Hyundai Recalls 443K Sonatas, Hybrids for Defective Seat Belts

The 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid recall will begin October 2017 when shops will verify the connections between the seat belt linkages and the pretensioners, and additionally install warning labels to prevent future seat belt linkage detachments.

Oct. 23, 2017

Oct. 23, 2017—Hyundai announced it's recalling 443,500 model year 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid sedans that have already been recalled before for the same seat belt problems, according to a CarComplaints.com report.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation in January 2017 to determine why seat belts failed in a Sonata crash.

The front seat belt assembly in the Hyundai Sonata uses a seat belt anchor pretensioner fastened to the car's inner structure.

The anchor pretensioner is fastened to the inner sill before it's connected to the seat belt linkage.

However, the seat belt can detach from the anchor pretensioner if the connector does not fully latch when the linkage is pressed onto the connector.

The 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid recall will begin October 2017 when shops will again verify the connections between the seat belt linkages and the pretensioners, and additionally install warning labels to prevent future seat belt linkage detachments.

FenderBender previously reported the automaker recalled several thousand Sonatas because of risks that the vehicles’ engines were a threat to stall and fail and possibly cause a crash.