Hyundai Recalls 239,000 Cars Because Seat Belts Can Explode

Hyundai is recalling 239,000 cars in the U.S. because the seat belt pretensioners can explode and injure vehicle occupants. Three injuries have been reported, two in the U.S. and one in Singapore.

In a letter to the Korean automaker, government regulators said that the driver's and front passenger's seat belt pretensioners can explode upon deployment and send shrapnel throughout the vehicle. Pretensioners tighten the belts in preparation for a crash.

The recall, which expands and replaces three previous recalls, affects roughly 61,000 2019-2022 Accents, 166,000 2021-2023 Elantras and 12,000 2021-2022 Elantra HEVs, or hybrid electric vehicles, according to a recall notice from the the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Vehicles repaired under the previous recalls will need to be brought to dealerships again for the new remedy.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by first-class mail by and can go to a dealership, where the seat belt pretensioners will be fit with a cap at no cost. Vehicles that are no longer covered under a Hyundai warranty are eligible for repair. The automaker also will reimburse owners for out-of-pocket expenses they incur to get the defect fixed.

Hyundai is expected to notify owners by July 15, NHTSA said. For more information, owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and reference recall number 229. They can also call the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Earlier this month, Hyundai recalled more than 215,000 midsize cars in the U.S. because fuel hoses can leak in the engine compartment and cause fires. That recall covers certain 2013 and 2014 Sonata sedans, many of which were recalled for the same problem in 2020.

First published on May 24, 2022 / 1:37 PM

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