NHTSA Investigating Steering Problems On 2011 Hyundai Sonata

An investigation into reported steering shaft issues with 2011 Hyundai Sonatas has been opened by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA didn’t specify how many reports it had received of this problem, nor did it cite any accidents or injuries attributed to the problem. The agency did note that all of the reported vehicles appeared to have been manufactured during the same month and all had less than 600 miles on them. The investigation covers some 16,300 model year 2011 Hyundai Sonatas, NHTSA said in its announcement.

“No defect has been identified. It’s too early to draw any conclusions about anything,” Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor told The Detroit News. Trainor said that while the company had received two reports of separating components in the steering shaft, both had been repaired and Hyundai is not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with the problem. The company, he said, is cooperating fully with the investigation.

The issue centers around the universal joint on the upper end of the intermediate steering shaft. The joint has allegedly been coming loose and/or separating completely, resulting in a partial or complete loss of steering. In cases where the intermediate shaft and universal joint did not separate completely, it is alleged that a cross-threaded pinch bolt may be causing threads to strip out and allowing the joint to loosen, but not fail.

The 2011 Sonata has been a big hit for Hyundai. Through July, the Sonata has accounted for a full third of the company’s sales with 107,085 sold as of August 3. Sonata sales in July were up 33 percent over the previous year and up 45 percent over the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2009.

Source: The Detroit News, NHTSA