Unexpected recall reason: car paint causes false braking
It’s not an everyday situation when a luxury car is recalled for being too shiny, but that’s exactly what happened with Genesis. The manufacturer initiated a small but astonishing recall that resembles a radar physics study more than a standard safety notice.
The problem is that the flagship G90 sedan can suddenly brake because its silver paint reflects radar signals too strongly. In this case, phantom braking is not a software glitch or a sensor defect, but the result of the car’s own paint interfering with the driver assistance system’s operation.
According to documents from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the United States, the issue affects only 483 G90 vehicles from model years 2023 through 2026.
What exactly causes the problem?
Genesis engineers traced a series of false object detections in the G90’s Highway Drive Assist (HDA) system to one external factor: Savile Silver paint. Its premium formula with high aluminum content creates glints that the corner radar sensors mistakenly perceive as a car veering into your lane.
The report explains that radar signals from the sensors mounted on the G90’s front corners can reflect off the aluminum flakes in the silver bumper, pass through the bumper beam, and return as if something is in the adjacent lane.
The luxury sedan, believing a collision is seconds away, may apply sudden braking, sometimes without warning, especially at speeds below 20 km/h or when the lane change assist function is activated.
Engineers were able to replicate this behavior only on bumpers painted in Savile Silver, confirming that no other G90 color causes this effect. Testing continued throughout the summer and fall of 2025 before Hyundai/Genesis acknowledged that the paint was the cause. Given how long it took engineers to figure this out, one can imagine how perplexed customers were.
Owner’s experience
At least one complaint to the NHTSA is likely related to this issue. A customer writes:
For almost a year, I have been reporting a serious safety issue with the car to the dealership. A situation occurs where the car brakes sharply on the highway for no apparent reason. The car brakes at highway speeds while straddling two lanes. Any car behind me in either lane could easily crash into my car when this happens.
It took the dealership and Genesis management nearly 8 months to confirm the problem, even though I had video evidence of the event. They did not accept my video proof. Eventually, they finally confirmed the problem and have been trying to fix it for several months. They have no idea why it’s happening or how to fix it. But they have acknowledged the car is unsafe to drive and are not returning it to me.
How the problem is being resolved
Genesis confirms it has received 11 reports of this issue, but there have been no accidents or injuries. The manufacturer has instructed owners to immediately stop using the Highway Driving Assist system until repairs are completed.
Dealers will replace the front bumper beam with a new sealed design intended to block stray radar reflections. The automaker is temporarily halting production of Savile Silver paint until the fix is integrated into the process.
This case clearly demonstrates how complex and interconnected modern automotive technologies have become. The problem arose at the intersection of materials science (paint composition) and high-precision electronics (radar operation). It also highlights the challenges engineers face when diagnosing non-standard faults, where the cause can be something seemingly completely unrelated, like body color. For owners, it’s also a story about the importance of patience and persistence in seeking solutions to safety issues, even if the manufacturer needs time to find the root cause. Temporarily disabling certain driver assistance systems is a cautious step that prioritizes safety over convenience until a final resolution is reached.