2013 Hyundai Sonata Se Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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NHTSA opens probe into 3 million Kia, Hyundai vehicles for fire risks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday it would open a new safety defect investigation into three million Hyundai and Kia vehicles for fires not caused by crashes. The investigation is in response to a petition seeking a probe by the Center for Auto Safety. The auto safety agency since 2007 has been investigating some Hyundai and Kia vehicles for fire risks. The South Korean automakers have recalled more than 2.3 million vehicles since 2015 to address various engine fire risks. Hyundai did not immediately comment, while Kia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NHTSA said the decision to initiate the additional safety defect probe was based on its analysis of information received from multiple manufacturers, consumer complaints and other sources. Last month, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said a group of U.S. states is investigating Hyundai and Kia for potential unfair and deceptive acts related to reports of hundreds of vehicle fires. In November, Reuters reported that federal prosecutors had launched a criminal investigation into Hyundai and Kia to determine if 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. A South Korean whistleblower in 2016 reported concerns to NHTSA, which has been probing the timeliness of three U.S. recalls and whether they covered enough vehicles. In 2015, Hyundai recalled 470,000 U.S. Sonata sedans, saying engine failure would result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash. At the time, Kia did not recall its vehicles, which share the same "Theta II" engines. In March 2017, Hyundai expanded its original U.S. recall to 572,000 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles with those Theta II engines, citing the same issue involving manufacturing debris. On the same day, Kia also recalled 618,000 Optima, Sorento and Sportage vehicles, all of which use the same engine.Reporting by David Shepardson.

Hyundai adds tech to Blue Link, offers it free for 3 years

Hyundai has not only thrown more technology at its 2018 lineup, the tech will be less expensive. At the New York Auto Show, the South Korean automaker announced that Blue Link remote services will be free for three years on the 2017 Ioniq and on all 2018 models, starting with the Sonata, Elantra GT, and Santa Fe Sport. The remote services include all three packages currently offered as options with a Blue Link subscription: Connected Care, Remote, and Guidance. Among the included features are automatic collision notification, a monthly vehicle health report, remote lock and unlock, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, and remote start with climate control. That last function gets an update for 2018 that allows control of the rear defroster and heated side mirrors on the coming Sonata and Elantra GT. The whole shebang tallies 10 features in the Connected Care Package, 12 features in the Remote Package, and 3 features in the Guidance Package. But wait, there's more: the SD-card-based navigation maps get free downloads for three years. Blue Link subscribers can already access remote functions with a smartphone and a smartwatch. For 2018, Amazon Alexa (via the Tap, Echo, and Echo Dot) and Google Assistant (via the Google Home speaker) become control devices. You can tell either gadget to start your car and set the climate control, to send an address to the navigation system, or start and stop the charging of an Ioniq. Right now, if a new buyer subscribes to Blue Link, he gets three free months of the Remote and Guidance packages, and a free year of the Connected Care Package. After the trial, each package costs $99 per year. By offering the packages free for three years, Hyundai dangles a savings of nearly $750 in front of those who can wait for the new models. Be sure to read this accompanying post about the Sonata's design. Related Video:

Gladiators, Pilots, and Palisades, plus a couple boring crossovers | Autoblog Podcast #562

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. The duo discuss the leaked Jeep Gladiator, Ford's Baby Bronco, the Aston Martin DBX, and then touch on other reborn names like the Honda Pilot. They also discuss how boring crossovers have taken over as the family car of choice in the United States and debate the merits of turbocharged V6 engines versus the classic American V8. Finally, we spend your money.Autoblog Podcast #562 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Jeep Gladiator leaked Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot teased Aston Martin DBX Ford Baby Bronco leaked Boring crossovers Ford F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Podcasts LA Auto Show Aston Martin Ford GMC Honda Hyundai Jeep Truck Crossover SUV honda pilot jeep gladiator aston martin dbx hyundai palisade ford baby bronco