Around 139,500 2011 Sonata sedans are being recalled. Initially two Sonata owners filed complaints after they lost control of their vehicles. The National Highway Transit Safety Administration began investigating in August 2010. NHTSA came to find at least eight separate instances of defective steering column joint connections in 2011 Sonatas manufactured in Montgomery, Alabama between December 2009 and September 2010.
The agency announced on September 23rd, 2010 that the problem they found was “improper assembly or insufficient tightening of the connections [which] could result in a complete separation or compromised attachment of the connections, such that the driver could experience a loss of, or reduction in, steering capability, increasing the risk of a crash.”
Senior manager of regulation and certification, Robert Babcock of Hyundai, explained that “the universal joint may have been damaged when the steering column assembly was dropped by a worker at the supplier before installation in the vehicle.”
As a result of the recall, Hyundai is offering free inspections of 2011 Sonata steering columns. And in addition, the company announced that it is offering a free power steering software update which “will ensure that steering vibration or shaking will not occur as a result of motor-driven power steering malfunction.”
If you or anyone you know has purchased a 2011 Hyundai Sonata and is experiencing similar problems with steering, the vehicle maybe a lemon. It is important to act fast. The longer you wait to pursue action, the less chance you have of settling the case in your favor.