Hyundai recently issued a recall that affected 239,000 vehicles. According to the recall, the seat belts in these vehicles have the potential to explode and hurt the people wearing them.
CBS News reported that the faulty seat belts had injured three people. Two people were injured in the United States and one in Singapore.
According to the recall, the problem is a part called the pretensioner. This portion of the seat belt tightens the belt before a crash occurs.
Government regulators informed the Korean carmaker that these pretensioners have the potential to explode, causing shrapnel to fly through the air and injure someone. The government is concerned with pretensioners attached to the front passenger and driver’s seats.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent a recall notice to the vehicles’ owners that listed the following vehicles: 61,000 2019-2022 Accents, 166,000 2021-2023 Elantras, and 12,000 2021-2022 Elantra Hybrids.
Hyundai issued another recall just a few weeks ago that affected 215,000 vehicles. That recall was regarding fuel hoses that could potentially leak and cause engine fires.
Newsweek reports that certain vehicles may be subject to the current recall and previous recalls.
NHTSA reported the driver and a passenger in a 2021 Hyundai Elantra suffered injuries after the seat belt pretensioner exploded on the driver’s side. The carmaker is aware of the other incident where an occupant sustained injuries.
If your vehicle is on the recall list, Hyundai will send you a letter telling you to take your vehicle to the Hyundai dealer. The dealer will secure the parts needed to ensure the pretensioner deploys properly.
Hyundai dealers in the United States and all owners of recalled vehicles will receive notification by July 15. If notified, owners will be required to take their vehicles to a Hyundai dealer.
Hyundai will fix every vehicle affected by the recall without charge, regardless of warranty status. If owners of the recalled vehicles incur any charges, Hyundai says they will reimburse those costs.
Hyundai did not state that it was going to replace any of the recalled vehicles. The company did say it will repair the recalled vehicles without charge and will make changes to the manufacturing process moving forward.