(September 26, 2010)  Hyundai will recall about 139,500 of its popular mid-sized 2011 Sonata sedans in the U.S. because of steering issues that could result in a loss of or reduction in maneuvering capability, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

The Sonatas manufactured between Dec. 11, 2009, and Sept. 10, 2010, are subject to the recall, the agency said in a statement on its Web site. Hyundai informed the agency it is voluntarily initiating a safety recall to inspect the steering issues, Hyundai said in an e-mailed statement early today.

Regulators began probing the Sonata's steering in late August.

The recall comes amid increased attention among automakers to quality problems after Toyota recalled more than 13 million vehicles in the past year for a variety of problems, including unintended acceleration.

Hyundai Motor said there were fewer than 10 vehicles with the steering issues and no accidents or injuries have occurred as a result of this condition.

The automaker, based in Seoul, is expected to begin the recall in October, according to the U.S. agency, which opened a preliminary probe into steering issues on the model in August.