Saudi Arabia recalls 44,305 Hyundai i30, Elantra cars over airbag inflator defect

Detailed summary

The Saudi Ministry of Commerce urged the public to refrain from driving these cars immediately for their safety ...

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have issued a recall for 44,305 Hyundai i30 and Elantra vehicles from model years 2009 to 2011 over an airbag defect that poses a safety risk. Affected owners will receive free repairs.

Those who own those vehicles are advised to refrain from driving them immediately, since the defect in the driver's airbag inflator can potentially cause serious or fatal injuries. They also need to contact the dealerships to arrange the necessary repairs to ensure their safety, the Kingdom's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

The authority further noted that the recall had been announced several times before, most recently in September 2025. It stressed the importance of responding to the recall without delay.

Car dealers who are authorised to handle the free repairing services are:

Earlier on Thursday, the Kindgom issued another recall for Toyota Highlander cars of the model years 2021–2025 over a defect was found in the seat-locking mechanism of the second row, which prevented passengers from being secured properly.

This defect could increase the risk of injury in the event of an accident. The Saudi Ministry of Commerce has recalled a total of 23,619 Toyota Highlander cars in the Kingdom so far. Those who own a Toyota Highlander have been asked to check whether their vehicle's chassis number (VIN) is included in the recall through Recalls.sa.

A total of 2,371 Kia K8 vehicles manufactured between 2022 and 2025 were also recalled on November 9 due to a defect that could cause fuel leakage and increase the risk of fire. The defect involves a nut on the vehicle's fuel supply line that may loosen, potentially causing fuel to leak.

On November 6, the authority recalled 1,262 RAM vehicles over a defect in the trailer control module that could cause the turn signals and lights to malfunction, increasing the risk of an accident. The affected models included the RAM 1500, RAM 2500 and RAM 5500 manufactured between 2025 and 2026.

The recalls are part of Saudi…

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