You probably don't think too much when you get in your car every day and drive to work, to the store, to the gym, or wherever you have to go—of course, it's easy to take for granted when your car is running smoothly. But when something goes wrong with your set of wheels, it can upend your day and even put you in danger. But the truth is, cars are recalled often, usually because something is amiss with the vehicle that could be dangerous for the driver and potentially others on the road. The latest recall includes more than half a million vehicles made by two popular car brands, but it has the potential to affect many other folks on the road. Read on to see if you're driving one of the recalled vehicles and to find out what you should do, if so.
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Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 550,000 cars because their turn signals aren't working properly.
On Sept. 30, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 550,000 cars in the U.S. with three models affects: 2015 to 2017 Hyundai Sonatas; 2016 to 2017 Hyundai Sonata hybrids; and 2015 to 2017 Kia Sedonas. Hyundai and Kia have recalled these cars "because the turn signals can flash in the opposite direction of what the driver intended," the AP reports.
According to the recall notice from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHSA), this issue seems to be because the car's software isn't properly interpreting signals. Both companies say they haven't received any reports of crashes or injuries linked to the issue, but the recall notice posted by the NHSA does state: "A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of crash."
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Notices to the drivers of these cars won't go out until November.
Although the recall is immediate and the issue is in urgent need of fixing, the retailers won't be sending out letters notifying owners for more than a month. According to the AP, Kia will start mailing notification letters to customers on Nov. 12, and Hyundai will begin sending theirs out a week later on Nov. 19.
However, you can check now to see if your vehicle has been recalled by going to the NHTSA website and plugging in your car's 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN), according to Consumer Reports.
If you have any of these recalled cars, take it to the dealership immediately, and they will update your software at no cost to ensure that you're safe on the road.
Kia owners can also contact customer service at 800-333-4542 for more information, while Hyundai drivers should call 855-371-9460.
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The National Highway Safety Administration first received reports of the issue in May.
According to a timeline posted the NHTSA, the agency's Office of Defects Investigation reached out to Kia about potential signal malfunctions in May. Kia, which is owned by Hyundai, conducted investigations from June through September and decided on Sept. 10 to issue a safety recall to address the signal problem.
As for Hyundai, they've been investigating the issue since August 2020 and began looking into it with Kia in the summer of 2021. On Sept. 17, the company met with the North American Safety Decision Authority and decided to issue a recall.
Hyundai and Kia have recently recalled other vehicles.
This isn't the only recall Hyundai and Kia have had in the past few months, nor is it the most serious. Just a couple of days ago, on Sept. 28, Hyundai recalled more than 400,000 vehicles due to fire risk, including the 2017 Tucson and Sonata hybrids and 2013 to 2015 Santa Fe Sport SUVs.
In May, Kia recalled more than 440,000 vehicles because there was also a problem that could cause engine fires. The affected cars included 2013 to 2015 Optima sedans and 2014 to 2015 Sorento SUVs.
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