Genesis G90 Recalled in US After Paint Colour Found Responsible for Sudden Braking

A fault with Genesis G90 sedans in the US which remained undiagnosed since February this year has now been found to have a surprising cause – high aluminium content in the company’s Savile Silver paint finish. Genesis has confirmed at least 11 reports of sudden, undesired braking when on highways, and the issue affects only 483 units sold within the US, according to a new filing with the country’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. No crashes, fires, or injuries have been reported in connection with this issue.

In attempting to figure out the cause of the problem over several months, Genesis determined that its fault lay with its Highway Drive Assist feature, which allows semi-autonomous driving on some highways. This was causing the cars to automatically slam their brakes on, falsely believing a collision was imminent, when used in conjunction with the Lane Change Assist feature or at speeds below 12mph (19.3kmph). The behaviour could only be replicated on cars with the Savile Silver paint finish. Ultimately, the cause was found to be the car’s corner radar sensors picking up reflections that made it seem as though an object had suddenly appeared in an adjacent lane. 

After recovering the affected vehicles, performing further tests, and ruling out any software bug or sensor failure, Genesis and its parent company Hyundai Motor Company confirmed that aluminium flecks in the paint were reflecting radar waves that had passed through the bumper beam.

The company has advised current owners of Savile Silver G90 units, model years 2023 to 2026, to stop using the Highway Drive Assist feature immediately. Owners will have to take their cars to an authorised service location to have their front bumper beam replaced with a new, specifically engineered one that will block radar instead of reflecting it. The company will compensate owners for any expenses incurred in the process, and there will be no costs even for vehicles that are out of warranty.  

Those in India looking forward to the now-confirmed launch of the Genesis brand here need not worry, as Genesis has confirmed that no other models and colours are affected. It says it voluntarily stopped producing new Savile Silver G90 units in November and will apply mitigations at the manufacturing level before reintroducing this colour as an option.