Hyundai fined $17.35M for brake defect

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said automaker Hyundai has agreed to pay a fine of $17.35 million for delayed reporting of a brake defect affecting its Genesis luxury cars.

The defect involves corrosion in critical brake system components in model years 2009-2012 that Hyundai was aware of in 2012, the Associated Press reports. Rather than issue a recall, the company instructed dealers to change brake fluid in affected vehicles without explaining the increased risk of a crash associated with not taking that action.

Genesis owners also were not notified of the need for the fluid change. In October 2012, the automaker recalled 27,500 of the cars just hours before a government investigation was opened.

Read more from the Associated Press.