Back in December, Hyundai announced the recall of approximately 13,500 Veloster coupes because of a manufacturing defect involving the unique vehicle’s sunroof. The Veloster is actually somewhat defined by its large, panoramic sunroof, as the expansive view and open quality make the vehicle more attractive to some consumers. That’s why it was such a concern, though, that the South Korean automobile manufacturer had been receiving reports of the sunroofs cracking and breaking while people were driving these cars.
This week, the bad news for 2012 Hyundai Veloster owners continues, because the recall has been expanded to include an additional 6,100 vehicles. While the auto maker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have not reported any new accidents or injuries associated with this specific defect, there have still been five injury reports to date that involve the sunroofs breaking and shattering while Veloster vehicles were being operated, and some of those drivers reported receiving cuts and scratches as a result.
Obviously, if a sunroof of any size breaks and causes glass fragments to fall on a driver while the vehicle is moving, it can be an incredibly dangerous distraction that results in accident or injury. Therefore, Hyundai is urging Veloster owners who have not yet contacted the company about the initial recall and not received service on their vehicles to contact the company at (800) 633-5151 to determine if their Veloster is involved in this expansion.
Like the initial announcement, this expansion has nothing to do with the separate recall of the 2012 model Veloster in December, as another 4,490 cars were reported to possibly have defects involving their parking brakes. A manufacturing error led to some vehicles experiencing buildups of moisture and grime in the parking brake, which created the opportunity for vehicles to suddenly start moving when they were presumably parked.