Hyundai Motor America is recalling nearly 100,000 Accents because defective brake light switches cause a crash hazard. The faulty switch can prevent the brake lights from illuminating, even when drivers press the brake pedal. It can also prevent the shifter from being moved out of the park position. The biggest safety hazard is that the switch might not trip when the brake pedal is pressed, so cruise control wouldn’t be disengaged by the car’s brakes.
The recall is expected to begin November 2, 2015. It includes 99,500 Hyundai Accents that were manufactured between March 2009 and February 2011. At the same time, Hyundai is also recalling 470,000 Sonatas for an unrelated defect. Certain 2011 and 2012 Sonatas were manufactured with too much metal flashing on certain engine components, which can break off and cause engine failure. Hyundai will fix either issue for free, replacing the brake-light switch on the Accents and replacing the engine assembly on certain Sonatas.
