Popular car brand pleads guilty to six criminal charges for late recall notices in Canada

Recalls are put in place to keep consumers safe, but what happens if a company delays sending out a notice to the public?

A popular car brand just found out.

Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. pleaded guilty to six criminal charges after violating Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. pleaded guilty to six criminal charges for violating the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. ⁰Hyundai failed to notify vehicle owners of recalls affecting their vehicles within the 60 days required by law. https://t.co/tQCZG8cCte pic.twitter.com/EZAu4QkFkw

— Transport Canada (@Transport_gc) April 18, 2023

The six guilty pleas were all for waiting too long to send out notices of multiple safety defects. According to Transport Canada, the recalls should’ve been sent out within 60 days.

“Canadians have a right to obtain timely information about safety issues impacting their vehicles,” said Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra in a statement.

“It is alarming that Hyundai failed to notify vehicle owners of a recall in a timely manner on six different occasions, which is why Transport Canada pursued criminal charges against the company.”

The six defects dating back to 2020 and 2021 involved serious safety risks.

The recalls affected nearly 300,000 vehicles and addressed safety risks relating to possible vehicle fires, reduced braking performance, and sudden loss of engine power.

Along with the guilty pleas, Hyundai will also pay a fine of $360,000 for these charges.

Transport Canada says the car brand’s guilty plea resolves the matter.

“The department will continue to closely monitor Hyundai’s compliance with Transport Canada’s requirements,” a statement reads.

In 2022, there were 749 recalls issued in Canada affecting just over 3.8 million vehicles, tires, and child restraint systems.