Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, is recalling 65,000 Elantra sedans in the U.S. to replace a fuel pump that may lose pressure and degrade the engine's performance.

The voluntary recall affects 2008 model-year Elantras with a 2.0-liter Beta engine, according to a letter from the Seoul- based automaker posted on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Some fuel pumps installed from Nov. 5 to June 28 may lose pumping pressure as gasoline with ethanol produces a buildup of film on the units' electrical contacts, leading to poor starting or engine hesitation, Hyundai said. The automaker said it wasn't aware of any injuries related to the defect.

The Elantra is Hyundai's second-best selling vehicle in the U.S. after the Sonata. Sales of the model rose 25 percent this year through July to 72,432 units, according to Autodata Corp. in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Hyundai said it will begin notifying owners about the recall next month. Miles Johnson, a spokesman for the automaker at its U.S. headquarters in Fountain Valley, California, declined to say what the pump replacements may cost Hyundai.

Dealers have been alerted about the work, and Elantra owners won't be charged, Johnson said in an interview.

The recall is Hyundai's second such widespread step in the U.S. this year. In April, the automaker recalled almost 400,000 Sonatas for a passenger air bag that may not deploy when the seat is occupied by a small adult.

To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Bensinger in New York at gbensinger1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 27, 2008 13:23 EDT