The action—which affects 46,000 cars in South Korea and 1,300 in the U.S.—came after customers in the U.S. complained that, in certain circumstances, the latch gets stuck after the door is opened and then can't be closed.
A company spokeswoman said the problem happens when a passenger simultaneously pulls the door latch and holds down the lock, an unusual circumstance but common enough to send the company scrambling for a fix.
There have been no accidents or injuries reported to the company in connection with the problem. But it came at a time of increased scrutiny on vehicle flaws, shaped mainly by troubles at Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest auto maker by vehicle sales. That company in recent weeks has been forced to recall several models to deal with quality issues. Toyota President Akio Toyoda was set to appear before U.S. lawmakers Wednesday.
Shares in Hyundai Motor fell 2.6% on the Korea Stock Exchange after news of the recall emerged. Some analysts said they believed investors overreacted and that the financial impact of the recall would be minimal.
