Hyundai recalls 1.6 million vehicles due to faulty O-ring rubber formulation

Washington, DC – In an update provided on September 6, 2023, third party engineer firm Exponent confirmed to Hyundai that certain material formulations used in the O-ring rubber could lose hardness over time. Additionally, the material could be affected by foreign contaminants in the brake fluid, potentially impacting sealing performance. Based on this information, Hyundai conducted a review of supplier manufacturing records and confirmed a material formulation change to one with increased hardness implemented by the supplier in September 2014 and February 2015 at the Korea and U.S. plants, respectively. Based on these findings, HMA’s NASO convened its North America Safety Decision Authority on September 15, 2023 and decided to conduct a safety recall of affected vehicles in the U.S. market.

Owners of affected cars can keep driving them, Hyundai says, but they should park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the problem is fixed. The remedy is a new ABS module fuse, which supplies less operating current to the module. Hyundai also says that it “will provide owners of affected vehicles reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred to obtain a remedy for the recall condition in accordance with the reimbursement plan submitted to NHTSA on February 24, 2022.”