Hyundai, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and 3 Other Companies to Recall About 490,000 Vehicles Due to Manufacturing Defects

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that a total of 493,152 vehicles across 35 models manufactured or imported and sold by Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, Tesla Korea, Mercedes-Benz Korea, Volkswagen Group Korea, and Pylain Motors have been found to have manufacturing defects and will be subject to voluntary corrective actions (recalls).

A total of 177,681 vehicles across 2 models, including the Sportage, manufactured and sold by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, were found to have a potential fire risk due to an internal short circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU).

For 162,918 vehicles across 6 models, including the Sorento, a software design error related to the safety mode of the transmission control unit was identified, which could cause the transmission not to shift if the transmission oil pump fails, potentially leading to accidents. Additionally, 96,363 vehicles across 5 models, including the Santa Fe, were found to have a defect in the internal component (gas generator) of the front seatbelt adjuster, which could cause the component to detach during a collision and potentially injure rear seat passengers.

A total of 43,582 vehicles across 2 models, including the Model 3, imported and sold by Tesla Korea (including pre-sale vehicles), were found to have a safety standard non-compliance issue due to a software error in the power window system. When the window glass closes and encounters an obstacle, it may not return to the previous position or may not open fully. The importer will first conduct a voluntary recall, and depending on the correction rate, a fine will be imposed later.

A total of 9,439 vehicles across 10 models, including the GLE 450 4MATIC, imported and sold by Mercedes-Benz Korea, were found to have a defect in the fixing of the rear door window frame (trim bar), which could detach from the vehicle body while driving and pose a safety hazard to following vehicles.

A total of 1,243 vehicles across 3 models, including the Touareg 3.0 TDI, imported and sold by Volkswagen Group Korea (including pre-sale vehicles), were found to have a safety standard non-compliance issue due to the absence of an electric auxiliary heater in the front windshield defrosting system, resulting in inadequate frost removal.

A total of 82 Hypers 11L electric buses imported and sold by Pylain Motors were found, according to the self-certification conformity investigation by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority's Automotive Safety Research Institute, to have a manual door opening device installed in a location that does not comply with safety standards.

Regarding this defect correction, each manufacturer will notify vehicle owners of the correction method via mail and mobile text messages. If a vehicle owner repairs the defect at their own expense before the recall, they can apply for reimbursement of the repair costs from the manufacturer.

The Ministry operates an Automotive Recall Center that collects and analyzes information on vehicle manufacturing defects. By entering the vehicle number and chassis number on the website, owners can check at any time whether their vehicle is subject to a recall and view detailed information about the manufacturing defects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.