Hyundai recalls nearly 50K SUVs across US over issue that could affect airbag
More than 49,700 Hyundai Santa Fe and Sante Fe HEV sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are being recalled in America in response to a problem that can potentially affect the function of their airbags.
The recalled SUVs, which all belong to the model year 2024, could potentially experience "illumination of the air bag warning light, inadvertent air bag deployment, and/or an inability to deploy the air bags during a crash" because of an issue with their main floor wire harness, according to a recall report filed July 26 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
"The main floor wire harness used in the subject vehicles could become damaged due to contact with the passenger-side, second-row bench seat’s folding hinge assembly," the report explained.
FILE - A 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe sports utility vehicle (SUV) during the 2024 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in New York, on March 28, 2024. Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Hyundai Motors North America told FOX Business it issued the recall to address the issue in the affected U.S. Santa Fe gas and hybrid SUVs, plus 3,658 others in Canada, "to ensure the safety of its customers."
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"There are no confirmed crashes or injuries related to this condition in the U.S. or Canada," the automaker also said.
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Hyundai will send letters by Sept. 23 "with instructions to bring their vehicles to a Hyundai dealer to inspect and properly secure the wire harness" to affected U.S. owners, according to the NHTSA recall report.
Remedying the problem will involve dealers changing out damaged harnesses for new ones, the report said. That service, which is free, is already available.
"Additionally, Hyundai will provide owners of affected vehicles reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred to obtain a remedy for the recall condition in accordance with the reimbursement plan submitted to NHTSA on February 22, 2024," the report said.
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Production of the recalled gas-powered Santa Fe SUVs in the U.S. occurred between late December 2023 and mid-July of this year, according to the NHTSA. Meanwhile, Hyundai made the affected Santa Fe HEVs in a nearly 20-week span this year.
The model year 2024 of the Hyundai Santa Fe hit the market earlier this year.