No recall of Hyundai Sonata cars in Vietnam

The Hyundai Sonatas imported into Vietnam do not suffer from the defects in the steering wheel that led to a massive recall in the US, the Korean firm’s official dealer in Vietnam said.

Hyundai-Thanh Cong Vietnam Co explained that the 139,500 cars recalled in the US were made in Hyundai’s plants in Alabama, the US, while those imported into Vietnam are assembled in Korea.

The US cars had problems with the steering wheel that could cause a loss or reduction of control.

Korea’s biggest automaker Sunday announced the recall after the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began a probe into steering problems in August, though no accidents or injuries occurred as a result of improper assembly or loose steering connections, according to wire service Reuters.

In February Sonata recalled 47,000 other vehicles in Korea and the US due to a front door lock fault.

The Vietnamese dealer of another Korean carmaker, Kia Motors has also announced a recall of 427 Sorentos in Vietnam.

Truong Hai Auto Group will fix the faults in a section of the door wiring loom that controls the "mood" lighting inside in cars imported from Korea and the US.

Hyundai owns about 40 percent stake in Kia.

Kia Motors’ co-chief executive, NAME, resigned earlier this month after taking responsibility for the recall of nearly 86,000 cars.