Hyundai Recalls Thousands of Vehicles for Airbag and Braking System Defects

Hyundai Motor America is initiating two separate recalls affecting nearly half a million vehicles due to potential defects in airbag inflators and the Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA) system. The recalls, detailed in reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), encompass specific models of the Hyundai Elantra, Elantra GT, Santa Cruz, Tucson, and Tucson Hybrid, produced between 2015 and 2026. Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail and instructed to visit a Hyundai dealer for remedy at no cost.

The first recall, designated as NHTSA Recall No. 26V307, addresses an issue with dual-stage hybrid airbag inflators supplied by ARC Automotive, Inc. in certain model year 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT and 2015-2016 Hyundai Elantra vehicles. Approximately 3,493 vehicles are potentially involved in this recall. The defect arises from a possible condition where the propellant within the airbag inflator may be outside of its specified density. This could lead to increased internal pressures, potentially causing the inflator to rupture during airbag deployment. While Hyundai has not confirmed any ruptures in the U.S. market, the company is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution to investigate the matter further. The vehicles affected were produced between March 2, 2015, and August 24, 2015. The remedy will involve inspecting the inflator serial number and replacing it if necessary.

The second recall, NHTSA Recall No. 26V316, affects a significantly larger number of vehicles, totaling approximately 421,078. This recall pertains to the Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA) system in certain model year 2025-2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson, and 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The issue stems from the front camera software, which may exhibit increased sensitivity to forward object proximity in certain driving scenarios. This can cause the FCA system to engage unexpectedly, leading to sudden braking. Such abrupt braking could heighten the risk of a rear-end collision with vehicles traveling closely behind. Hyundai received 376 reports related to FCA operation between October 2024 and April 2026, with four crashes and four reported injuries allegedly linked to this condition. No confirmed fires or fatalities are attributed to this defect. The remedy for this recall will involve a software update to the front camera system, which has been retuned to better align with operator expectations for activation timing and distance to a leading vehicle. This revised software was incorporated into production as of March 2025 and March 2026, depending on the manufacturing location.

Hyundai will be notifying owners of all affected vehicles through first-class mail. The notification schedule indicates that dealers will be informed electronically by July 13, 2026, for the airbag inflator recall, and by July 17, 2026, for the FCA system recall. Owners are expected to receive their notifications by certified mail around the same dates, with a phased recall rollout planned. For both recalls, owners can check if their vehicle is included by using the VIN search functionality on the NHTSA website, which will be available starting May 16, 2026, for the airbag recall and May 20, 2026, for the FCA recall. Hyundai will also provide reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by owners who have already addressed these recall conditions.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Hyundai Motor America

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