Hyundai Motor Company, or simply Hyundai, is a South Korean multinational vehicle manufacturer. Seoul, South Korea is home to the company’s headquarters. Genesis Motor, a luxury automotive subsidiary, and Ioniq, an electric vehicle sub-brand, make up the Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai automobiles have 5,000 dealerships and showrooms in 193 countries. The corporation employs around 75,000 people all across the world. However, recently Hyundai has issued a nationwide safety recall for massive vehicles due to the risk of certain seat belt pre-tensioner exploding.
Let me inform you about the safety recall before I go into this update:
Your car’s safety and service are crucial to you as a car owner. You are automatically secured if your car poses no dangers. However, your car or any of its components may have the potential to harm you and any passengers in your vehicle. As a result, certain vehicle corporation recalls your car to keep you safe.
What is a safety recall?
When a manufacturer determines that your vehicle, any of its components, your car seat, or a tire poses a safety risk, it issues a recall. A recall is a must if the above-mentioned items fail to fulfill the minimum safety criteria. The company resolves the issue by fixing it. The company will either replace the vehicle or refund your money if the damage is beyond repair. In some circumstances, repurchasing the vehicle may be a possibility. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will force the company to recall the car if it does not do so on its own.
The United States Code for Motor Vehicle Safety uses the term “defect” in its definition of motor vehicle safety. It refers to any difficulty with the vehicle’s performance. The issue may be present in all cars of the same design or all equipment of the same sort. It may be the reason to compromise the vehicle’s safety.
It is self-evident that your safety is compromised if your vehicle is issued for a safety recall. Safety Act and Federal Rule mandate The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to monitor the recalls. NHTSA ensures that car owners receive effective and timely remedies from companies. Keep in mind that if the company has issued your vehicle for recall for safety reasons, your manufacturer will repair the problem at no cost to you.
Safety Recall Notification and what to do next?
Manufacturers are responsible for notifying owners of recalled products. However, this only occurs if you have registered your vehicle. Keep your registration up to date, as well as your mailing address. There are also apps for recall alerts. Even if you do not receive notification, the manufacturer is liable for providing a free cure.
Contact your local dealership as soon as you receive a notification. You should follow the safety directions provided to you. Even if you are enrolled in a safety-improvement program, you should insist your dealer service your car. If a dealer refuses to fix after receiving a recall notification, contact the manufacturer right away. The dealer should service your car free of cost.
A company may perform a safety recall on its own or under the directions of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In any case, the manufacturer must file a public report describing the safety problem. It is the company’s responsibility to notify owners of a safety recall decision within 60 days of notifying NHTSA.
Let’s speak about the massive Hyundai recall now that you know the basics of safety recalls.
Hyundai has issued a recall for 239,000 vehicles due to seat belts that can explode. Owners of concerned vehicles should return to dealers for seat belt pre-tensioner repairs, according to the Korean carmaker. Before this massive Hyundai safety recall, the company issued several smaller recalls affecting a total of 7,712 vehicles. The first of the four recalls took place in October of last year. Owners who had their vehicles repaired for four earlier recalls, however, will need to do so again this time, according to the NHTSA.
This came to light when the media reported the injuries of three Hyundai owners. Two injuries were reported in Washington, and one was reported in Singapore, according to the Associated Press. A similar event made it to headlines in which the driver’s side seat belt pre-tensioner allegedly detonated in September, injuring a passenger in a 2021 Hyundai Elantra.
What are Pretensioners and what is wrong with them?
Seat belt pre-tensioner are components of seat belt assemblies that, in the case of a collision, retract the seat belt webbing instantly. They tighten seatbelts in the event of a collision to keep passengers safe. They prevent them from being propelled forward. The part that is creating the problem is the little pyrotechnic charge that is used to activate the seat belt retraction. It may result in shrapnel and metal fragments can scatter in the vehicle. It can cause significant injuries and seat belt explosions.
However, according to papers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company is still investigating the exact cause of the malfunction.
List of the vehicles issued for safety recall? Is your car one of them?
South Korean manufacturer Hyundai has issued a safety recall for the following three models:
The 2019-2022 Hyundai Accents, The 2021-2023 Hyundai Elantra, and The 2021-2022 Elantra HEVs.
There are 166,000 Elantra sedans, 12,000 Elantra hybrids, and 61,000 Accent economy vehicles among the total of 239,000 vehicles.
If your vehicle is on the list, what do you need to do?
The manufacturer will notify all owners of recalled vehicles, as per the protocol outlined above. They will inform the owners via first-class mail. It would contain instructions for taking your vehicle to a nearby Hyundai dealer. The service includes sealing the micro gas generator and delivery pipe of the belt pre-tensioner with a cap. The purpose of this is to avoid the possibility of an unexpected deployment. The company will carry out all the necessary inspections and repairs too. They will introduce differently and redesigned pre-tensioner assemblies in future models
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Hyundai will notify all owners of the afflicted vehicles by July 15th if they need to take any action.
Keep in mind that regardless of whether the affected vehicles are still protected by Hyundai’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty,” Hyundai is giving free-of-cost repairs to affected vehicles. They will also cover any out-of-pocket payments incurred in the repair of their owners of the vehicles.
