DETROIT — Hyundai is recalling more than 215,000 midsize cars in the U.S. — most for a second time — because fuel hoses can leak in the engine compartment and cause fires.
The recall covers certain 2013 and 2014 Sonata sedans, many of which were recalled for the same problem in 2020.
The Korean automaker says in documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators that a low pressure fuel hose can crack over time due to heat from the engine. That can cause fuel leaks and increase the risk of a fire.
In the 2020 recall, dealers inspected the hoses and replaced them if they were damaged. If not, heat-resistant tape was installed. This time all of the faulty hoses will be replaced.
Hyundai says in documents that it has 138 reports of problems in the U.S., but no confirmed crashes, fires or injuries.
Owners will be notified starting July 5.
The new recall comes after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stepped up a series of investigations into engine compartment fires that have plagued Hyundai and related automaker Kia.
In December, the agency consolidated two investigations from 2017 into a new a new engineering analysis covering more than 3 million vehicles from the 2011 through 2016 model years. At the time, NHTSA had received 161 complaints of engine fires, some of which occurred in vehicles that had already been recalled.
In November of 2020, NHTSA announced that Kia and Hyundai must pay $137 million in fines and for safety improvements because they moved too slowly to recall more than 1 million vehicles with engines that can fail. The fines resolve a previous probe into the companies' behavior involving recalls of multiple models dating to the 2011 model year.
