One of the luxuries of owning an automobile with a sunroof is the ability to open up your car’s roof a little and let the wind blow through your hair. Naturally, a secondary benefit is also being able to close that sunroof in the case of rain or other bad weather, and that can be a little difficult if the sunroof is defective and completely shatters to pieces while a person is driving his car. While that sounds like a far-fetched idea, it’s something that Hyundai owners are finding all-too-real this week with the South Korean automobile manufacturer’s latest recall.
Specifically, as many as 13,500 2012 Hyundai Veloster coupes are being recalled because of a manufacturing defect that can lead to the vehicle’s uniquely larger panoramic sunroof breaking during vehicle operation. Obviously, this can be a very distracting and dangerous problem, as being showered with broken glass could not only provide physical injuries to both the driver and passengers, but it can also lead to an accident and further serious injury. Fortunately, Hyundai and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have yet to receive any reports of accidents.
However, there have already been five reported incidents of the glass shattering, which ultimately led to the NHTSA’s investigation that started in October. Hyundai will officially begin this recall in January, but Veloster owners can contact the manufacturer at (800) 633-5151 for additional information.
This is actually the first of two new recalls involving the 2012 Veloster coupes, as Hyundai is also recalling an additional 4,490 vehicles because of a defective parking brake. Specifically, according to the NHTSA, moisture and grime can cause the parking brake components to bind, which can cause the parking brakes to not fully engage or fail completely while the vehicle is parked. This could lead to a seemingly parked car suddenly rolling away, which could be dangerous to the driver, any passengers and even pedestrians.