Safety regulators in the United States are investigating complaints that the rear suspension frames on Hyundai Sonata sedans can rust and fail.
The probe affects about 393 000 cars from the 2006 - 2008 model years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received six complaints of suspension failures, with three happening at highway speeds. The investigation was opened on March 25.
The agency says rust in the frame can cause control arm failures. The car's rear wheel hubs are attached to the control arms.
Hyundai said on Monday that it was too early to draw conclusions about the complaints and that no safety defect has been found. The automaker said it was co-operating with NHTSA and would take necessary action to ensure its customers' safety.
No crashes or injuries were reported but two of the failures activated the cars' electronic stability control systems.
In one complaint from the Pittsburgh area, the owner of a 2006 Sonata said the rear of the car swerved while it was being driven, and the electronic stability control light came on. The owner took the car to a mechanic, who found that the rear frame was corroded and cracked on the sides, causing the rear tyres to wear prematurely. The frame, tyres, lower control arms and other suspension parts were replaced on the car, which had almost 256,000 kilometres on it.
The agency says investigators will figure out if the problem is bad enough to cause a recall.
Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor said in an e-mail that any customers with issues should take their cars to a Hyundai dealer. - Sapa-AP
We’re waiting on a reply from Hyundai SA as to how many cars in South Africa are affected.