Over 600,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles are being recalled over trunk latches that are defective, news outlets report, exposing children to potential safety risks. The issue, which is considered a safety hazard by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), impacts the 2016 through 2018 Kia Forte, Hyundai Sonata, and Sonata Hybrid, the 2018 and 2019 Kia Rio, the 2018 through 2020 Hyundai Accent, and the 2016 and 2017 Hyundai Azera models.
According to the firm, the latch that maintains the trunk in place can fail, causing the trunk to lock shut. Because children will sometimes trap themselves inside the trunk, federal regulators have, since 2002, imposed rules on the manufacture of glow-in-the-dark emergency releases inside trunks. Without a working latch, the emergency release won’t work.
So far, Hyundai and Kia have not learned of any injuries or incidents associated with this issue.
Hyundai, Kia Discovered Safety Hazard Following Customer Complaint
According to the firm, a customer reported that their trunk stopped working and that it would no longer open. When looking into this matter, technicians discovered that the emergency release was defective. As the problem develops, the firm said, car owners impacted might notice difficulty opening the trunk.
This should serve as a reminder to all car owners that whenever they experience issues with their vehicles, they should contact the manufacturer and report it as soon as possible. These reports help manufacturers investigate potential equipment failures, helping countless others as a result.
In order to address this issue, Hyundai and Kia will replace all impacted trunk latches with parts “produced with improved material increasing its resistance to thermal contraction.”
If you have any concerns regarding this recall, you may contact the Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 or the Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
For more detailed information on the recall announcement, you can follow this link for the NHTSA’s recall page.
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