© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Hyundai is recalling 239,000 cars for exploding seat belt parts

NPR | By The Associated Press
Published May 24, 2022 at 2:49 PM EDT
An unsold 2019 Accent sedan sits at a Hyundai dealership in Littleton, Colo. on May 19, 2019. Hyundai is recalling 239,000 cars because the seat belts can explode and injure vehicle occupants.
David Zalubowski
/
AP
An unsold 2019 Accent sedan sits at a Hyundai dealership in Littleton, Colo. on May 19, 2019. Hyundai is recalling 239,000 cars because the seat belts can explode and injure vehicle occupants.

WASHINGTON — Hyundai is recalling 239,000 cars in the U.S. because the seat belt pretensioners can explode and injure vehicle occupants. Three injuries have been reported, two in the U.S. and one in Singapore.

In a letter to the Korean automaker, government regulators said that the driver's and front passenger's seat belt pretensioners can explode upon deployment and send shrapnel throughout the vehicle. Pretensioners tighten the belts in preparation for a crash.

The recall, which expands and replaces three previous recalls, includes 2019-2022 Accents, 2021-2023 Elantras and 2021-2022 Elantra HEVs, or hybrid electric vehicles. Vehicles repaired under the previous recalls will need to be brought to dealerships again for the new remedy.

Owners will be able to take their recalled vehicles to dealerships where the seat belt pretensioners will be fit with a cap at no cost. Hyundai is expected to notify owners by July 15, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said.

For more information, owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and reference recall number 229. They can also call the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
National News
The Associated Press
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Environment
    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Introduction
    Dr. Jerry Jackson
    The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker nests well to the north of us, but winters in Florida, other Gulf states, and the Caribbean. Older males tend to winter farther north, while females and first-year birds winter farther south. Males must return early to establish nesting territories and by staying farther north in winter, they are better able to deal with late cold weather sometimes encountered. Females return to breeding areas about a week later than males.Male Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers can be identified by their red throat. Females and fledgling males have a white throat; young males begin to show red throat feathers early in their second year. Young sapsuckers have dark streaks on the side of the breast and belly; adults show a “cleaner” yellowish belly and distinct black bib on the breast.
  • Environment
    Wildfire along Lake Okeechobee at 8,600 acres, 100% contained
    WGCU Staff
    A wildfire burning along Lake O in Okeechobee County is at 8,600 acres, information from the Florida Forestry Service said.
  • Construction is moving swiftly on new affordable housing in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on April 16, 2020. Original public domain image from Flickr
    Government & Politics
    Okeechobee County to start collecting impact fees
    Eileen Kelley
    About 2/3rds of the counties in Florida charge fees for new development