Hyundai Recalls 240K Cars Over Exploding Seat Belts

Hyundai - and anyone driving or riding in its vehicles - has another major safety problem on its hands.

The company recently announced that it is recalling nearly 240,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles. It told federal regulators that faulty seat belts in the cars could explode, injuring people inside and causing accidents.

“In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a letter acknowledging the recall. “An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.”

Hyundai is “still investigating” the “root cause” of the problem, the company said in a defect notice filed with NHTSA.

The new recall “expands and replaces three previous recalls,” according to ABC News. It covers certain 2019-2022 Accents, 2021-2023 Elantras and 2021-2022 Elantra hybrid electric vehicles. 

Hyundai told NHTSA it plans to notify owners of recalled cars by July 15. The company is asking owners to bring their cars to a local dealer for inspection and repair, at no cost. Owners whose cars have previously been recalled over the same defect will need to bring their vehicles in for another fix. Hyundai said it will pick up the tab for certain out-of-pocket expenses for owners who have already tried to get their vehicles repaired.

Safety Risks for Hyundai, Kia Owners

This is not the only problem that Hyundai and Kia have had ensuring that their vehicles are actually safe to drive.

The companies were forced to pay a combined $210 million, for example, after NHTSA found that they slow-played the recall of 1.6 million vehicles for engine problems.

More recently, Hyundai announced it was recalling some 26,000 vehicles whose windshields could detach in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injuries. The company said around the same time that it was also calling back 700 Santa Fe sport utility vehicles whose instrument panels were installed upside down.

Your California Lemon Law Rights

Fortunately, Hyundai, Kia and other vehicle owners in California do not have to wait for a recall to get defective cars fixed. You have some valuable rights and options under the California lemon law.

The lemon law requires car manufacturers to perform various repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. The law also forces auto companies to buy back (or replace, in some cases) cars that they cannot or will not fix. That includes compensating the owner for the vehicle’s purchase price, as well as financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

Talk with a San Diego Lemon Law Attorney

If you are stuck with a lemon or locked in a dispute with a car manufacturer over repairs, the San Diego lemon law attorneys at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help. 

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a San Diego lemon law attorney.