2013 Hyundai Tucson Gls on 2040-cars

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe probed by NHTSA over axle failure

According to Reuters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a preliminary evaluation of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe after receiving two complaints of broken front axles on vehicles with fewer than 5,000 miles on their odometers. Naturally, a broken axle could result in the loss of control of the vehicle, especially if it occurs at high speed. It's not immediately clear if the investigation centers on the five-seat Sport, the seven-seat model or both.
No actual recall has yet been issued, and "no safety defect has been identified," according to a statement Hyundai released to Reuters, which added, "Hyundai will, of course, take any actions necessary to ensure the safety of our customers if the information gathered during the investigation indicates that action is appropriate."
We suppose you could sum up the report this way: 2013 Santa Fe owners, stay tuned.

Judge reduces damages in fatal Hyundai crash to $81M

Hyundai no longer has to pay $248 million as part of a court ruling from a fatal accident in Montana that killed two cousins in a 2005 Tiburon. The judge hearing the appeal revised the amount down to a total of about $81 million. She upheld the original $8.1 million in actual damages but reduced the punitive damages to $73 million from the previous $240 million.
According to Bloomberg, the judge refused Hyundai's desire to reduce the amount even further. She said in her court order that the company showed "an indifference to or reckless disregard of the health and safety of the motoring public."
In the original case, the families' attorneys alleged that the cracking of a faulty steering knuckle caused the fatal accident. Hyundai argued that fireworks had been let off inside the vehicle, which caused the driver to swerve and crash. In a statement released after the ruling, the automaker claimed that evidence supporting its defense was barred from the trial. According to Bloomberg, had the original amount of damages been upheld, it would have been the sixth-highest amount awarded by a jury in the US this year.

Mr. Millen goes to Washington

Ever driven around DC? We have. And let us tell you, people drive like jerks in the nation's capital. Mostly because they think they're more important than you, and they're probably right. But Rhys Millen is out to put them all to shame.
In this latest video, the guy who Red Bull refers to as a "precision driver" (and who the rest of us would call one of the best drifters ever to burn rubber) takes to the streets of the District in his Hyundai Veloster Turbo. There he does what he does best around sites like Capitol Hill, Thomas Circle and RFK Stadium - the one-time home of the Washington Redskins and Montreal Expos (pardon us, "Washington Nationals") - all with a police escort of black Tahoes and Harley outriders. Scope out the action in the video below.