Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s No. 1 auto company, has been ordered to recall 68,000 of its luxury Equus and Genesis sedans that were made in 2011, due to defective engine parts, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday.

“Hyundai Motor was notified on March 28 to recall four cases of affected automobiles, including the Equus and Genesis, within 30 days. A forced recall will take place if the company does not carry out a voluntary recall within the given time period,” the ministry said.

The recall was ordered due to faulty fuel vapor canisters installed in the Equus and Genesis sedans produced in 2011 that may cause the car to stop while driving.

The fuel vapor canister is part of a vehicle’s pollution control system that captures vapor produced from the fuel tank. The canister mixes the vapor with air, which it sends to the engine.

The latest decision follows a series of recalls by the country’s largest automaker after a former employee and whistle-blower reported 32 possible defects to the ministry last year.

The ministry has confirmed and ordered recalls for three of the cases reported by the former employee, and is said to be reviewing other reports.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors recalled 171,348 units across five models due to faulty Theta Turbo 2.0 GDI engines here last week.

The recall is projected to cost the automakers up to 377 billion won ($329 million), according to Lee Jae-il, an analyst at Eugene Investment,

The two automakers also recalled a combined total of some 1.19 million vehicles in the US, and about 110,000 units in Canada last week.

Before a recall is ordered, the government investigates reported defects and hands over the case to an advisory group consisting of consumer organizations and other professionals to decide whether a recall is necessary.

When the advisory group finalizes a recall, the automaker has to submit a recall plan within 30 days of notification.

The automaker can be allowed 10 additional days by request. A compulsory recall proceeds if the automaker does not voluntarily handle the case.

“We are looking into the recall ordered by the ministry. If a recall is finalized we will do our best to minimize inconvenience for customers,” a Hyundai Motor spokesperson said.

“Local automakers and the government must acknowledge their responsibility and promptly deal with defects linked to passenger safety,” said Kim Pil-soo, a professor of automotive engineering at Daelim University.

“The series of recalls will deal a serious blow to Hyundai’s brand image and to loyal customers.”

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)