About 41,000 Tucson SUV's registered in the US will be recalled by Hyundai due to defective software. The decision came after a meeting with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTC) deeming the 2016 Tucson models to be potentially harmful on roads.
The defective models are certain Tucsons equipped with dual-clutch automatic transmissions produced from May 20, 2015 to May 31, 2016. According toa CNBC report, Hyundai started receiving complaints in June about the Tucson's engine, which would rev but wouldn't move after coming to a stop. The company investigated the problem and discovered that it occurred at irregular intervals.
The problem was traced to the cars' transmission control computer that's supposed to monitor driving to improve gear shifting. When the accelerator pedal is continuously pushed for about 1.5 to 2 seconds, the vehicle eventually accelerates according to Autonews. However, repeated cycling of the pedal halts acceleration, which, in turn can lead to hazardous crashes.
The Tucsons' control computer was supplied by Dymos Incorporated. NHTC indicated that warm temperature seems to be the cause of the malfunctions:
"The Transmission Control Module (TCM) continually monitors data generated during drive cycles to help refine gear shifting characteristics. In higher ambient temperatures and specific operating conditions, the transmission clutch application logic can result in a delayed engagement when accelerating from a stop...," the official announcement concerning the recall stated.
Thankfully, there haven't been any reported incidences of accidents involving any Hyundai Tucsons. Earlier this year, the model won the J.D. Power award as the most appealing SUV and was also rated as the only small SUV to receive positive responses from both drivers and passengers.
Hyundai released a service bulletin to its dealers on August 10, but after meeting with the safety administration on the same day, the company decided to do a recall.
The recall, which began on September 7, will have dealers reprogram the transmission computer at no charge. Hyundai will also mail notices to ask vehicle owners to schedule service appointments to their local dealers.
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