Hyundai Motor America is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra

Apr 28, 2021 — Recall Campaign #21V301000

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 158,493 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

21V301000

Manufacturer:	Hyundai Motor America
Recall date:	April 28, 2021
NHTSA Campaign #:	21V301000
Units affected:	158,493

Description:: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
Consequeces:: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Corrective action:: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Notes:: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Affects the following:

2020 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted but unexpectedly stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with camshaft failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure caused by a misfire. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and was diagnosed with camshaft failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,691.;
2021 HYUNDAI KONA Complaints
At approximately 100,500 miles, the 2.0L Nu engine experienced a sudden, catastrophic internal failure while operating, causing a loss of power and stalling. Failed Component & Availability: The engine block assembly failed internally due to severe low compression (95 psi) across multiple cylinders and intake valve leakage. The original failed engine component was replaced and retained by the servicing dealership's service department during the long-block replacement. Safety Risk: The sudden loss of engine power and stalling occurred while navigating active traffic, creating an immediate crash hazard due to the loss of momentum and propulsion on a public roadway. Diagnosis & Confirmation: The failure was independently confirmed by a certified master mechanic (compression test showing 95 psi) and subsequently diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized manufacturer dealership service department. Inspection History: The vehicle was fully inspected by the authorized dealership, which verified the low compression, confirmed internal engine failure, and performed a full long-block engine replacement.;
2021 HYUNDAI VELOSTER N Complaints
The power steering motor fails at random and without warning, creating an imminent wreck hazard. At any time, the wheel will lose all power steering and simultaneously illuminate a red steering wheel warning on your dashboard. It takes significant force to turn the wheel once this happens. Secondly, when turning, a normal cars steering wheel will naturally "unwind" after a turn and smoothly straighten back up while driving. During this motor failure, the steering wheel remains stiffly stationary, pulling you into a potentially unwanted or dangerous direction (ditch, oncoming traffic, etc) unless you fight to straighten it. As a middle aged adult male, I can fight it well enough to keep it under control until I can pull over and turn off/on the car to reset the system. I fear this would become incredibly dangerous if driven by somebody who is older, frail/injured or physically weak. This issue started with only a few thousand miles and has progressively become more and more common, now happening multiple times just this week. A large amount of owners have reported the same issue, with some even being steered into oncoming traffic lanes during a failure. The steering instantly and without warning becomes incredibly heavy. It takes substantial force to turn the wheel. I am experiencing the exact same issue that has become the subject of multiple forums online and other's experiences trying to get it dealt with through Hyundai. Being that my car is now over 5 years old, if I were to try to get it replaced, it is out of warranty, despite having the issue exist since only a few thousand miles (3000-4000). I brought it to two separate dealerships, but they couldn't recreate the issue (hence, it being random) and therefore couldn't get a failure code to show up, and in the end not being able to warranty claim a replacement. Since it is becoming more and more common I have called Hyundai USA to try to escalate the issue.;