[뉴스토마토 강진규기자]
현대차(005380)가 미국시장에서 YF쏘나타의 일부 차량 도어잠금장치 문제로 판매를 중단했다는 소식에 하락세다.
24일 오전 9시14분 현재 현대차는 전날보다 4000원(3.42%) 하락한 11만3000원에 거래되고 있다.
현지시간 23일 미국 자동차 전문지 오토위크 등 주요 외신은 현대차의 YF쏘나타의 앞도어 잠금장치에 문제가 발견돼 미국 법인이 해당 딜러에 이를 통보하고 판매 중단을 전격 지시했다.
다음은 오토위크 기사 원문.
Hyundai Motor America today ordered a halt to sales of the 2011 Sonata after notifying dealers that front door-lock modules on some cars can stick under some circumstances.
With intense scrutiny bearing down on rival Toyota Motor Corp., Hyundai hopes to quickly and quietly resolve the product glitch on the recently released 2011 Sonata sedan.
The Sonata is Hyundai's biggest-volume vehicle, with 2009 sales of 120,028 cars. The 2011 model went on sale only two weeks ago. There are currently only about 5,000 cars in U.S. inventory, and about 1,300 have been sold, Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson said in Fountain Valley, Calif.
It is unclear how many of those have the faulty locks or how Hyundai will notify owners to bring in the cars for inspection.
Johnson said the malfunction occurs only in situations where front-seat passengers try to open their doors from the inside while simultaneously holding down the lock button. In that circumstance, the interior door handle will not return to its normal position, and passengers cannot get out of the car. If they press the lock button again, the handle will correct itself and allow the door to open.
Johnson said Hyundai engineers were trying today to determine whether the malfunction even warranted notification to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which governs product recalls.
He acknowledged that there is heightened sensitivity to product issues at the moment because of the headlines and congressional hearings surrounding Toyota's recall of millions of vehicles over safety concerns since late last year.
The Sonata repair will consist of replacing the front door-lock mechanism. Johnson said the replacement parts will begin reaching dealerships tomorrow, and the stop-sale will be lifted as soon as repairs are made.
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