NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE12-012: Side Curtain Air Bag Improper Deployment

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE12-012 on May 10, 2012 and closed it on September 17, 2012. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2012 Hyundai Elantra for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE12-012 (also written PE12012)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed September 17, 2012
Opened: May 10, 2012
Closed: September 17, 2012
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Components: Air Bags; Air Bags — Side/Window
Vehicles and equipment: 2012 Hyundai Elantra

A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE12-012.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is aware of one incident of an improper deployment of the driver-side curtain air bag that deployed as a result of a crash involving a model year (MY) 2012 Hyundai Elantra.

An inspection of this vehicle showed that a metal bracket (stiffener) in the headliner assembly had detached and was forced downward by the deploying air bag.

The metal bracket caused a laceration to the driver's ear and other possible injuries.

Approximately 75,000 MY 2012 Hyundai Elantra vehicles, built in Korea and sold in the U.S., have stiffeners in the headliners while the MY 2012 Elantra vehicles built in the U.S. utilize a different headliner that does not use a stiffener. Thus, the latter vehicles are not included in this investigation.

Hyundai has inspected the headliner assemblies from eight Elantra vehicles (which were sold in the Korean market) with production dates in the same range as the field incident vehicle.

Hyundai reported to ODI that the metal brackets from these vehicles were found to be securely attached to the headliners.

Hyundai also has conducted several static deployment tests in attempts to replicate the field incident. In one test, the metal bracket detached from the headliner but the test condition did not replicate or explain the condition observed in the incident vehicle.

This Preliminary Evaluation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA12-008) to further assess whether incidents like the single field incident could potentially occur with other subject vehicles.

In addition to the subject vehicles, ODI also will collect and review information on MY 2011 and 2013 Elantra vehicles that have headliners with stiffeners similar to those in the subject vehicles. To date, there have been no reports on the MY 2011 and 2013 vehicles.

The ODI report cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification number: 10457696

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE12-012. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Hyundai

Hyundai Elantra
- 2012

All Hyundai recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Hyundai VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE12-012

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.