Hyundai to recall 27,500 Genesis luxury sedans in the US over faulty brakes

Hyundai Motor Co yesterday said that it will recall about 27,500 Genesis luxury sedans in the US to fix faulty brakes.

The announcement came a few hours after the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into issues with the vehicles' brakes.      

The South Korean car maker said the affected cars were manufactured from 1 April, 2008, through 16 March 2012.

The NHTSA launched a probe after it received 23 complaints alleging drivers had to press the brake pedal harder than normal in order to stop the car.

Hyundai said that the brake fluid could cause corrosion in brake control unit valves, reducing the braking power.

The automaker said that around 60 per cent of the affected vehicles have already been serviced under a service campaign that began in March to replace the brake fluid.

A spokesperson for the car maker said that since fluid in the cars does not have a corrosion inhibitor - a gel can build up on valves in the braking system - a loss of braking power could occur.

The valves were manufactured by Continental, German hydraulic brake manufacturer.

Hyundai dealers will change the brake fluid with one that has anti-corrosive additives and inspect the electronic brake control modules to see if they need to be replaced.

Hyundai had begun replacing brake fluid last March as part of a service campaign.