Hyundai and Kia's exploding seat belt
woes could be worse than we originally thought after a federal agency has opened up the possibility to expand the current recall
to cover more vehicles. Exploding seat belts
Jalopnik
reports that around 230,000 Hyundai Elantras were recalled in May due to a seat belt pre-tensioner that could explode, potentially causing injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated this week that about 275,000 vehicles could be affected by the issue, including the Elantras as well as some Genesis and Kia models.
This includes the 2020-2021 Hyundai Accent, 2021-2022 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid and Elantra, 2021 Hyundai Venue, 2021 Genesis GV80, and 2022 Genesis GV70, as well as the 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid Plug-in and Hybrid.
An ongoing investigation
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) noted that Samsung manufactured the affected pre-tensioners, which can rupture due to a manufacturing error and expel shrapnel.
The organization knows of three cases involving the defective seat belt pre-tensioners; in all three cases, the driver-side pre-tensioner deployed when it wasn't supposed to, which expelled metal fragments entering the rear passenger cabin and injured occupants.
A Hyundai spokesperson told Automotive News
that "Hyundai has maintained regular and open communication with NHTSA regarding these recalls and will continue to provide relevant information and data throughout the recall query process.” Five recalls
NHTSA has issued five recalls related to the seatbelt pre-tensioner issue; because of the serious nature of the seat belt failures, NHTSA's ODI opened a Recall Query to see whether or not the automaker's current recall actions are enough to remedy the issue.
If not, the agency might rule to expand the recall to more potentially affected vehicles.
Dealers will fix the affected seat belt pre-tensioners at no cost to the customer, per the automakers, which are both owned by parent company Hyundai Motors.
It's the latest recall for the Korean automakers; earlier in 2022, Kia and Hyundai issued recalls for nearly 500,000 vehicles after engines spontaneously caught fire in the U.S.
This string of recalls could cause these automakers' once-exceptional reputations for quality and reliability to take a dive.
MORE: Hyundai Might be Facing a Massive Recall
What to do if you think your vehicle is recalled
As always, you can see if your vehicle is party to any recalls
by visiting NHTSA's website
. You'll also typically get recall notices mailed to you from the automaker. In the meantime, it might be a good idea for you to buy or lease a new brand of vehicle, given Hyundai's and Kia's track record of late. While you're doing that, you should consider revisiting your car insurance.
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