With what seems like every eye on Toyota executives testifying about safety lapses, other automakers are upping the speed at which they handle defects. Hyundai briefly issued a stop sale on the all-new 2011 Sonata midsize sedan over a defective front door latch and a voluntary recall is under way.
According to the automaker, 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.
Basically, if the malfunction occurs, the door will not shut.
The new Sonata is the company’s most important model and is being marketed heavily, including numerous spots during this year’s Super Bowl.
Dealers have already fixed many of the 4,000 or so unsold cars, which are now back on sale after the company halted sales briefly to wait for new parts to arrive at dealers. Hyundai estimates that about 1,300 models have already been sold; those will be recalled and fixed.
If you have questions about your 2011 Sonata, contact Hyundai’s customer help line at 800-633-5151.
