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Molly of Eugene OR (04/15/08)
I had purchased a 2002 Hyundai Elantra brand new. We have had several problems with this car including the check engine light coming on all of the time and NO one oculd figure it out. That however is not the problem, my husband just total the car a few days ago and I have issues with the fact that the car has four air bags up front and not one deployed. If they believe that the sensers in the bumpers are what triggers the air bags them I am really confused since the car not only rolled over but both bumpers, trunk and front end were gone. I will never purchase another again.

Brent of Boiling Springs SC (01/30/08)
No air bags deployed during a 35mph impact with an adult deer. The car suffered severe damage to the front left quarter panel, front bumper, front grill and hood. The deer was killed on impact and thrown approx. 20ft. I spoke with the General Mgr. at the dealership were the car was purchased... He was unable to answer the question Why did my airbags not deploy during this accident?. I will have to dig deeper...

Jackie of Alexandria KY (12/07/07)
My 2005 Hyundai Elantra was hit almost head on with my car being forced off the road and over an embankment. On coming car was traveling around 40 miles an hour. The air bags did not employ. Only slight injuries were experienced by driver and passenger, thank goodness.

Sean of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (12/05/07)
My mother was in a hard hitting accident but her airbags did not deploy even though they should have. Now she has severe pain in her neck due to whiplash. I'd like to join or start a class action suit agaisnt Hyundai for their carelessness and ignorance towards customer safety.

Patty of Winfield WV (12/05/07)
Today my son was driving at 60-65 mph on the interstate in a 2005 Hyundai Elantra and slid on snow and collided with the guardrail. The front end is crumpled and the car is probably totalled. The concern is that a head on collision at 60-65 mph did not cause the airbags to inflate.

Lydia of Monroe NC (12/03/07)
We struck a large deer traveling about sixty miles an hour and severely damaged(the grill radiator and cooling fans were crammed completely against the motor and the hood was crushed almost to the windsheild which was also broken) the front end of my 2006 hyundai elantra......None of our airbags deployed!

Jessica of Elizabethtown KY (12/03/07)
My husband and I were driving it was raining started to hydroplane. Spawn 180 degrees hit the guardrail with back and front bumper. We were traveling about 55 mph. neither airbag deployed.

Francene of Baltimore MD (12/03/07)
My husband purchased our 2007 Hyundai accent this past Sept. Within a couple of days the passenger airbag off light came on while I was in the seat. We needed this car specifically to travel in with the first trip being our wedding. They took the car in right away and said nothing was wrong. They have taken it in a few more times, replaced the seat and it still malfunctioned. They told us last week that they involved more higher ups and the answer was that the seat has a 150lb threshold. At the time of the sale we were told that it was 60lbs. The manual does not state any threshold what so ever. It states that when an adult is in the seat the airbag will function. We have been very patient about this matter and now feel extremely misled and ripped off. Neither my husband or myself weigh 120 lbs. I can not ride in the back seat because of frequent car sickness. This I feel is an unacceptable solution anyway. This sale would NEVER had taken place if they had told us the threshold was 120lbs. instead of 60lbs. This morning my husband was in a minor accident (he was rear ended), thankfully there wasn't any passenger in need of an airbag but it shake me up to think of how potentially dangerous it is for either of us to be a passenger in our own car. Please let me know what steps we can or should take concerning this matter. Thank you so much, Francene & Peter Yorko

Vicki of Longmont CO (11/20/07)
I was heading to pick up my 2 year old daughter after work today and was hit by a drunk driver nearly head on. My airbags never deployed and I believe that my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe will be totaled. I prepared myself for the airbags to deploy (at about 40 mph) and they never did. Thank goodness that I'm only a bit stiff and sore (and that my child wasn't in the car). Very concerned and upset that this vehicle wasn't a bit more safe. Why did the airbags not come out?

B. of Ft. Lauderdale FL (10/20/07)
My wife was driving our 2004 Hyundai XG350 and was hit on the drivers front panel by a pickup truck. The truck was traveling at approximately 40mph and my wife at 5mph. The impact totaled our car and none of the airbags deployed. My wife has a broken scapula, five broken ribs, punctured lung, fractured hip, fractured pelvis nad bruised liver. If the airbags would have deployed she would not have sustained the injuries and pain that occurred!

Daniel of Fort Myers FL (10/11/07)
2001 Hyundai sedan; xg300; side driver air bag deployed when door was shut! I am a 2nd owner; THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY FACTOR, that no one will address. It seems that no air bags will work when one is out of commission! Therefore this is a SAFETY MATTER; and I am not the only one this has happened too!.. All the Hyundai dealerships say the manufacturer will correct the problem.. When I call the main Hyundai trouble shooters; they tell me 2nd owner no way!

Bernard of Palm City FL (08/29/07)
New vehicle, Hyundai Sonata, passenger air bag light does not function properly when 118 pound wife sits in passenger seat. At times the light goes out, indicating air bag is engaged, most of time light remains on, indicating air bag IS NOT engaged. Wife sits on seat in approved fashion; light goes on or off in at random times. Dealership could not repair and district representative was called in. Seat was replaced, but problem persisted. Final answer from Hydundai is car is acting within reason. Our options are 1) accept car with problems or 2) pursue Lemon Law for replacement/buy back of car.

Tim of Chatsworth GA (05/14/07)
I bought a 2007 SantaFe SE in January. In February the red air bag light came on. A couple of days later I get a call from the parts department telling me an air bag sensor came in. The service department don't offer a loaner car for me to get back to work, so I had to wait until February 23th to drop it off. (My birthday) They fixed it and all is well. Then the air bag light came back on. They ordered another sensor and put it on April 20th. Then, in May I get a call from the parts department that they had ordered a fuse box for my car. So I guess I had been driving all this time in a deadly car. I have to wait till my wife has a day off at the end of the month to take the car back in. Kinda feel bad now about selling my Hyundai survey for a detail job.

Jeannette of Miami FL (03/24/07)
ever since i bought my hyundai santa fe 07, i have had trouble with the air bag indicator/sensor. I weight about 110 pounds and hwen i sit in the passanges seat of my car the air bag sensor doesn't work properly. even if i sit properly according to hyundai the sensor comes on and off making the car unsafe for me to ride in. When i took it to the dealer their only suggestion was for me to ride in the backseat of my own car!

This is crazy. there is a problem and it need to be recalled and corrected before i or someone else is seriously injuered due to this problem. If anyone can help me please do!

This needs to be corrected. too many other people are suffering form the same problem and hyundai needs to own up to it and correct it.

¨

Robert of Charlotte NC (03/13/07)
Passenger airbag unnecessarily deployed in a low impact (5-10 mph) collision.

2004 HYUNDAI TIBURON GT COLLIDED, BUMPER TO BUMPER, WITH A STOPPED PASSENGER VEHICLE AT 5-10 MPH. IMPACT WAS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AT A 40 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE VEHICLE CENTERLINE. BUMPER DAMAGE WAS MINOR AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES NOR REALISTIC POTENTIAL FOR INJURY. THE VEHICLE'S SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) DEPLOYED THE PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAG EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO PASSENGER, PRESENTING A RISK OF INJURY TO THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS.

THE DRIVER'S FRONT AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE TIBURON'S SRS COMPUTER ACTIVATED THE PASSENGER AIRBAG PREMATURELY AND WAS TOO SENSITIVE TO A MINOR, NON-THREATENING IMPACT; THAT IS, DEFECTIVE. DEFECTIVE DEVICES ARE IN MY POSSESSION. HYUNDAI OWNERS WITH A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE ARE INVITED TO JOIN A POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION BY E-MAILING CONTACT@AIRBAGCLAIMS.COM, ESTABLISHED FOR THIS PURPOSE.


Mark of Pepperell MA (01/05/07)
Driving downhill on an icy road I was forced to brake to avoid a car coming uphill. I went into a slide and hit a telephone pole head on at 35-40 mph. The driver side seat belt did not hold, the air bag did not deploy.

My chin hit the stearing wheel and my head broke the windshield. I was lucky as I walked away uninjured.

I expect the car to be totaled by my insurance company. The bumper broke in half as it was cleaved by the pole. The hood folded up, the radiator pushed into the engine, the steering column covers popped off. My damage is economic as I now have to replace the car (not another Hyundai). I am alive and un-injured. Someone was watching over me.

Albert of N. Syracuse NY (12/06/06)
I have a 2004 Hyundai Elantra car. The passenger side air bag is sometimes deactivated when my wife is in the seat. She weighs 135 pounds. I called Hyundai but they cannot correct the problem.

If i get into an accident and the air bag does not deploy my wife can be seriously injured.

Tamara of Plano IL (11/30/06)
My airbags deployed during a fender bender. The car was only going a couple of miles and hour, and only tapped the other car. Neither car was damaged, but my airbags deployed. The warranty manual states the airbags will only deploy in a severe collision. There was not any damage to my car and the accident WAS NOT severe. Three mechanics have checked the car and said the airbags should not have deployed (one mechanic was from Hyundai). I filed a complaint, and Hyundai claimed the airbags worked properly (of course), and said their deciosion was final. I started looking for a new dash, but every place I called said the airbags are really sensitive in the 2004 tiburon. I have seen other posts with the same situation. If you have had a problem with your airbag going off prematurely, please contact me tammit1971@comcast.net. I have contacted a few lawyers and want to start a class action lawsuit.

airbags are blown. Dash needs to be replaced.

Susan of Warwick RI (11/14/06)
Well how's this story.. I was driving on 95 North, slowing down in the right hand lane, probably going only 45-50 mph. I hit a pothole or something else obsence and my drivers side seat airbags (side curtain) DEPLOYED!! there was no impact to the car by any other car, no one else was involved. i stopped on the side of the highway - no one else stopped and no one else seemed to have the same issue.

my friends rescued me and one of them drove my car back 10 minutes to their store and 30 mins later the rear passenger side tire was flat. i called hyundai - they are gonna send me a packet. i called the dealer - they were rude and said they never heard such a thing. they havent seen nothing yet - this is obviously not safe!! i bought me 2003 tiburon gt brand new in '02 and mechanically it has been great - but all of these stupid recalls and dumb stuff has gone wrong with it - now this. the air bag hit me so hard that i was confused and then made a trip to the ER where i got meds and cant go back to work for the remainder of the week. what a mess!!

John of Staten Island NY (06/22/06)
I had an accident with my 2002 Hyundai Elantra 2002. My tire blew out causing me to loose control of the car. I hit a parked car.

I have two fractured ribs, a cut over my eye which required five stitches.  My face is black and blue as well as my neck and eyes. My front airbag deployed but my side airbag did not.  I have a large hematoma on the side of my head where my head broke the driver side window.

My brother was in the front passenger seat.  His side airbag deployed but there was no impact on his side.

He was not injured.  I believe if my side airbag had deployed I would not have hit the side of my head on the window.

Scott of New Haven CT (03/01/05)
I have a 2004 Hyundai Elantra GT. I bought it new in March of 2004. From that date on, my passenger side air bag intermittently goes on and off when someone under 150lbs is sitting in the seat. There is an indicator light on the dashboard that lets you know when the airbag is NOT engaged. This light comes on randomly whenever I have friends sitting in the front seat who are lighter than 150lbs.

I've brought the car to the dealership numerous times regarding this isse, their response is always the same: "There are no sensor readings to indicate any problems. Your friends must be seated perfectly upright and in the center of the seat with their feet on the floor for the airbag to function properly." I called the district manager, Greg, regarding this issue. His solution was absolutely incredible: "We'll have the seat weight sensor adjusted down to zero so that anytime anyone is sitting in the seat the air bag will be deployed in an accident. But, you have to sign a waiver saying Hyundai is not responsible for any injuries people might endure as a result of the airbag if you get in an accident."

The air bag is supposed to be designed to detect when someone who is under 75lbs (a child) is sitting in the seat and then NOT deploy in the event of an accident. Setting this sensor down to zero could cause some serious ramifications for any children sitting in the front seat of my car. This solution from Greg/Hyundai is completely unacceptable.

The worst is this: when they had my car in last time to look over this situation, they gave me a loaner car; a 2004 Elantra. It was the same year and model as my car. And wouldn't you know it? As soon as my friend got in the car (she weighs about 140lbs), the sensor light came on indicating the air bag was NOT engaged. So, this problem is clearly not just with my car...it's a design problem! I do not want to wait around for Hyundai to figure this out as I drive around with friends in the car who aren't as safe as a.) they could be and b.) I paid for...part of the reason I purchased this car was because it had all the air bag safety. Right now, I am not getting what I paid for.

As of yet, I have never been in a car accident. I truly plan on keeping it that way. However, should the occasion arise, I would like to know that the people in my car are as safe as they possible could be. Right now, this is not the case. On the economic side of things, I paid good money for this car. Part of the selection process was the safety rating of the car. Right now, I have not gotten what I paid for.

Donna of Albuquerque NM (02/24/05)
I was driving a 2004 Tiberon, going approx 79 miles an hour (I had blacked out) -- police clocked me at that speed when I ran into the back of a truck. Airbag did not deploy.  Severe whiplash due to the bag not deploying. Car was totalled.

Grace of Port Anson Canada (02/04/05)
I had an accident in my 2003 Hyundai Accent, The front was completely destroyed on the car and the air bag did not go off. My car is completely demolished and due to the accident I am still having problems with my chest and back.

Kathy of Gardnerville NV (11/10/04)
On January 6, 2004 I was involved in a frontal collision while driving at a speed of approximately 35 mph in my 2003 Hyundai Elantra. My airbags did not deploy and my seat belt lock did not engage until I had flown forward approximately 6 inches, hitting my left lower leg on the underside of the dash. My other injuries include 4 herniated discs in my lower back and 2 in my neck. I am undergoing spinal fusion surgery in February 2005 as a result of the injuries sustained in the accident.

I notified Hyundai on 1/7/04 and was told they would send me a letter requesting numerous documents including police report, photos, detailed list of repairs from the body shop. I asked the person I spoke to if I needed to wait to have the repairs performed and she assured me that they could do the investigation after the car was repaired so I had it fixed as I needed a vehicle (The damage was approximately ($6000). I forwarded all of the information to them as requested and was told an investigator would look at the vehicle and determine if the system was faulty.

A few weeks later an investigator contacted me and asked me to leave the car at Hyundai on a specific day for him to do the investigation. I asked him if he had copies of the information I had sent to Hyundai and he said they did not give him anything. I had since given all of the original documents to my attorney who is handling the insurance portion of my claim but had the disc with pictures on it so I printed a set for him. He conducted his entire investigation off of the photos and no other documentation and a few weeks later I received a letter from Hyundai stating that the system worked properly because the impact was above the bumper (The bumper was broken in half and pushed into the engine compartment!)

They also said this was their final decision. I have tried to get help from the dealership (Dick Campagni's Carson City Hyundai) and have been told that they have nothing to do with it and they cannot help me with my dealing with Hyundai. My attorneys said that if my injuries were more significant (death or severely life altering injury), they would pursue a lawsuit against Hyundai, but these kind of lawsuits are too costly to handle when the manufacturers have a legal team at their dispense to ward off people who deserve a settlement of some sort for the injuries caused by the malfunctioning safety features of their vehicles.

I will never buy another Hyundai nor will I ever purchase another car from any of Dick Campagni's dealerships in Carson City, Nevada because of the lack of service after the sale. The response of the General Manager at the dealership was that I could bring the car down and trade it in for something else. I do not feel safe driving my car but I must continue to pay for an unsafe vehicle that I don't drive.

See above.

Cathy of Cortland NY (09/13/04)
My family and I were in an accident 9-4-04 on I97 in Hancock NY. We were going 50-55 mph when a man pulled in front of us without looking. We were in a series of 3 impacts and NONE OF OUR 4 AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. Also, my shoulder strap released and I hit the steering wheel on the 3rd jolt and my son's rear shoulder strap released on the 3rd jolt. We were all lucky. We walked away with bumps and bruises....but why didn't these airbags deploy when we hit the car first then head on into a steel guardrail?

Ben of Clinton MS (08/12/04)
I had a new 2004 Hyundai Tiburon.  It was involved in an accident where the front end was completely destroyed.  the right rear quarter panel also had heavy damage. The car is equipped with four air bags.  None of them deployed. Total loss of car and trips to the E.R.

Carolina B. of Miami FL (08/08/04)
I was driving a Hyundai Accent (2001) and had a frontal collision with a pick-up truck that pulled across our lane, even though the impact was strong and the front-end was significantly damaged the airbags did not deploy.

My mother, who was at the passenger side at the moment injured her foot.

Mike of Mission Viejo CA (04/11/04)
My wife and son were driving in a 2002 Hyundai XG350L and were involved in a crash.  All four airbags did not work and my wife's seatbelt failed to hold.

 

Shayne of Mason IL (12/30/03)
I was driving at about 30 mph and had a head on collision and my airbags did not deploy. My girlfriend dislocated her hip and I was knocked unconcious and have stitches in my eye because I cut my eye open on the steering wheel.

Duane of Klamath Falls OR (08/06/03)
My daughter was in a accident where she was hit in the passenger side with a vehicle traveling approx. 40 mph. The passenger airbag did not deploy. If she would of been the passenger of the vehicle she would be in serious condition.

Rodney of Narrowburg NY (4/16/04):
the car is a 2004 Hyundai Elantra. The passenger front airbag works off of sensors -- it's called the occupant classification system (ocs). The sensors work off of weight -- 87 lbs or heavier. On the way home from the dealership the air bag light was intermittently going on and off, stating the passenger air bag is off.

I made a appointment with the dealer to have it fixed. After sitting in the waiting room for a short period of time I was handed a technical service bulletin number 4-90-003 stating you must sit perfectly straight, upright, legs extended all the way forward in order for the air bag to be on. Well, with an adult in the seat over the specified weight you can not move at all. Lift a leg, move your butt, recline your seat at all and the air bag "off" light comes on.

Who can sit perfectally still on even a small trip?

Then it states that if the light comes on, you may need to turn the vehicle off, place everything back to bulletin spec and then restart the car. So now you need to pull off the road and perform this task in order for the passenger to have a safety device work. Sounds like a design flaw that they dont wan't to do anything about.

Mike of Mission Viejo CA (4/11/04):
My wife and son were driving in a 2002 Hyundai XG350L and were involved in a crash. None of the four airbags worked and my wife's seatbelt failed to hold. What might we do next?

If anyone was seriously injured as a result of the accident, Mike should immediately consult an experienced attorney who specializes in personal injury cases.

Allan of Colorado Springs CO (2/26/04):
The airbag light remains on in my 2002 Elantra GT. The dealer says the module needs replacement because coffee got spilled on it. This module sits somewhere in the center console under the cup holder. They want $1200 to replace it because they say it is owner abuse. To me, it sounds like a design defect and that the manufacturer should expect liquids to spill around the cup holder.

Shayne of Mason IL (12/30/03):
I was driving at about 30 mph and had a head-on collision and my airbags did not deploy. My girlfriend dislocated her hip and I was knocked unconcious and have stitches in my eye because I cut my eye open on the steering wheel.

"D" of Burlington VT (6/7/01):
A Hyundai Sonata purchased by us last year was sold back to the manufacturer under lemon law 5/13/2001 with a history of airbag problems driver and passenger side. The complete airbag system was replaced twice and attempted repaired on 4 separate occasions. The problem remained when we sold it back to the manufacturer.

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