Hyundai Recalls 239k Vehicles for “Abnormally Exploding Seat Belt Part”

This voluntary recall affects sedans manufactured before 2019.

Hyundai Motors America announced a huge recall campaign for two of its sedans. What is the culprit? The culprit?

NHTSA Recall Number. 22V-354 states that the recall affects 239,000 Hyundai sedans, with just 1% of them affected.

61,000 of these units are Hyundai Accent units that were manufactured by Kia Motor Mexico between April 22, 2019 and May 22, 2022 for sale in the US. Some units were part of an earlier recall.

Around 166,000 units of total units are Hyundai Hyundai Elantra sedans. These were manufactured by Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama between September 12, 2020, and May 22, 2022. Around 12,000 units of total Hyundai Elantra Hybrids were produced between December 15, 2020 and May 9, 2022.

Hyundai Recalls 239k Vehicles for "Abnormally Exploding Seat Belt Part"

Hyundai Recalls 239k Vehicles for "Abnormally Exploding Seat Belt Part"

The problem lies in the seat belt pretensioners, which may malfunction during a crash. This could lead to metal fragments entering the cabin, which can potentially cause injury to the occupants.

A previous recall affected some Elantra and Accent units. Despite the small number of affected units, the manufacturing records for vehicles with the subject seatbelt pretensioners determined the recall population.

It is still not clear what caused the problem. Hyundai stated that it is currently investigating the issue.

Owners and dealers of Hyundai will be notified on or before July 15, 2022. To prevent any abnormal deployment, the seat belt pretensioner’s micro gas generator will need to be secured with a cap. This service will be provided at no cost and covered by reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses.