More Than 2,000 Hyundai Santa Fe Units Withdrawn In Australia, This Is The Cause

JAKARTA The latest generation of Hyundai Santa Fe, which debuted in the middle of last year with a radical design, is now facing a big challenge in Australia. Despite having received a positive response, this SUV has a problem in the form of recall of more than 2,000 units.

A total of 2,065 Santa Fe units were forced to be withdrawn due to damage to a series of airbag cables. According to the Australian Department of Infrastructure, this problem arose due to production defects where the cable under the rear passenger seat was not properly installed. Over time, the cable was at risk of being damaged due to the adjustment of the seat position, which could result in the side airbag not functioning properly.

"This damage can occur due to repeated seat adjustments, causing side air bags in the rear seats not to be properly installed or even failed to function," said a representative of the Infrastructure Department, quoted from Drive, Thursday, September 12.

However, Hyundai stated that they had not received any reports related to the accident or incident caused by this problem in Australia. As an anticipatory measure, Hyundai appealed to the affected Santa Fe owners to immediately contact the official dealer to carry out checks and repairs if needed.

Hyundai ensures that this recall process is carried out free of charge for consumers. The South Korean manufacturer will notify customers via email, text messages, and physical mail sent by post.

This withdrawal news is certainly a challenge for Hyundai, especially since Santa Fe is planned to enter other markets, including Indonesia. In the country, Santa Fe Hybrid is already registered in the Motor Vehicle Selling Value (NJKB) at prices ranging from Rp432 million to Rp445 million. However, keep in mind that the price of NJKB does not include taxes and other additional costs, so the final price on the market may be different.

Globally, the Hyundai Santa Fe is available in two variants of the engine: pure gasoline and Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV). The hybrid gasoline variant uses a 1.6 liter turbo engine that produces 209 dk of power and 367 Nm of torque, with a choice of two or four wheels driving. While the PHEV variant offers up to 246 dk of power and is only available in four-wheel drive configurations.

With the recall that occurred in Australia, Hyundai must ensure that Santa Fe remains attractive in the eyes of global consumers, especially in new markets such as Indonesia.