DETROIT -
The executive, Brian Latouf, who joined Hyundai in 2019 after 27 years at General Motors, says he will focus on data analysis and testing to detect problems earlier and fix them. Latouf now has in place a safety team at the corporate headquarters in Seoul. And the safety group in North America has grown from 12 employees, when he started at the company, to 40 now.
The agency, which began an engineering analysis late last year, has said it will evaluate whether previous recalls covered enough vehicles. It also will monitor the effectiveness of recalls, "as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia."
The center, Brooks said, continues to receive complaints of engine failures that Hyundai and Kia won't fix because owners didn't sign up in time for a company-issued knock sensor to detect engine problems.Hyundai says that owners can go online to report problems, which it will address.