Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

Affected vehicles (2)

Component / system

Defect

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.

Risk / consequence

An air bag inflator that ruptures may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 13, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 300. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 16, 2026.

Chronology of events

1. December 2023

   Month(s): September - December 2023 September – Hyundai’s North America Safety Office (“NASO”) received ARC’s response and files under the provisions of the Protective Agreement issued on August 24, 2023, in EA16-003. NASO began investigating potential impact to U.S. market vehicles equipped with dual-stage hybrid inflators produced by ARC, monitoring field data and establishing routine (weekly) reviews of airbag-related claims and customer complaints. October – NASO engaged Northrup Grumman (“NG”) for airbag inflator condition/performance investigation support. An initial meeting to develop and review the full investigation plan was held with NG on October 23, 2023. November – NASO engaged a third-party for support in recovering airbag inflators for study from recyclers across the U.S. The initial target for recovery was set to 1,000 units from specific vehicles grades/trims. December 14 – NASO met with NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) for a full update of its investigation plan and planned partnerships. December 19 – Hyundai submitted its response to NHTSA’s Initial Decision issued in EA16-003. Hyundai also joined the Comments of Safety Professionals filed on the same date. Month(s): January – June 2024 January through February – NASO began preparation for on-site inspection procedures of recovery parts with its Safety Testing & Investigation Laboratory (“STIL”). 100 parts were recovered during this period. March 13 – The STIL developed and implemented advanced CT methodologies based on input from Northrop Grumman, focusing on gray value and weld flash. April 10 – NASO met with ODI for an update of its findings to date. April through June – NASO continued recovering parts for analysis by the STIL and procured the supplier approval drawings associated with the subject inflators. By June-end, over 800 inflators were recovered for study. Month(s): July – December 2024 July 29 – NASO began preparing to execute recovery parts forwarding to NG for dissection and analysis. Joint weekly meetings to review findings and parts logistics were initiated. August through December – The STIL began shipping specifically selected inflators based on propellant condition or anomalies, such as weld flash to NG. Additionally, an estimated 30 parts were sent to Baker Hughes, to validate STIL CT scanning capabilities. October – Hyundai submitted its response to NHTSA’s Supplemental Initial Decision issued in EA16-003. Hyundai also joined the Comments of Safety Professionals filed on the same day. November through December – NG informed NASO of preliminary findings, which included scans of abnormal propellant appearance and non-homogeneous structure in some inflators. NASO visited NG’s inspection facilities to confirm dissection procedures and findings on December 3. Month(s): January – March 2025 January 5 – NASO requested information from ARC regarding propellant observations based on initial findings from Northrup Grumman. January through March – NG continued investigative activities into abnormal propellant identified through recovery part dissections, including 3D volumetric density measurement, FTIR analysis, and micro-CT scans. During this period, all identified abnormal propellant wafers could be traced to a specific production lot. March 17 – NASO met with ARC to review its preliminary findings. Month(s): April – December 2025 April through August – NG continued its investigation through crush and closed-bomb testing of lower-density propellant wafers. Initial findings indicated lower mechanical strength and faster burn rate in these wafers. September 16 – Identified low-density wafers from suspect production lots were forwarded by NG to ARC for further analysis. September 17 – NASO met with ODI for an update of its findings to date. October through November – NASO continued meeting with ARC to review recovery part analysis findings and the results of replication testing performed by ARC. December 16 – NASO initiated a special customer outreach to owners with vehicles known to contain inflators from specific production lots. Month(s): January – May 2026 January through February – NG continued with validation efforts of its analysis findings. NASO continued meeting with ARC to review and complete open investigation action items. During this period, ARC acknowledged lower-density propellant wafer production limited to certain lots; however, according to ARC, these wafers are expected to have minimal impact to deployment. February 17 – NASO met with NG to discuss findings to date. March through April – The STIL performed 60-L tank deployment testing on inflators obtained from suspect production lots confirmed by ARC. The STIL’s findings were shared with NASO on April 30. May 7 – Based on its investigation findings to date, including the recent tank testing performed at the STIL, NASO’s North America Safety Decision Authority (“NASDA”) convened to review the complete findings and decided to conduct a safety recall of affected vehicles in the U.S. Field Counts As of the date of the decision, there are no incidents, crashes, fires, or injuries related to this condition in the U.S. market.

Notification schedule

Dealer notification

Jul 13, 2026 - Jul 13, 2026 No Dealers

Owner notification

Jul 13, 2026 - Jul 13, 2026 Phased Recall