Hyundai recalls 20,000 Velosters for engine defects

Hyundai Motor Co. is issuing another safety recall to fix potentially defective engines that could fail or catch fire.

The Korean automaker is recalling about 20,000 Veloster vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because fuel can prematurely ignite in cylinders around the pistons. That can cause excessive pressure and damage the engine, increasing the risk of a fire or engine stall, according to Hyundai documents posted Friday by NHTSA.

The recall covers certain 2013 Veloster vehicles equipped with 1.6-liter turbo engines.

Hyundai said it has been analyzing fire claims from owners and reporting the findings to NHTSA, which in December raised questions about the Veloster. The automaker linked the problem to engine control software manufactured at the Ulsan plant in South Korea from April 26, 2012, to Oct. 16, 2013, according to documents.

The automaker said claims significantly decreased from the 2014 model year onward.

During a January 2019 review of engine manufacturing and design change history, Hyundai found that a software update for 2014 model-year Velosters onward revised the ignition logic to reduce piston noise in the engine.

In February 2019, the automaker concluded that the software for 2013 Veloster vehicles could be more susceptible to causing premature ignition than 2014 models.

Hyundai said is not aware of any related accidents or injuries.

Dealers will install updated software. Owners will be notified starting May 13.

Hyundai and sibling automaker Kia Motors Corp. have recalled more than 2.3 million vehicles since 2015 to address various engine fires in a series of recalls. In November, Reuters reported that federal prosecutors had launched a criminal investigation into Hyundai and Kia to determine whether vehicle recalls linked to engine defects had been conducted properly.

Reuters reported in January that the companies would offer software upgrades for 3.7 million vehicles not being recalled.

In May 2017, NHTSA opened a formal investigation into the recalls of nearly 1.7 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles over engine defects.