Fountain Valley, CA – May 28, 2022 – Hyundai (OTCMKTS:HYMTF) is recalling 239,000 vehicles whose seat belt pretensioners – which are part of a mechanism that tightens the seat belt during a crash – may be defective. This increases the risk of injury to the driver and passengers.
The recall includes the following models:
- 2019 – 2022 Hyundai Accent
- 2021 – 2023 Hyundai Elantra
- 2021 – 2022 Hyundai Elantra HEV
Recall summary
Seat belt pretensioners help lock the seat belt in case of a collision. The vehicles in question have pyrotechnic pretensioners that are designed to deploy quickly and forcefully. In the affected vehicles, however, the pretensioners are at risk of exploding when deployed for unknown reasons.
The components involved are the seat belt assembly with pretensioner for the driver’s and passenger’s sides, with part numbers 88810-J0600, 88820-J0600, 88810-AA500 and 88820-AA500.
Recall risks
If the pretensioner explodes, it could send metal fragments into the vehicle, striking occupants and resulting in an injury.
Other recent Hyundai recalls
This is not the first pretensioner-related Hyundai seat belt recall that has been issued in recent months. In April there were 2021 – 2022 Hyundai Elantra and 2020 Hyundai Accent recalls over a similar issue. Another related recall was issued in October 2021.
In February, Hyundai issued the latest in a series of fire-related recalls. The subject vehicles may develop a fire inside the engine compartment, which could lead to injury.
Prior to that, some Hyundai vehicles were subjected to a recall over windshields that may detach. This has been attributed to a supplier error in which insufficient sealant was used to keep the windshield in place.
Repair
To remedy the issue, Hyundai dealers will install a cap intended to prevent the seat belt pretensioner from deploying abnormally. This will be at no cost to owners.
Vehicle owners can expect to receive communication regarding the repair program by July 15, 2022.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
This Hyundai Accent and Hyundai Elantra recall affects more than 200,000 vehicles. To perform a Hyundai recall check and see if your vehicle is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.