Drivers report the seat belt buckle on the driver's side—and occasionally the passenger side—routinely fails to catch the latch. Owners describe needing 3 to 8+ attempts to get the buckle to click into place, and some say it won't engage at all. The buckle sometimes pops back out after seeming to latch, forcing repeated fiddling with the metal clip. One owner at 11,000 miles had a front passenger buckle failure; others reported issues at 85,000, 90,000, 127,000, and 150,000 miles. One complaint surfaced in late 2022 on a vehicle purchased new in 2012.
A separate and more serious failure: the seat belt spontaneously unbuckles while driving at various speeds, without warning or driver action. This has happened on multiple occasions for affected owners, creating an uncontrolled safety hazard during operation.
Rear seat belts on at least one vehicle show visible fraying and tearing through about half the belt width near the top, where the belt exits the retraction assembly.
NHTSA Campaign 17V152000 (seat belts) is associated with this model year. Some dealers deny failures are covered under that recall or charge $160 inspection fees to determine eligibility. Replacement costs range $337–$484 at dealerships. One owner reported a recall performed in December 2017, though no documentation was provided and the complaint continued.
Failure modes owners describe
Seat belt buckle failure to latch
Driver-side (and occasionally passenger-side) seat belt buckle fails to engage or catch the latch mechanism. Owners report needing multiple attempts—ranging from 3 to 8+ tries—to get the buckle to click into place, if it engages at all.
When: Mileage varies widely: reported at 11,000, 85,000, 90,000, 127,819, and 150,000 miles. Some owners note the problem began years into ownership; one reported onset in late 2022 on a 2012 model purchased new in 2012.
Symptoms owners cite: Buckle will not click or latch properly; Requires multiple attempts (3–8+) to engage; Buckle occasionally pops back out after latching; May fail to latch while vehicle is parked or stationary
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer replacement costs cited: $337.58, $484. Independent mechanics contacted but vehicle not diagnosed or repaired in some cases. One owner reported a recall was performed in December 2017 without documentation provided.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 17V152000 (seat belts) associated with at least two vehicles in this cluster. Some owners report dealers denying the failure is part of a recall, or referring owners to dealers for $160 inspection fees. Hyundai stated in one complaint the vehicle was not included in a recall despite similar symptoms.
Seat belt unbuckling during driving
Seat belt spontaneously unbuckles or detaches while the vehicle is in motion, without driver action. This occurs at various speeds and without warning, creating an uncontrolled safety risk.
When: Reported at 35 mph and at undisclosed speeds. Timing of onset not specified for most complaints.
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt unexpectedly unbuckles while driving; Occurs without warning or apparent cause; Happens on multiple occasions for affected owners; Driver-side most commonly affected; passenger-side reported once
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented in the narratives. Owners attempted to secure belts while driving in some instances.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One narrative references NHTSA Campaign 17V152000 (seat belts). Manufacturer not made aware in several complaints; dealer not notified in at least one.
Rear seat belt fraying and tearing
Rear seat belts exhibit tears and fraying, particularly near the point where the belt exits the retraction assembly at the top. One owner reported both rear middle and rear passenger-side belts affected.
When: Purchased new in February 2012; fraying noticed at an unspecified later date.
Symptoms owners cite: Visible fraying of belt webbing; Tears through approximately 0.5 inch (or up to half) of belt width; Damage located near the top, at the retraction assembly exit point; Affects rear middle and rear passenger-side positions
Repairs/costs cited: No repair documented in narrative.
Synthesized from 24 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.