Hyundai has issued two airbag recalls on nearly 300,000 Elantra models. The first recall involves 188,697 vehicles sold between 2007 to 2009. The Elantra's front passenger seat contains a sensor that measures the passenger's weight, but in certain affected vehicles, the sensor may not work properly. During a crash, the airbag can deploy even if a child is sitting in the front seat. Hyundai says that the sensors could be damaged by moisture and hence to add a protective sleeve around the device, the automaker has recalled the vehicle.
The second recall involves 95,783 Elantra models sold between 2007-2008. This issue is due to a sensor used in the two-stage deployment of the passenger-side airbag. In the event of a crash only the low pressure stage will deploy and in the affected models, electronic noise may confuse the sensor, and the sensor may revert to its default mode, which will cause both stages of the airbag to deploy. To fix this issue, a Hyundai technician will reprogram the airbag control module.