Recalls play a very important role in safety but what happens if an automaker delays notifying the owners of the affected vehicles? This is what happened with Hyundai Auto Canada which – according to the Canadian Minister of Transport – pleaded guilty to six different counts of criminal charges of violating the country’s Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
According to Transport Canada, all six charges have to do with “failing to send out notices of a safety defect within 60 days”. The recalls were issued by Hyundai in 2020 and 2021, affecting nearly 300,000 vehicles. What makes matters worse is that the safety risks were quite serious, including the possibility of a vehicle fire, sudden loss of engine power, and reduced braking performance. Because of the delayed notices on six occasions, Hyundai Auto Canada now has to pay a fine of CA$360,000 (US$268,560 in current exchange rates).
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Transport Canada acknowledged the fact that Hyundai eventually notified owners, but after the prescribed period of 60 days. Following the automaker’s guilty plea and fine, the department “considers this matter resolved”. However, it will continue to monitor Hyundai’s compliance with the requirements, as with all automakers.
Canada‘s Transport Minister, Omar Alghabra, said: “It is alarming that Hyundai failed to notify vehicle owners of a recall in a timely manner on six different occasions, which is why Transport Canada pursued criminal charges against the company.”, adding “We expect all vehicle manufacturers to abide by the law, and Transport Canada will not hesitate to act when safety has been compromised.”
As reported by Reuters, a company spokesperson said: “Hyundai Canada recognized that during the COVID pandemic, it was not meeting the precise timing requirements identified in the applicable regulations in a limited number of instances. However, we immediately corrected the issue and accepted responsibility”.
