Hyundai and Genesis Recall More Vehicles to Fix Exploding Seat Belt Issue

Keith Barry
·3 min read
8

The seat belt pretensioners on some Santa Fe Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid SUVs and Genesis Electrified G80 sedans could explode and injure occupants during a crash

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid

By Keith Barry

Hyundai is recalling some 2021-2022 Santa Fe Hybrid SUVs and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid SUVs because their front seat belt pretensioners may explode and cause injuries during a crash. The Genesis Electrified G80 is also included in the recall. In total, about 15,000 vehicles will need a repair from a dealership, which will be free.

A seat belt pretensioner is an important safety device that uses a controlled explosive charge to tighten the belt at the onset of a crash to prevent injury. But in these recalled vehicles, the pretensioners could explode in a way that sends metal fragments toward the vehicle’s occupants.

To fix the problem, Hyundai and Genesis dealerships will install a protective cap on the faulty pretensioners free of charge.

This isn’t Hyundai’s first recall involving faulty seat belt pretensioners. Earlier this year, it recalled over 239,000 Elantra and Accent sedans and more than 72,000 Venue SUVs. And Kia recalled more than 17,000 Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-In Hybrid SUVs to fix a similar problem. Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia share the same corporate owner, and all three automakers used seat belt pretensioners made by the same supplier.

In documents provided to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Hyundai said it wasn’t aware of any crashes or injuries related to this specific recall. But there are three reports of injuries due to similar seat belt failures in other Hyundai vehicles. The automaker also said that internal tests showed no risk of pretensioner explosion in Santa Fe Hybrid and Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid models destined for the North American market, but that out of an abundance of caution it would issue a recall after tests indicated potential safety concerns for vehicles sold in other countries.

Learn more about car recalls at CR’s guide to recalls.

The Details

Vehicles Recalled
• Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid SUVs manufactured between Dec. 18, 2020, and July 26, 2022.
• Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid SUVs manufactured between May 13, 2021, and July 21, 2022.
• Genesis Electrified G80 sedans manufactured between Feb. 23, 2022, and Aug. 13, 2022.

The problem: A part of the seat belt pretensioner was overpressurized during the manufacturing process. As a result, it may explode in a way that injures occupants during a crash.

The fix: Dealerships will add a cap to both front seat belt pretensioners that will prevent them from deploying in a way that could injure occupants.

How to contact the manufacturer: Owners of Hyundai and Genesis vehicles can call Hyundai at 855-371-9460. Hyundai will contact owners by mail starting Dec. 30, 2022. 22V816.

NHTSA campaign number: Hyundai’s number for this recall is 238/011G. (It’s the same for Genesis models.) This recall is an expansion of recall numbers 22V354 and 22V458.

Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.

If you plug your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have one. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly.



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