This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Dear sir or madam, my 2006 Sonata has being illuminated the air bag lamp. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. Please investigate if will determine if 2006 Hyundai Sonata car should be recalled. Thanks, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
I started having issues with my air bag light coming on intermittently two years ago at about 55,000 miles. I brought it in to the dealer for a corrosion recall and spoke with them about the air bag light. They told me if it stays on solid then return and they will look into it for me. I probably could have had it repaired at that point had they looked into it further. So now light is on all the time, took it in today and it is "seat belt buckles" that is causing issue, repair is 700 dollars and need my car for at least 4-5 days. I am guessing it will take another class action law suit to have Hyundai stand behind their product again and issue recalls for it's customers. I called corporate and inquired about investigations into making this a recall but obviously didn't get anywhere. The service department informed me that the air bags do not work now at all. I saw many other similar complaints about this issue, Hyundai obviously does not have the satisfaction or the safety of their customers as a priority.
Driving along, and the airbag light illuminated. Dealer says drivers side seat belt buckle failed and now, airbag light remains illuminated, possible failure of airbags.
My vehicle lights for the ecs system, seat belt and airbag keeps illuminating. I took it to Hyundai here in jacksonville and was told that a diagnostic for $94, would need to be done to see why the ESC light is on. The air bag light will go off when the seat cushion is recalibrated but, something is wrong with my seat belts(both), so it will stay on and therefore the air bags will not deploy on impact, I pray that I don't get into any accidents till I find out what the problem is. Why aren't the seats belts part of the recall for the airbag system? they work inconjunction with each other.the ESC was suppose to have been fixed in 09 but here it is 2014 and the same thing is happening again, the same problem as before. I have to pull over turn the car off and wait a minute to restart it only to have the light come on again once I start to drive. What is wrong with this car, it is suppose to be safe.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
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In 2013, my airbag light came on and would not go off. I learned that a recall had been issued so I took the car to the dealership. The front passenger's seat was removed and sent away for repair. However, after this repair was made, the air bag light came on again and would not go off. I took the car back to the dealership and was told that the seat belt pretension/buckle was defective and would need to be replaced at a cost to me of over $400. Since that time, I have done extensive research and have found that this is a very common problem with Hyundai Sonatas. As of yet, I understand that no recall has been issued but that this matter is under investigation. This is a serious safety concern as the air bags may not deploy in an accident. I was specifically told this at the dealership. I urge you to take action and issue a recall on this. I, like most others in this situation, cannot afford to spend $400+ dollars to have this repaired. However, I also cannot in good conscience allow passengers to sit in the front seat knowing the air bags may not deploy. Of course, I also am concerned for my own safety as a driver and the air bag on the driver's side as well. It seems as though Hyundai knows that this is a problem, but obviously, unless the NHTSA issues a recall, no action will be taken and those of us in this situation will continue to put ourselves and our passengers at risk. Thank you for your attention to this serious matter!
There is a recall on my 2006 Hyundai Sonata for issue code: B1448 which means OCS mat defect and this made my dash air bag illuminate at times, meaning the airbag wouldn't have deployed in case of an accident. Fortunately, the Hyundai dealership shop did not charge me to replace the passenger seat since it is a recall. However, before they began to process the B1448 fix, another "safety" issue code came up on their diagnostic test saying "seat belt buckle pretensioner: Driver resistance is too high" and the dealership told me that this is also causing the air bag light to illuminate, thus the airbag may not deploy. Since my car warranty has expired and there is no safety recall on this specific issue, I have to pay a big bill out of my own pocket to replace the buckle pretensioner. This is a safety issue and there should be a recall on this. No one should pay anything for a safety issue. Upon web researching there has been a good number of people that have the same issue but yet there is no recall yet.
Around 70000 miles the air bag light on the cluster has came on and has remained there. The dealer said it may be the ground and like other I have not found any other information on the problem.
Airbag light came on one day and just never went off. No accidents or damage to the car had been done prior. Went to other mechanics and they couldn't even figure out what the code on their diagnostic machines was. Hyundai checked it and told me it was the passenger buckle canister. That's fine, but 400,000 of these in the 06-08 Sonata models have now "failed" and at $100 for a diagnostics, then another $250 for a belt buckle repairs, I don't see how this could be wear and tear in the vehicle. Just seems like easy money for Hyundai. Hope this gets resolved soon.
Airbag light came on permanently. Dealership says it is a failure in the passenger seat belt pretensioner and will cost me $432. Edmunds research revealed that the NHTSA is studying this problem in consideration of a recall. Just wanted to inform you that I also have this problem along with many other people.
My airbag warning light has been illuminated for a few years now. I have brought it to a few Hyundai dealerships and they tell me it is because of a problem with a sensor in my seat belts. They also tell me there is no recall and it will cost between 500-700 to fix it. While advising me that is it a serious safety risk and may cause my airbag to not deploy in the event of a crash. I don't understand how there is no recall on this yet. As the dealership has also informed me this is a common problem with the 2006 Sonata's.
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the air bag warning light continuously illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician diagnosed that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received NHTSA campaign number: 08V161000 (air bags). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,000. Djr
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the front passenger seat belt buckle fractured and the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the seat belt buckle sensor pretensioner failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.
My dashboard warning light (red text: Air bag) went on as I was driving and has not shut off. When I called Hyundai corporate they said this was due to air bag sensors on passenger seat and was part of an ongoing OCS settlement so they made an appt with North county Hyundai. When the dealer inspected the issue, they said it was not part of the OCS settlement and that it is a seat belt tensioner/seat belt buckle issue (diagnostic code B1706) and that it is not a safety recall item, nor is it covered under warranty and would cost me $336.90. From what I have learned, this issue renders the air bag system inoperative so I am wondering why Hyundai is not forced to cover this system defect under warranty or if there are plans at NHTSA to issue a mandatory recall.
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 70,000. The VIN was not available...updated 09-23-14
The driver side seat belt pretensioner was changed under warranty on my 2006 Sonata. Now the passenger side pretensioner has set a code. The vehicle is no longer covered under warranty. An online search proved to be quite fruitful. This is not by any means an isolated incident. Hyundai is aware this problem exists and spans multiple models yet has done nothing to repair vehicles out of warranty. I would like to point out that a seat belt pretensioner is not a wear item. This part works in concert with your airbag. It also is a controlled explosion which tightens the seat belt to a person as the air bag is deployed. If some Hyundai air bags were to set codes for being out of spec all vehicles using them would no dough be recalled. However, a part working in unison on the same system with the same technology is not. I am at a loss for why this is not a national recall.
The air bag went on to indicate the air bag would not work. Considered this a safety issue. Took it to the dealer and indicated it was not covered and had to replace the passenger side seatbeat pretensioner assembly.
We had the passenger seat re-calibrated due to lit airbag light sometime last year under the previous recall - we were not notified by Hyundai at all and instead, were told by the dealer when we took the car in that it was a recall item, which we found unconscionable on the manufacturer's part. We could not afford an airbag repair and drove the car for over a year, and found out later that the defect would render the entire system nonfunctional. The airbag light is lit again - the dealer told us not to put anything on the passenger seat besides a person so as not to trigger "something". when I inquired again about the lit airbag light, the dealer told me "it could be the seat belt" and quoted a price well over $100. It is clear the dealer, capital city Hyundai in tallahassee, Florida is already aware of the problem, and therefore, so is Hyundai. Now I see that this is an emerging problem through an edmund's article dated July 25, 2014 - please compel Hyundai to act on this defect as soon as possible. My college aged son and teen daughter use the car and I worry constantly about their safety. Consumers should not have to pay for a defect involving safety at all - I paid for the car once!!
In 12/21/09 airbag system light kept coming on. Took it to the dealer. They stated chip related to air bag system under the passenger seat was broken and I was not covered under warranty. Invoice # [xxx] (dennis Hyundai of dublin) repairs estimated at $500 to $900. Called Hyundai with a complaint. The service manager then called we had a meeting. I paid $ $175.03 to replace the chip. They also repaired passenger seat per NHTSA recall 13V-354 (note the recall repair only worked for about a year). After the warranty expired I took the vehicle to both the dealer and local repair shops. The airbag light would come one and then sometimes when I stopped reset its self or the dealer/repair shop could reset the light. The electrical wiring system started to act up after the 60,000 mile warranty period expired. The ABS light comes on then goes off the radio will come in loud the get quiet. The constant however is the airbag system light. I had the seat belt (driver side) changed (twice) in 2011 as the first replacement in did not work. The airbag light was off for a short time and then came back on. It will not reset so the airbag light is always on. I have always felt this problem should be covered by Hyundai. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
My air bag light came on and has stayed on consistently. Our mechanic read the code and it is the passenger side seat beat buckle. I have been told by Hyundai that their warranties only cover seat belts and air bags for 5 years or 60,000 miles. I cannot believe they advertise as "America's best warranty." I know this affects whether the air bags would function properly in an accident, so I urge you to please force them to recall this item and repair and/or replace it for anyone affected for free. Fyi, I did have this problem with a Honda Accord in the past and Honda did not even question repairing it-it is warranted for the lifetime of the car. I will certainly never buy another Hyundai again and will encourage anyone I know not to buy one either. Again, please force Hyundai to correct this problem with a recall. Thank you for your time and investigation.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Fargo, ND, USA