The Hyundai emblem at a Hyundai dealersh

The Hyundai emblem at a Hyundai dealership in Los Angeles on September 27, 2010. South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor is recalling nearly 140,000 of its Sonata sedans in the United States due to a steering problem. The company is recalling 139,500 2011 model-year vehicles due to the problem in which "the driver could experience a loss of, or reduction in, steering capability increasing the risk of a crash," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The recall comes at a sensitive time for the global auto industry after Japan's Toyota was forced to recall millions of vehicles worldwide earlier in the year. Hyundai's US auto sales rose 8.3 percent to 435,064 in 2009, giving it a market share there of 4.2 percent compared to 3 percent in 2008. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)