2019 Hyundai Sonata Se on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hyundai to fight $248M judgment over fatal Montana crash

A Montana jury has levied a $248 million ruling against Hyundai in the case of a crash that killed two occupants in July 2011. The automaker plans to appeal the ruling.
Cousins Trevor and Tanner Olson were driving a 2005 Hyundai Tiburon when they hit another vehicle head-on. According to lawyers representing their family, the steering knuckle on the car cracked and this allegedly caused it to lose control. Hyundai claimed that fireworks had been let off inside the vehicle, which caused the driver to swerve. The company alleges that evidence that could have proved its innocence was barred from the case.
The jury found in favor of the family and awarded them about $8 million in damages after a two-week trial. It claimed that Hyundai had shown "actual malice," according to Reuters. The jurors also slammed Hyundai with a further $240 million in punitive damages.

Hyundai to recall 27,500 Genesis sedans over brake issue

Following an investigation launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this week, Hyundai will reportedly recall 27,500 Genesis sedans due to braking problems. Roughly 40,000 Genesis sedans from the 2009 model year were originally under investigation, but this official recall affects vehicles from 2009 to 2012.
A Hyundai spokesperson told The New York Times that brake fluid may cause the brake control unit valves to corrode, which reduces braking power. Affected cars will have their brake fluid replaced, and if necessary, will have the control unit replaced, as well.
The original NHTSA investigation was launched after the government agency received 23 complaints from owners citing reduced braking power and increased pedal travel. One incident reportedly resulted in a crash, while another caused a driver to lose control of the car. NHTSA has not officially announced the recall as of this writing.

Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.