U.S. safety regulators are considering whether to expand a recall of the Hyundai Elantra because the airbags could cause an injury in a side impact accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it opened a recall query on Dec. 4 regarding the 2009-2012 Elantra Touring.

Nearly 52,000 of those cars have a design similar to the one on 186,254 2011-2013 Elantra sedans recalled last March, the agency said.

NHTSA said a metal support bracket attached to the headliner on those vehicles could strike and injure occupants if a side curtain airbag deployed in a side-impact crash.

The agency said it had received no complaints or reports of incidents or injuries related to the earlier recall on the latest batch of Elantra models.