Genesis recalls over 65,000 cars for potential exploding seat belt pretensioners

Genesis has issued a recall that applies to over 65,000 units of the G80, GV60, GV70 and GV80 built between 2020 and 2023. The vehicles included in the campaign are fitted with front seat belt pretensioners that can explode in an accident and pelt shrapnel into the cabin.

Assigned recall number 23V-094 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the campaign includes 9,720 units of the G80 built between July 2020 and January 2023, 940 units of the GV60 built between February and December 2022, 21,917 units of the GV70 built between March 2021 and January 2023 and 32,940 units of the GV80 (pictured) built between July 2020 and December 2022.

Genesis estimates that the defect is present in about 1% of the 65,517 cars it’s recalling, but the issue is potentially serious. The cars that are part of the campaign are equipped with pyrotechnic-type seat belt pretensioners that can “deploy abnormally in certain crashes due to [an] over-pressurization of the pretensioner pipe,” according to the manufacturer. In turn, this problem can send “metal fragments” flying across the cabin, which increases the risk of an injury. Genesis parent company Hyundai isn’t aware of any injuries or fatalities, however.

It sounds like there’s no way to predict whether a pretensioner will explode. Genesis points out that “the potential for this condition is dependent on vehicle characteristics, pretensioner load limiter specification, airbag control unit logic, and crash duration and severity.”

Owners of affected cars will be notified by mail starting in April 2023. They’ll be asked to bring their vehicle to the nearest dealer so that a technician can secure the seat belt pretensioner’s micro gas generator and delivery pipe with a cap to prevent abnormal deployment.

This isn’t the first time that Hyundai has issued a recall to address exploding seat belt pretensioners. In November 2021, the firm issued recall number 21V-796 to replace the part in 978 units of the Elantra, Venue, GV70, and GV80. Genesis stresses that GV70s and GV80s whose pretensioners were replaced as part of the last recall also need to have the new remedy completed. Elantra and Venue owners seemingly don’t need to worry: over 300,000 cars built by Hyundai and sister company Kia have already been recalled to correct this problem.

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