Faulty airbags force Hyundai to recall 100,000 cars in China

Hyundai Motor, Korea’s leading automaker, will start recalling 100,000 passenger cars in China next month for defective airbags, the Chinese government said yesterday.

Beijing Hyundai Motors, the Chinese venture of the Korean car maker, issued a recall for 97,542 units of the Yuedong, the redesigned Chinese version of Hyundai’s Elantra, produced from March 16, 2008 to Jan. 25, 2010, after finding malfunctions in airbags. This is according to China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Starting from July 10, the owners of the vehicles may have their vehicles serviced free of charge at any Hyundai service center, or be reimbursed if they have already replaced the related parts and materials, the administration said.

It added that it received reports of a number of incidents in which airbags deployed accidentally when the car was not running or was running at a slow speed.

It is not the first time for Hyundai to recall cars produced and sold in China.

It recalled 98,559 vehicles in 2006 for defects in starting devices and 9,280 vehicles in 2010 for defects in water temperature sensors.

Yonhap