Hyundai And Kia Fined $137 Million For Improper Safety Maintenance

Hyundai and Kia have to pay a $ 137 million fine and improve safety they moved too slowly to recall over 1 million vehicles with engines that can fail.

NHTSA’s Announcement

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the fines on Friday. They resolved a three-year government investigation into corporate conduct involving the recall of multiple models that began in 2011.

“It is important for producers to recognize the urgency of their safety remembering activities and to provide timely and accurate information to the agency on all safety issues,” NHTSA Deputy Managing Director James Owens said in a statement.

The Fines

Hyundai will pay $ 54 million and deduct $ 40 million to improve safety under an agency agreement. The company must build a field testing and testing laboratory in the U.S. Then install new computer programs to analyze data that will identify security issues. Another $ 46 million fine will be imposed as long as the Korean car manufacturer meets safety standards, the NHTSA said in a statement.

Kia, which is affiliated with Hyundai, must pay $ 27 million and invest $ 16 million in security measures. Another $ 27 million payment will be withheld as long as Kia behaves.

Kia will build a U.S. security office Led by a senior security official. Both companies will have to hire an independent third-party auditor to review security measures, and commit themselves to organizational development to identify and investigate potential U.S. security issues.

“We appreciate the co-operative relationship with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the NHTSA, and will continue to work closely with the agency to identify and resolve potential safety issues,” Brian Latouf, Hyundai’s chief safety officer, said in a statement.

A message was left on Friday wanting to comment on Kia.

About The Investigation

U.S. Security Agency It opened its investigation in 2017 after Hyundai recalled 470,000 vehicles in September 2015 because debris from production could prevent oil flow to him from connecting rods. This can cause the bearings to wear out and fail, which may cause the cylinder engines to stop or catch fire. Repairs were a costly engine.

NHTSA said in the investigation documents Hyundai limited the return of engines made before April 2012, saying it solved the production problem thereafter. In addition, Kia did not remember its cars and SUVs with the same 2.4-liter and 2-liter “Theta II” engines, striving to be made in separate lines at the Alabama plant.

But 18 months after the 2015 recall, both car manufacturers announced the recall of another 1.2 million cars with the same problem, including earlier car models that said they were not affected, the NHTSA said in opening an investigation.

Hyundais and Kias’ engine failures and fire problems have plagued companies for more than five years, affecting more than eight million car owners.

In June 2018, the NHTSA launched another double investigation into the carmakers who have yet to be resolved. The organization said it had complaints from owners of more than 3,100 fires, 103 injuries and one death. It has filed an application for investigation into the Auto Safety Non-Profit Center, a consumer advocacy group.

Jason Levine, the centre’s executive director, said they had called on the NHTSA to investigate as no one appeared to be listening to complaints from Hyundai and Kia owners.

“Only time will tell if this type of deferred fine and the legitimate investment in security services will prevent similar behavior in the future by these or other manufacturers,” Levine said.

A new study, one for Hyundai and one for Kia, involved more than 3 million non-hazardous fires in all Korean car manufacturer’s models.

In a statement, the NHTSA reported receiving complaints about engine fires, as well as fires involving other items including tail houses, cable harnesses and lights.

Later Korean car makers cooperating agreed that the installation of the blockchain may not have been done properly in all cases by dealers. Kia said the high-fuel pipeline could have been damaged, improperly connected or improperly tightened during repair, allowing gas to leak and hit parts of hot engines, causing many fires.

Other memories followed. Hyundai and Kia have tracked more than 4.7 million vehicles, and have launched a “product development campaign” comprising another 3.7 million installers to install software that will warn drivers of possible engine failures.

Data collected by the Center for Auto Safety shows 31 fire reminders and U.S. engines from Hyundai and Kia since 2015. The memorials include more than 20 models from 2006 to 2021 which include more than 8.4 million vehicles.

In some cases, such as nearly 200,000 vehicles recalled in September for damaging the system’s electric shorts, car manufacturers have urged their owners to park outside as fires could start after cars have been extinguished. There were also reminders of leak brake leaks, cracks in the petrol pump, hard damage switches and premature fuel problems on the cylinders, all of which could burn out engines.

Synopsis

Hyundai and Kia have to pay a $ 137 million fine and improve safety as they have come a long way in remembering the more than one million motorized vehicles that could fail.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the fines on Friday. They resolved a three-year government investigation into corporate conduct involving the recall of a number of models that began in 2011.

U.S. Security Agency launched its investigation in 2017 after Hyundai recalled 470,000 vehicles in September 2015 because debris from production could prevent oil flow to him from connecting rods. This can cause the bearings to wear out and fail, which may cause the cylinder engines to stop or catch fire. Repairs were a costly engine.