2020-22 Hyundai Santa Fe, i30 N, Kona N, Sonata recalled due to DCT fault

Hyundai Australia has issued a recall for the 2020-22 Santa Fe, i30 N, Kona N and Sonata.

The affected vehicles are fitted with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, as found in the Santa Fe diesel, Sonata N Line, Kona N, and optional for the i30 N hatch and sedan.

The issue affects 8460 examples built between the following dates:

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According to Hyundai, a programming issue could cause “the “fail-safe” driving mode [to] not respond as intended” when a transmission electric oil pump fault is detected in the dual-clutch gearbox.

“Under certain driving conditions, the vehicle fail-safe mode may activate, resulting in reduced acceleration followed by a loss of motive power.

“A loss of motive power while driving at high speed could increase the risk of a crash. This could potentially result in injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.”

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According to the US recall notice, an internal fault in the high-pressure electric oil pump could trigger a diagnostic code, and cause the affected vehicle to enter limp mode before the transmission automatically disengages the clutches after 20-30 seconds to prevent further damage.

The issue affected 61,861 vehicles in the United States across six models, including the Veloster N and Santa Cruz. A temporary stop-sale was initiated in North America in October 2022, but it is now lifted.

It follows a similar recall earlier this month for Kia Sorento vehicles produced between 2020 and 2022, which are fitted with the same eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for diesel variants.

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Hyundai Australia said affected owners should immediately contact a dealership to schedule an appointment to update the transmission software, free of charge.

In a letter sent to affected owners, Hyundai said, “there are no known injuries or deaths associated with the defect, either in Australia or outside of Australia.”

A VIN list for the affected Santa Fe, i30 Sedan N, Kona N and Sonata vehicles can be found here, while the VIN list for the European-built i30 N hatch is here.

The company can be contacted directly by calling 1800 186 306 between 8:30am and 6:00pm on weekdays, or by visiting a dealership, found here.