Hyundai, Kia issues fifth recall over exploding seat belts

Fountain Valley, CA – July 6, 2022 – Hyundai (OTCMKTS:HYMTF) and Kia (OTCMKTS:KIMTF) are issuing recalls for 72,470 and 17,199 vehicles, respectively,  over a defect with the front seat belts. 

The pretensioners – which are parts of seat belts that allow it to tighten in a collision – could explode improperly in an accident, leading to an increased risk of injury. This is at least the fifth recall by Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia due to the same issue.

The recall covers the following models: 

  • 2020 – 2022 Hyundai Venue
  • 2021 – 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid
  • 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid   

Recall summary

A pretensioner retracts some of the webbing material used by a seat belt, using an explosive charge to lock the belt in place and secure occupants to their seats in the event of a crash. In the affected vehicles, an overpressurized pretensioner could send metal fragments into the cabin upon exploding.

It is not clear why this is occurring. However, according to the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents, the pretensioners involved in all five recalls were produced by the same supplier, Korean auto parts manufacturer Samsong, indicating a potential supplier error. The manufacturer runs all of its operations out of Mexico where it supplies parts for Kia, Hyundai and General Motors, according to press reports.

The component involved in this recall is the seat belt assembly with pretensioner, carrying part numbers 88810-P4500, 88820-P4500, 88810-K2500 and 88820-K2500.  

Recall risks

If a defective pretensioner is activated during a crash, metal fragments could shoot into the passenger compartment and injure the occupants.

Other Hyundai and Kia recalls

This is at least the fifth recall of Hyundai and Kia vehicles over malfunctioning seat belt pretensioners. At least three injuries have already been reported so far.

Previous Hyundai and Kia seat belt recalls include:

In addition to these, there was a small recall in March of this year for the same issue. Owners of the affected vehicles are being asked to bring their vehicles in for the remedy described below.

Other Kia Sorento recalls include one in June 2021 in which 2014–2015 Sorento SUVs were recalled over an issue with the anti-lock braking system (ABS), as reported.

The repair

At no charge, dealers will add a cap to the pretensioner, preventing it from deploying abnormally. Hyundai and Kia will reimburse customers who had their vehicles repaired before the recall order was announced. 

Affected Hyundai owners will be notified by mail by August 26, 2022, while affected Kia owners will be notified by August 19, 2022. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 89,000 vehicles are included in this Kia and Hyundai seat belt recall. To see if your vehicle is affected, run a Hyundai or Kia recall check using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.  

Joseph EstabilloHyundai, Kia issues fifth recall over exploding seat belts