NHTSA checks 2012 Hyundai Elantras after airbag incident

Hyundai sold 61,237 Elantras in the United States during the first four months of the year, a 3 percent decline from the same period last year.
Article Tools
Reprint Reprints image Print
Send a letter Respond Size: larger  smaller
Related Topics
Christina Rogers
Automotive News
May 14, 2012 - 9:50 am ET

U.S. safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into the 2012 Hyundai Elantra after a side curtain airbag allegedly injured a driver in a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe, opened on Thursday, covers an estimated 123,000 vehicles.

NHTSA received one complaint of an injury associated with the deployment of the driver-side curtain airbag during a crash. The driver’s face and ear were lacerated.

Photos of the crashed vehicle show a metal part protruding from the left edge of the headliner above the driver seat.

“The evaluation is in the very early stages; neither Hyundai nor NHTSA have had an opportunity to inspect the 2012 Elantra that is the subject of this evaluation,” Hyundai Motor America said in a statement. “Hyundai has no other reports of injury from side curtain airbag deployment in the 2012 Elantra.”

Contact Automotive News

image Print   Send a letter Respond to Editor   Reprint Reprints        

COMMENTS

Have an opinion about this story?
Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

Or submit an online comment below

Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of Automotive News. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification.