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(2nd LD) Hyundai fixing door problems of 2011 Sonata in U.S.
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, on Wednesday confirmed its revamped Sonata sedans in the United States may suffer from potential door lock problems, saying it was repairing the product glitch.
The glitch of front-door latches on the 2011 Sonata, Hyundai's flagship sedan that went on sale early this month in the U.S., could trap front-seat passengers when they try to open their doors from the inside while depressing the lock button at the same time.
Earlier in the day, U.S. industry magazine AutoWeek reported Hyundai's U.S. unit ordered the halt of sales of the 2011 Sonata after notifying dealers that front door-lock modules on some of the cars could stick under the circumstances.
The malfunction may affect some 1,300 units of the 2011 Sonata sold to customers, according to the report, which cited Miles Johnson, a spokesperson at Hyundai's U.S. affiliate.
"We view that the malfunction stemmed from some defective parts and are replacing those parts," said an official at Hyundai in Seoul.
Asked about foreign media reports that Hyundai would recall the 2011 version of Sonata affected by the glitch, the Hyundai official replied, "We have no plan to recall them officially."
The 2011 Sonata was built at Hyundai's U.S. plant in Montgomery, Alabama.
According to the report by AutoWeek, Hyundai's engineers were trying to determine whether the malfunction warranted notification to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The report comes at a sensitive time as Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. was forced to recall about 8.5 million vehicles worldwide, with the company's president set to testify before U.S. Congress over the safety of its vehicles.
Shares of Hyundai Motor, which sank more than 4 percent in early morning trading on Wednesday, dropped 2.99 percent to 113,500 won (US$98) as of around 1:00 p.m. on the Seoul bourse.
(END)
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