NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA08-023: REAR TRAILING ARM CORROSION FAILURE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA08-023 on October 28, 2008 and closed it on April 17, 2009. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2001–2003 Hyundai Santa FE for it and links recall 09V-123 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: EA08-023 (also written EA08023)
Investigation type: Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
Status: Closed April 17, 2009
Opened: October 28, 2008
Closed: April 17, 2009
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Components: Suspension; Suspension — Rear
Recall linked by NHTSA: 09V-123: REAR TRAILING ARM CORROSION FAILURE, reported April 16, 2009
Vehicles and equipment: 2001–2003 Hyundai Santa FE

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA08-023.

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 14, 2009, HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER, INC (HYUNDAI) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 THROUGH 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO JANUARY 27, 2003, THAT ARE REGISTERED AND OPERATED IN THE FOLLOWING SALT BELT STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN.HYUNDAI IS RECALLING THE VEHICLES TO REMEDY A CONDITION WHERE INTERNAL CORROSION OF EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT REAR TRAILING ARMS MAY RESULT IN FRACTURE OF THE AFFECTED ARM WHILE DRIVING, WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A CRASH.THE REAR TRAILING ARMS WILL BE INSPECTED IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES USING A PROCEDURE DEVELOPED BY HYUNDAI TO MEASURE METAL THICKNESS.PARTS WITH PERFORATIONS FROM CORROSION OR WITH METAL BELOW THE SPECIFIED THICKNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH REDESIGNED TRAILING ARMS.IF THE MINIMUM METAL THICKNESS IS MET, DRAINAGE HOLES AND AND RUST PROOFING MATERIAL WILL BE ADDED TO THE EXISTING REAR TRAILING ARMS.ALTHOUGH NOT SUBJECT COMPONENTS OF THIS INVESTIGATION, HYUNDAI NOTED IT WOULD PERFORM A SIMILAR PROCEDURE FOR THE FRONT SUBFRAMES OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT DATA REVEALED THAT 99% OF ALL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RELATED TO TRAILING ARM CORROSION WERE FROM VEHICLES EITHER ORIGINALLY SOLD OR OPERATED IN SALTBELT STATES. SIMILARLY 92% OF THE WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE FROM VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR OPERATED IN SALTBELT STATES.ODI IDENTIFIED 30 REAR TRAILING ARM FRACTURE INCIDENTS THROUGH ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY INFORMATION AND CONSUMER INTERVIEWS.TWENTY-NINE (29) OF THE FRACTURE INCIDENTS INVOLVED VEHICLES IN STATES COVERED BY THE RECALL.BASED ON HYUNDAI'S DECISION TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA08-023. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Hyundai

Hyundai Santa FE
- 2001, 2002, 2003

All Hyundai recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Hyundai VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for EA08-023

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.