Hyundai Motor America will send out safety recall notifications this week to owners of the 2020-2021 Hyundai Palisade. According to documentation submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there is an issue with the windshield wiper motor, which could reportedly become inoperable and cause the wipers to fail.
Photo by Thibault Valjevac on Unsplash
In documentation sent to NHTSA, Hyundai writes that the motor, the P63H wiper motor, could function intermittently or cease functioning with the accumulation of snow and ice.
“Intermittent or inoperative windshield wipers could reduce driver visibility while operating the vehicle in inclement weather, increasing the risk of a crash,” Hyundai writes.
As many as 122,919 vehicles could be affected by the recall. The issue affects Palisades produced from April 10, 2019, through Feb. 16, 2021. The new model of wiper motor was used in production starting Dec. 1, 2020.
Hyundai issued a quality information report in August 2020 after receiving an increased number of warranty claims for “windshield-wiper-related concerns.” Following a parts analysis, Hyundai says it was confirmed that two of the six analyzed components of the motor were inoperative. As of Hyundai’s filing with NHTSA, it has received reports of 57 “unique incidents” From the end of July 2019 through June 8, 2022. No confirmed crashed or injuries have been reported.
“The root cause is currently under investigation; however, Hyundai suspects a sudden increase in wiper system load could cause circuit breaker actuation within the wiper motor resulting in temporary inoperability,” Hyundai continues. “Wiper operation resumes once the circuit breaker resets and/or the windshield is cleared of obstructions.”
According to Hyundai’s notification to NHTSA, dealers and vehicle owners will be notified of the recall on Friday, Oct. 14.
