Hyundai and Kia Recall 2011 Santa Fe and 2011 Sorento for Defective Brakes

Hyundai and Kia have issued separate recalls for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2011 Kia Sorento respectively over the same issue concerning the rear brake calipers that may not have been properly machined.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the defective calipers could lead to brake fluid leak, followed by illumination of the malfunction indicator light indicating the brake fluid level is low and should be checked, then a soft or spongy brake pedal feel. If the problem is not taken care of, it will lead to reduced braking power.

The recall affects some 7,697 Kia Sorentos manufactured from September 14, 2010, through October 4, 2010, and 1,783 Hyundai Santa crossovers Fe built from September 28, 2010, through November 25, 2010.

Naturally, dealers from both automakers inspect the rear calipers and replace it if necessary free of charge. The two companies have not yet provided an owner notification schedule.

Hyundai Moving Santa Fe Production to Kia West Point Plant

Hyundai Motor Co. is considering shifting some production from its factory in Alabama to a recently opened plant run by sister company Kia, Hyundai spokesman Robert Burns said.

Moving some production from Hyundai's Montgomery, Ala., plant to Kia Motor Co.'s West Point, Ga., facility could be a way to maximize the efficiency of both plants, Burns said.

Any final decision would come from the South Korean headquarters of Hyundai, which owns Kia, he said.

"They're evaluating options to make sure we fully utilize the capacity of U.S. production," Burns said.

Hyundai's Montgomery plant currently builds the Sonata sedan and the Santa Fe SUV. Kia's plant in West Point, which began production late last year, builds just the Sorento SUV.

Sales of both companies have risen sharply in the U.S. in the last year. Hyundai sales are up 20 percent year to date, while Kia sales have climbed 13 percent, according to Autodata Corp.

News of the possible shift was first reported by the trade publication Automotive News.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Hyundai Bringing Santa Fe to India

Somehow big cars from Hyundai do not attract Indian buyers. The first big car they tried selling in India was the Sonata (called Sonata Embera in India). It failed miserably. Hyundai then rolled out the Tucson and Terracan (Hyundai's answer to the Mitsubishi Pajero and the likes), both of which also failed to appease Indians. And very soon, the ambitious Korean automaker is making its third foray into India's large car market with the Santa Fe crossover. Will they succeed this time?

Despite the descending trend of the sport-utility vehicle market being observed in many markets including the U.S., India's is displaying the otherwise with a growing appreciation for rugged vehicles. The Toyota Fortuner has amassed over 7000 bookings within a few months of the vehicle’s launch. With the longer waiting periods for prospective buyers, Hyundai will try to lure them into buying the new Santa Fe.

To reduce costs, Hyundai will utilize the CKD method (complete knock-down assembly) for the Santa Fe. The Indian-market Santa Fe will be powered by Hyundai's new 2.2L turbodiesel that produces 197 horsepower and 311 lb. ft of torque. Pricing is scheduled to be released closer to its sales launch date.

[Source: Rush Lane]

Sales: Hyundai Canada Posts Best September Ever

Hyundai has been breaking sales records in Canada throughout 2009, and September was no exception to the trend. With 9,282 units sold in September, the company's total year to date sales volume reached 82,642 vehicles - surpassing its best ever annual sales volume, set in 1985, by nearly 2.5 per cent.

September sales were up year-over-year by more than 30 per cent. This marks the company's eighth straight record-breaking month and ninth consecutive month of sales increases. Ranked globally as the fourth largest automaker (behind only Toyota, GM and Volkswagen), Hyundai is Canada's sixth largest manufacturer by volume as of end-of-August figures.

In the showrooms, the Santa Fe has enjoyed particular sales success. Selling 2,478 units, September 2009 was the Santa Fe's best on record and represented an increase of more than 70 per cent over September 2008. The Elantra also enjoyed its best September ever with 2,039 units, a staggering 129 percent increase from the same month last year.

[Source: Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.]

Read more for the complete sales chart.


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Month 2009 2008 % Change Notes
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January 4,607 3,874 + 18.9%
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February 6,912 5,326 + 29.8% Best February ever
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March 8,818 7,029 + 25.5% Best March ever
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April 10,809 9,412 + 14.8% Best April ever
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May 11,204 9,508 + 17.8% Best month on record
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June 10,104 8,049 + 25.5% Best June ever
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July 10,488 7,611 + 37.8% Best July ever
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August 10,418 7,530 + 38.4% Best August ever
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September 9,282 7,095 + 30.8% Best September ever
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Nameplate 09/2009 09/2008 % Change Notes
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Accent 2,218 2,154 + 3.0%
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Elantra 2,039 889 + 129.4% Best September ever
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Elantra Touring 830 - N/A
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Sonata 556 1,371 - 59.4%
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Azera 19 47 - 59.6%
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Genesis 84 51 + 64.7%
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Genesis Coupe 226 - N/A
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Tucson 659 785 - 16.1%
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Santa Fe 2,478 1,455 + 70.3% Best September ever
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Veracruz 114 119 - 4.2%
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