Hyundai Issues Recall Over Seatbelts Capable Of Injuring Drivers

Hyundai is recalling 239,000 cars in the United States because the seat belt pretensioners can explode and injure the people inside of the cars, according to authorities.

To date, three injuries have been reported -- two in the United States and one in Singapore, authorities said.

In a letter to the Korean automaker, government regulators said the driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt pretensioners can explode upon deployment and send shrapnel throughout the vehicle.

Pretensioners are what tighten the belts in preparation for a crash.

The recall expands and replaces three previous recalls, authorities said. Roughly 61,000 2019-2022 Accents, 166,000 2021-2023 Elantras and 12,000 2021-2022 Elantra HEVs, or hybrid electric vehicles will be affected by the recall, according to a recall notice from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Hyundai is expected to notify owners by July 15, the administration said.

Earlier this month, Hyundai recalled more than 215,000 midsize cars in the United States because fuel hoses can leak in the engine compartment and cause fires, according to the administration.