Hyundai issues safety recall on an SUV already less popular in 2024
Five days before the end of July, the NHTSA published a recall of almost 50,000 Hyundai Santa Fe midsize SUVs due to potential airbag problems.
The recall impacts 2024 Santa Fe models, including hybrids, built from December 2023 to July 2024. The issue involves the second-row airbags, which may deploy unintentionally or fail to deploy during a crash. This situation stems from the main floor wire harness coming into contact with the second-row seat hinge assembly, possibly causing damage.
This damage could lead to airbags deploying accidentally or not at all in a crash, increasing the risk of injury or death. The inconsistent routing and improper securing of the wiring harness are to blame for this problem.
According to Hyundai Recall 265, dealership technicians will inspect and secure the wiring harness. If any damage is found, they will replace the harness free of charge. The fix involves sliding the second-row seat forward and checking the wiring. If everything looks good, they’ll secure the harness with two zip ties. Hyundai says the inspection process takes less than 30 minutes and estimates only about 1% of flagged Santa Fe models will display the defect.
The recall follows a report of an airbag deploying inadvertently in South Korea, which led to an investigation. Hyundai discovered eight similar incidents in the U.S. this year, but there were no reported injuries or crashes.
Carscoops reported that dealers must not deliver these vehicles to customers until the recall is addressed. In other words, the outlet said that Hyundai issued a stop sale on affected units. If so, this is unfortunate for 2024 Santa Fe sales, which are already down 9% from 2023’s YTD numbers. MotorBiscuit reached out to Hyundai to confirm, and we’ll update with their response.
On Aug 1, Hyundai released its July and YTD sales:
| Vehicles | Jul-24 | Jul-23 | % Chg | 2024 YTD | 2023 YTD | % Chg |
| Elantra | 13,764 | 11,898 | +16% | 76,053 | 86,636 | -12% |
| Ioniq 5 | 3,416 | 4,135 | -17% | 22,144 | 17,776 | +25% |
| Ioniq 6 | 778 | 1,745 | -55% | 7,690 | 4,990 | +54% |
| Kona | 6,713 | 6,123 | +10% | 53,252 | 44,048 | +21% |
| Nexo | 2 | 34 | -94% | 79 | 139 | -43% |
| Palisade | 8,635 | 5,752 | +50% | 62,382 | 45,199 | +38% |
| Santa Cruz | 2,615 | 2,903 | -10% | 20,560 | 22,953 | -10% |
| Santa Fe | 8,989 | 10,612 | -15% | 65,611 | 71,754 | -9% |
| Sonata | 5,755 | 3,209 | +79% | 36,902 | 30,543 | +21% |
| Tucson | 16,135 | 17,534 | -8% | 108,281 | 118,125 | -8% |
| Venue | 2,400 | 2,581 | -7% | 15,771 | 18,940 | -17% |
The Tucson, a compact SUV, is Hyundai’s best-selling model so far in 2024, followed by the Elantra, a compact sedan. The Santa Fe is next, with the Palisade (another midsize SUV) in close fourth. The Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Kona, Palisade, and Sonata models are all outpacing their 2023 sales so far this year.
