....it wasn't publicized in the car's literature.


But what is even MORE intresting is how this feature ever got on the front doors of a new American-spec car (again) to start with. Decades ago, in 1966, a Motor-Vehicle-Safety law went into effect that mandated what were called "non-overriding" inside door locks.....meaning that the door-lock switch had to block the inside door handle until the switch was unlocked. In those days, of course, most non-luxury cars had manual door locks, not power like today. The law was primarily aimed at back seats, to make it more difficult for kids to accidentally open the doors while the car was moving. Later on, the little "kiddie-tabs" on the door-edges locked the doors permanently from the outside, so the kids couldn't get out at all from the inside until they were released.

Perhaps, in the meantime, parts of that law may (?) have been relaxed to allow overriding inside handles on the front doors.

mmarshall

Yes...the LaCrosse introduction was held up for a couple of months because of this.....when the competing Ford Taurus was already on sale. It involved something about the dash lights all going haywire when the front doors were open and closed, but I don't know the details.

chrisyano

I didn't read the linked article, but wouldn't such a feature allow for the door to be opened from the inside while the car is moving, even if it's locked? There doesn't seem to be any mention of a safety feature that overrides this when the car is moving/running.

And don't most cars automatically unlock the doors when the engine is turned off, thereby eliminating the need for this feature?

TRDFantasy

Wow, why am I not surprised?

Karma is starting to catch up with Hyundai.

It also amuses me just how closely Hyundai is emulating and mirroring Toyota at this point. Imitation will only get you so far.

Blackraven

Hehe no car is perfect. It follows a simple logical formula:
Cars are made by human -> human beings are not perfect: Therefore cars are not perfect (in absolute terms)

P.S.
In any case, I do have a question:
Are the new YF Sonata cars sold in America manufactured in Ulsan, Korea......or are these made in Stateside (possibly in Montgomery, Alabama)?

GFerg

Considering the Toyota/Government fiasco, its a good move by Hyundai. Take no chances with the government. No other automaker wants that drama.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

if you examine ANYTHING enough you'll find defects.

Fizzboy7

GM goes through this type of thing all year long. Yet when Toyota has a problem, people don't expect it and go haywire.
As for Hyundai, I am kind of not surprised since they spit out new products so fast. My dad's new Veracruz already has a burned out brake light. It reminds me of the '03-'05 Camry, where the majority have burned out lights.

madoka

So for the problem to manifest, you have to hold down the door lock while simultaneously opening the door?

Frankly, if you are stupid enough to try to attempt this, you've got bigger problems in your life than the door locks in your Hyundai.

LexBob2

Exactly. And by doing something like this right now an automaker can stay under the radar and not get too much attention.