Hyundai, Kia recall 1.2 million vehicles over 4-cylinder engine issue

(April 8, 2017) Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors will recall as many as 1.2 million sedans and crossovers to inspect and replace if necessary four-cylinder engines that may stall, it was announced Friday by the two South Korean companies.

Manufacturing errors in Hyundai's 2.0- and 2.4-liter "Theta" four-cylinder engines, which both companies use in their vehicles, could cause engine bearings to wear prematurely and lead to an engine stall, according to recall notices posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website Friday.

"Hyundai will stand behind the cars and we're going out of our way to make sure our customers are happy," said Hyundai Motor America spokesman Miles Johnson.

Dealers will inspect and replace the engines if necessary, he said. Johnson said no crashes related to the problem had been reported, and characterized the recall as a customer satisfaction effort.

The U.S. recall covers about 572,000 Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles from the 2013-14 model years made at Hyundai's plant in Montgomery, Ala. About 618,000 Kias are affected, including Optima midsize sedans from model years 2011-14, Sorento crossovers from 2012-14, and Sportage crossovers from 2011-13. All of the affected vehicles are equipped with the four-cylinder "Theta" engine.

Source: Automotive News