Sometimes, a loose seal can cause a person to lose his or her hand. When it comes to cars, though, they generally just mess with engine functionality and cause frustration. That’s the reasoning behind Genesis’ latest recall — the engine part, not the limb loss.
Genesis has issued a recall for 8,059 examples of the 2018 Genesis G80 and the 2017-2018 Genesis G90. Both cars were built at Hyundai Motor Company’s Korean plant in Ulsan. The G80s carry build dates between Jan. 16, 2017 and Dec. 29, 2017, while the G90s carry build dates between June 13, 2016 and Dec. 29, 2017. Both models involved in the recall sport the 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 gas engine.
The issue stems from an oil supply pipe that feeds lubricant to the turbocharged. The pipe assemblies, as Genesis states in the recall document, “may have been produced with insufficient swaging pressure on the fitting located near its center union.” Long story short, it means there will be a loose seal at that location. If oil leaks out of that seal and onto the exhaust manifold, it might cause an engine fire. Owners might see oil spills or white smoke, possibly accompanied with a burning smell.
Genesis discovered the issue in February, after receiving a report of an engine fire in Korea. Eventually, it discovered a running production change related to the defective part, after which point warranty claims about oil leaks decreased. Eventually, Hyundai Motor Company found five warranty claims in the US for oil leaks from the turbocharger’s oil supply pipe, and the company decided to issue a recall. Thankfully, the automaker is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem.
Upon taking recalled vehicles back to the dealership, technicians will replace the turbocharger’s oil supply pipe with the updated component, which will remedy the issue. Owners won’t need to seek reimbursement for work already performed, since the vehicles’ ages were well within range of the new-car warranty. Owners should expect to begin receiving recall notifications in the mail in September.
