South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. will together recall over 660,000 vehicles sold here in the country for faulty brake light switches that may cause the ignition to fail, the transportation ministry said Wednesday.
The faulty light switch could also cause the cruise control system to malfunction, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The recall affects a total of 662,519 vehicles of 15 different types, including 185,176 units of the Hyundai Sonata produced between Oct. 1, 2008 and Jan. 31, 2011.
"The latest recall was prompted by the same problem that led to a recall of over 160,000 vehicles in April," the ministry said in a press release.
Owners of vehicles subject to the recall may receive free repair services from Oct. 1 at any Hyundai or Kia service centers, and a complete list of vehicles subject to the latest recall will also be available at the automakers' service centers.
Together, Hyundai and Kia make up Hyundai Motor Group, the largest automotive group in South Korea and the fifth largest in the world.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it was also recalling certain model year Lexus vehicles for faulty variable valve timing (VVT) system that could cause the ignition to be turned off while in operation, possibly leading to accidents.
The recall affects 1,310 Lexus GS350 passenger cars produced between May 11, 2006 and Dec. 9, 2010.
Free repair services will be available from Thursday at any service center run by Toyota Motor Korea Corp., the local importer and distributor of the Japanese maker of Lexus vehicles. (Yonhap News)
