2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy on 2040-cars

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Hyundai recalls about 980,000 Sonatas for seat belt detachments

The Basics: Hyundai is recalling 977,778 Hyundai Sonatas and Sonata Hybrids for seat belts that could detach from their anchor pretensioners, which could lead to an injury. The recall affects 2010- cars including 2011-2014 standard Sonatas built from December 11, 2009 to May 29, 2014 and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrids built from December 2, 2010 to January 9, 2015. The Problem: During manufacturing, some Sonatas may not have had the seat belt properly attached to the anchor pretensioner. According to NHTSA recall information, the seat belt is connected to the anchor after the latter has been installed, and it is possible that the seat belt didn't completely latch onto the anchor during assembly. If the seat belt was not properly attached, it can separate from the anchor during a collision, potentially leading to an injury. Injuries/Deaths: Hyundai has reported one injury to NHTSA. No deaths related to the recall have been reported. The Fix: Owners are asked to bring in their vehicles to dealerships to have the seat belt assembly inspected to make sure the belt is correctly latched. If not, the dealer will reattach it properly at no cost to the owner. If you own one: Hyundai will alert owners to the recall by mail starting April 7. Owners can also call Hyundai's customer service directly to ask about the recall at 1-855-371-9460. They can also enter their VINs at the NHTSA website to check if their car is included in the recall. Related Video:

Will Norway and South Korea lead us to the hydrogen future?

In the US, California leads the hydrogen highway. But, globally, the countries at the forefront include Japan, Norway, and South Korea. A new announcement by the Norwegian ambassador in Seoul, Jan Grevstad, makes it sound like those last two countries should think about Voltron-ing it up to promote H2 cars. The ambassador was speaking at the Korea-Norway Economic Cooperation Council at the Federation of Korean Industries. "A great example of the Norwegian–South Korean energy cooperation can be found in the transport sector," he said, according to Yonhap News. "South Korean engine technology is paired with Norwegian hydrogen production and infrastructure technology to create hydrogen driven cars." Grevstad said that the two countries could also work together on solar, wind, and other energy efforts, but didn't get into more detail about what he meant by this. The first Toyota Mirai hydrogen car was just delivered to Norway, but other H2 vehicles have been on the roads there for many years. Back in 2009, for example, as part of the 24th Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS24), some hydrogen cars road tripped from Oslo to Stavanger. That same year, Mazda delivered 30 hydrogen-powered RX-8 RE vehicles. Hyundai – a South Korean company, of course – has been leasing its Tucson Fuel Cell (also known as the ix35 Fuel Cell) in hydrogen-friendly areas and believes that hydrogen-powered cars have a bright future. There's even a Tucson Fuel Cell car-sharing program operating in Germany. As gung-ho as Hyundai is, it's only sold 26 Tucson Fuel Cells in Norway so far, out of a total of about 500 around the world, Yonhap News says. Related Video: News Source: Yonhap News Agency Green Hyundai Green Culture Hydrogen Cars h2 ix35 tucson

Pre-owned deal alert: Hyundai Genesis

Hyundai used to make really crappy cars: horrible to drive, horrible build quality, and unreliable. Any sales person that sold Hyundais in the early 2000s can regale you with a story that goes like this: "I was delivering a brand new Hyundai to a customer and _____________ broke, but I told the customer _______________ and the customer brought the car home anyway. Selling those pieces of crap required true salesmanship. Hyundai knew its products would not sell without a competitive edge, so it offered one of the best warranties in America: 5 years/60,000 miles bumper to bumper and 10 year/100,000 miles on the powertrain. At the time most consumers viewed that warranty as a necessity; they felt they would not buy a Hyundai without the best warranty in America. All of that changed in 2008 with the debut of the Hyundai Genesis sedan. Everyone thought a luxurious Hyundai was impossible until they saw and drove the vehicle. The design was subdued yet elegant, the interior was not world-class but was above average, the ride was comfortable and quiet, and its steering was acceptable. The Genesis sedan is powered by a 4.6-liter, 375-horsepower V8 or a 3.8-liter, 290-horsepower V6. Both of these engines were smooth and propelled the car to 60 in under six seconds. The Genesis was not better than a Lexus or a Mercedes. But it was a great value: The starting price was $34,000 for a V6 base and topped out well under $50,000 if you got the V8 and tech package. Even so, Hyundai knew people might not plunk down $40,000 for a Hyundai, so they leased them out at really aggressive numbers. A no-money-down lease on the Genesis was around $450 a month during the darkest days of the recession. I was told the dealers were leasing them out for around $350 a month. Which brings us to today, when the market is flooded with tons of lease returns. A used Hyundai Genesis is an even better value. There are a good number of 2013 models with under 45,000 miles on the odometer for under $20,000; the average price is at $18,500. Assuming the vehicle was leased in 2013, you would still get at least two years and 20k miles on the bumper-to-bumper and at least five years of powertrain warranty with the car. Most of these lease return models come with power everything, leather, sunroof, upgraded sound system – most of what you expect in a luxury car. Some are more aggressively priced than others.