Seat belts can explode in Hyundai vehicles, prompting recall of a quarter million cars
Hyundai is recalling some 239,000 vehicles due to exploding seat belts, according to federal safety officials.
The nationwide recall affects the 2019-2022 Hyundai Accent, 2021-2023 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles, according to a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment,” officials said. This can launch metal fragments inside the vehicle and possibly injure passengers.
The automaker is working to determine what’s causing the “abnormal” deployment in some Hyundai vehicles. The new notice replaces previous recalls for certain Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEVs, meaning cars repaired under the previous recalls “will need to have the new remedy completed,” according to Hyundai.
The company said it is aware of three crashes that resulted in injuries from the exploding pretensioners, which lock the seat belt in place in the event of an accident or collision. Two of the incidents occurred in the U.S. and the other in Singapore.
What’s next?
To fix the issue, Hyundai dealers will secure the faulty seat belt pretensioners with a cap at no cost to owners, the recall notice says. Letters alerting customers to the issue will be mailed on July 15.
Hyundai owners can contact customer service at 1-855-371-9460 in reference to recall #229.
Owners may also call NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.nhtsa.gov.
This story was originally published May 24, 2022 at 3:06 PM.