Hyundai Elantra recalled for airbag issues

The first recall exercise involves 95,783 Elantra sedans built from between July 14, 2006 to August 29, 2007. In this case, the air bag control module may receive an unstable electrical signal from the seat track position sensor and cause the driver's airbag to deploy at a higher pressure than intended. To fix the problem, the Hyundai's dealers will reprogram the air bag control module free of charge.

The second recall exercise involves around 188,697 cars built from July 14, 2006 to November 1, 2008. For this instance, Hyundai said that the weight sensor that deactivates the right frontal airbag when occupants of certain weights occupy the seat may become contaminated and malfunction causing the airbag deploy in crashes in which it should not deploy. Hyundai said it will fix this issue by installing a protective cover over the weight classification system connector to prevent contamination.

Hyundai is sending out notices to owners of affected cars, and the recall exercise and fixes are expected to begin by April 2011. Owners who have any enquiries should also contact their Hyundai dealer for more information.