Hyundai Recalls Cars With Remote Parking Assist Over Software Error

On April 16, the NHTSA revealed that Hyundai has recalled certain cars featuring its Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) feature due to a software issue. The system is only available in a couple of Hyundai models, limiting the recall to a bit under 12,000 vehicles total. Hyundai reported the issue on April 9, according to the NHTSA, which notes in a letter that the software error 'increases the risk of a crash.'

The newly announced recall involves the 2020 Hyundai Nexo and 2020 Hyundai Sonata vehicles, specifically ones that were sold with the Remote Smart Parking Assist. With this feature, the car is able to automatically move in certain ways for easier parking, including in times when the driver isn't actually in the vehicle.

The software issue that prompted the recall involves a bug that may cause the vehicle to keep moving even if a problem is detected, which means there's a chance the car may strike something. The solution will come in the form of a software update that fixes the bug behind the RSPA issue.

A total of 11,870 units are recalled under this notice. As expected, Hyundai will notify affected car owners itself, after which point the recalled vehicles can be taken a dealer to have the software reprogrammed. This, of course, will be a free repair. Hyundai expects at this time that the recall will officially start on June 4.

For its part, the NHTSA explains that Hyundai itself found the software issue during its routine developmental testing back in February. New vehicles with the remote parking assist feature already feature the software fix; this recall covers the ones that were already sold before the issue was discovered.