Hyundai Recalls Sonata and Sonata Hybrid for Air Bag Defect
Hyundai is recalling 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles because the air bag control unit may short circuit, preventing safety systems from deploying in a crash.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where safety systems may fail to deploy, resulting in an increased risk of injury to occupants in a crash.
Plain-English summary
Hyundai Motor America is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The recall was initiated after Hyundai notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit in the event of a crash. This defect can prevent the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying.
If these safety systems fail to deploy during a vehicle crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. The recall covers 580,058 vehicles in total, including 154,753 model year 2011 Sonata vehicles and an additional 425,305 model year 2012-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install an external wire filter kit free of charge. The recall began on October 15, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information.
The recalled product
- Product
- HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID, SONATA
- Brand
- HYUNDAI
- Manufacturer
- Hyundai Motor America
- Affected units
- 580,058
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (2)
- SONATA HYBRID
- SONATA
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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