Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 12/05/2012 | 110000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the air bags deployed without warning. the contact sustained a minor injury to her back. the vehicle was later towed to the dealer for diagnosis where they advised her that the vehicle indicated that it had been involved in a crash. they also advised her that the vehicle could possibly be deemed destroyed. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 110,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 12/05/2012 | 110000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph the air bags deployed without any warning. the contact received a minor to her back. the vehicle was later towed to a dealer for diagnosis. after diagnosis they advised her that the vehicle indicated that it had been in a crash. they also advised her that the vehicle may be deemed destroyed. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 110,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 12/06/2006 | 33154 | 1 | |
| I own a 2003 hyundai santa fe in which the air bag warning light was illuminated starting in december 2006. at which time the air bag clock spring was replaced under warranty on 12/6/2006 at 33,154 miles. *tr the second occurrence was in march, 2011. i was told it was the clock spring again, which was now not under warranty, and would cost of around $285.00. this was not replaced due to a suggestion from the dealer's service department mechanic. the indicator was reset and has been off for over a year. the most recent occurrence was in may 2012 (mileage approx. 88,500), the airbag light came on again and now i'm told it needs a new airbag at a cost of around $750.00!! the indicator was reset and air bag not replaced the light stayed off for approximately 3 months. a search on the internet revealed hundreds of posts on this very same problem (most of them on the national highway traffic safety administration's (nhtsa) website). hyundai santa fe's have had this problem for nearly 10 years! and, to make matters worse, replacing either the clock spring or the airbag apparently does not guarantee that the airbag will deploy, thus causing a very dangerous situation. i also noticed that there was a recall (#103) for the 2007-2008 models. this recall should have included all santa fe's not just two years. apparently, this problem is a manufacturing defect not a normal wear & tear issue. | |||
| 12/06/2006 | 33154 | ||
| I own a 2003 hyundai santa fe in which the air bag warning light was illuminated starting in december 2006. at which time the air bag clock spring was replaced under warranty on 12/6/2006 at 33,154 miles. the second occurrence was in march, 2011. i was told it was the clock spring again, which was now not under warranty, and would cost of around $285.00. this was not replaced due to a suggestion from the dealer's service department mechanic. the indicator was reset and has been off for over a year. the most recent occurrence was in may 2012 (mileage approx. 88,500), the airbag light came on again and now i'm told it needs a new airbag at a cost of around $750.00!! the indicator was reset and air bag not replaced the light stayed off for approximately 3 months. a search on the internet revealed hundreds of posts on this very same problem (most of them on the national highway traffic safety administration's (nhtsa) website). hyundai santa fe's have had this problem for nearly 10 years! and, to make matters worse, replacing either the clock spring or the airbag apparently does not guarantee that the airbag will deploy, thus causing a very dangerous situation. i also noticed that there was a recall (#103) for the 2007-2008 models. this recall should have included all santa fe's not just two years. apparently, this problem is a manufacturing defect not a normal wear & tear issue. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 85000 | ||
| The air base illustration light came on about eight months ago, at first it goes on and off, but finally it stayed on a month after that. when i took it in for a mechanic to run a diagnosis test, he could not find any error code. i asked the dealer if there were any recalls on the airbag, they said no and want to charge me $99 for diagnosis. | |||
| 02/03/2003 | 500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. the airbag and tension wires were reset numerous times within the last year, but the failure continuously recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 500 and the current mileage was 156,000. kmj | |||
| 02/03/2003 | 500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the air bag light would illuminate on the instrument panel of the vehicle. the defect was repaired by resetting the airbag and tension wires numerous times within the last year, but the failure would recur. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified, but denied any assistance with repair to the defect. the air bag defect was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 500 and the current mileage was 156,000. nw | |||
| 03/15/2009 | 120000 | ||
| The airbag light stays on for no reason it has been on for 8months now and no fuses are blowen and now my bright lights wont work when i flip them on the lights shut off. | |||
| 04/10/2010 | 110000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving at approximately 20 mph the horn was pressed and the air bag service light illuminated on the dashboard. the light remains illuminated at all times. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed the clock spring needs to be repaired. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 115,000. sm. | |||
| 01/04/2010 | 32263 | ||
| On january 4, 2010 i had the vehicle battery replaced. after battery installation the airbag warning light came on and remained on. on jan. 11 i paid $87 to have a diagnostic test which incorrectly indicated that all airbags had been deployed plus a crash was recorded. mechanic's recommendation was to have srs control module replaced at an estimated cost of over $400. | |||
| 09/15/2009 | 68000 | 1 | |
| Airbag light stays on. this happened 18 months ago and was repaired under warranty. dealer wants $70 just to diagnose the problem plus repair costs since it is no longer under warranty. no thanks. *tr | |||
| 08/28/2009 | 140000 | 1 | |
| About 3 months ago, my airbag light came on and was not gone off since. i wondered if this meant i had no airbag function, but now after reading these complaints i know it is not working. this problem combined with the engine that mysteriously and suddenly shuts down while driving on the interstate is not a good combination. i smell trouble. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 10000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the air bag warning light consistently illuminates on the instrument control panel when the seat was reclined. the error code has been reset over 15 times. also the driver side seat and air bags were replaced due to a defective horn. none of the repairs have remedied the failure. the failure mileage was 10,000. the current mileage was 116,000. | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 150000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle rolled over 4-5 times. none of the air bags deployed. the contact sustained several broken bones and the driver sustained several bruises. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. a police report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 150,000. | |||
| 06/20/2009 | 43098 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the dealer informed the contact that a new air bag was needed because the driver's side air bag light remains illuminated. the dealer performed a diagnostic and scan test and stated that the air bag needed to be replaced at the cost of $900. the failure mileage was 43,098. | |||
| 09/25/2008 | 44546 | 1 | |
| The air bag red warning light came on in 9/08. the dealer scanned the system, cleared historic codes, cycled through self test several times. codes did not reset. light came back on in 1/09. i will take vehicle back to dealer. my opinion is that safety equipment should be more reliable . when the red light initially came on they couldn't find a problem but i will be charged appx. $600 when they fix the problem. *tr | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 56000 | 5 | 05/08/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light illuminated and the vehicle was taken to the dealer on five different occasions. the first two times, the dealer could not find the problem. the other three times, the dealer replaced a wire under the passenger seat, the passenger seat belt harness, and a wire harness clip. the problem still occurred. | |||
| 05/12/2005 | 41700 | 1 | 02/28/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while making a left turn at an intersection the passenger side air bag deployed. the vehicle was traveling less than 20 mph. the air bag light illuminated when the air bag deployed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer however the dealer has not inspected the vehicle pictures have been sent to the manufacturer. no police report was filed. | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 65000 | 3 | |
| While driving the brakes failed. upon applying the brakes vehicle continued to coast. however, it happened again, and an accident occurred. contacted the dealer, and was told there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. it happened a third time which led to another accident, and the air bags did not deploy. consumer was injured, and the vehicle was totaled.*ak | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 5980 | 1 | 02/28/2003 |
| At 5,980 miles engine started to create engine noise. dealer said that there's a problem on the vehicle's crankshaft. *la the consumer began to hear noise in the engine compartment. the dealer replaced many components; crankshaft, transmission, belt tensioner and pulley. none of those repairs corrected the noise. the clock spring failed and caused the horn and cruise control to be inoperative. *nm | |||
| 10/13/2003 | 5100 | 1 | 11/13/2003 |
| While driving 35 mph consumer's vehicle rear ended another vehicle. upon impact, none of the airbags deployed. *ak the police stated the air bags should've deployed. vehicle sustained $5000. dollars in damages. the person who vehicle she hit, left the scene before the police arrived. *ph | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 60000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving at approximate speeds of 65 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated. the dealer replaced the wiring harness to the passengers air bag yet the failure recurred. the dealer made a second repair to the passengers wiring harness and within a year, the failure recurred. the vehicle was out of warranty and any further repairs would be at the owners expense. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 110,000. | |||
| 01/10/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the frontal air bag warning lights continued to illuminate on the instrument panel. she found recalls for the 2002 and 2004 models, but not for the 2003 model, even though the failures were identical. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were less than 100,000. | |||
| 08/16/2008 | 115000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. on august 16, 2008, while driving 45 mph, a vehicle failed to yield at a red light. the contact was unable to stop and the front bumper on the passenger side of her vehicle struck a travel trailer. the driver and passenger frontal air bag indicators illuminated, but failed to deploy. the passenger seated in the front seat received injures to the neck, back, and head. the rear passenger was traumatized. the contact received injuries to the neck, back, and shoulders. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the air bags failed to deploy due to faulty wires. a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the air bags will only deploy under extreme experiences. they further stated that the front passenger side bumper crashing into the trailer would not have caused the air bags to deploy. the owner's manual stated that the air bags were designed to deploy at any speed in the event of a crash. the vehicle has been repaired. nevada police report number 0808160558 was filed. the failure mileage was 115,000 and current mileage was 116,000. | |||
| 08/28/2005 | 1 | 01/05/2005 | |
| I was in a car accident with a mini van and my passenger front was damaged. my airbags did not deploy on either side mostly the passenger side and i have been informed that with the damage it should have deployed. *nm | |||
| 01/11/2005 | 6500 | 3 | 08/01/2003 |
| While driving the brakes failed. upon applying the brakes, the vehicle continued to coast, the first time this happened. the second time this happened, it resulted in an accident. the consumer contacted the dealer, and was told that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. a third time resulted in an accident, and the air bag did not deploy. the consumer was injured, and the vehicle was totaled. *ak *sc | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 07/01/2008 | 1 | 02/01/2006 | |
| 2003 hyundai santa fe with defective airbag control module. consumer states that the mechanic hooked the vehicle up to the scanner that came across that problem. it will cost almost $400 dollars to have the airbag control module replaced. *kb the dealer stated there was an internal fault code causing the air bag light to illuminate. the oil pan was leaking. *jb | |||
| 11/10/2007 | 49700 | 1 | |
| Air bag light stays on. scan it needs a new clockspring(air bag). dealer wont pay for it. 2003 hyundai santa fe has 88,000km. *tr | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 01/21/2007 | 67598 | 1 | 02/23/2003 |
| I was on my way home from work 1/21/2007 @07 :40 am down i 75 south @70-75 mph with no traffic on the road no items in the road and my drivers side airbag went off. i was driving in the slow lane and kept my hands on the wheel and pulled over to the side. the airbag hit my arm. i have a left upper arm contusion and left neck/shoulder sprain per my doctor . nothing hit my car. the next day my car was towed to the dealer in ann arbor automotive . when the man put my car on the tow truck he noticed a dent under the car at the gas tank. that did not happen on 1/21/07 i did not hear or see anything. that should not set a side airbag off. the dealer statement is that what caused it. which they are full of it. the told me it is going to cost $5500.00 to fix. i contacted hyundai consumer affairs and awaiting to hear back from them. this is very unsafe and this car should not be allowed on the road if airbags deploy from a rock ect hitting under the car. i find it heard to believe that they are that sensitive. *jb | |||
| 03/30/2004 | 10309 | 1 | 11/25/2003 |
| On march 30, 2004 at 5:52 am while on my way to work, my hyundai santa fe was hit on the driver's side door by a man who ran a red light. as his vehicle made impact, my santa fe was sent into a roll-over, with approximately three to four flips. my side airbags did not deploy, and as a result, i hit my head on the driver's side window. i suffered from a concussion and daily headaches, that at times were debilitating. the driver's side of the car, from front to back, was destroyed. i was unable to exit the vehicle this way, and had to get out of the car through the passenger's side with the help of a passer-by. both vehicles were totaled as a result of the accident. i contacted hyundai and sent them all of the required paperwork. i received a reply that stated they felt the airbags had functioned in the manner in which they were designed, and this was their final decision on the matter. i fail to see how side-air bags, not deploying in a roll-over collision, are functioning at all. when i purchased the vehicle, the dual side impact airbags were one of the selling points that the dealer used. included in the owners manual was a pamphlet that also described the airbags, along with pictures of a car being hit in the driver's door and roll-over accidents. according to this pamphlet, the side airbags would protect you in crashes such as these. *jb | |||
| 02/03/2004 | 9100 | 1 | 06/22/2003 |
| On february 3, 2004, thomas ashfield, my husband, was driving to the high school to pick up our daughter. while driving southbound toward the high school two vehicles were traveling north. the first car was traveling at a higher rate of speed than what the elements called for, hitting the second car and shooting the car into ours, broadsiding tom on his driver's side. tom immediately heard a snap. he sustained broken ribs, a torn meniscus , and a herniated disc in his c5/c6. (his first surgery is complete, we are awaiting the second.) the damage to the car was enough to require approximately $8,400.00. during the accident, the side airbag did not deploy. the insurance company wanted a rapid repair. we never thought to get engineers out to look at the damage or to take pictures. we did learn that there had been a problem with the airbag and sensor from the body shop and they said they would retain the components so that hyundai could view them. i wrote to hyundai on april 14, 2004. a representative contacted us the first time in june and then on june 22, 2004, he called again asking for the name of the repair shop. tom gave him the information. the representative called us back and told tom that the repair shop had gotten rid of the parts. that was a shock to us because up until two weeks ago, they told us they would retain it. (we confirmed this with them when the representative first made contact with us.) in addition, from what the representative told tom, the story changed about the defective parts. i do not have the slightest idea of what occurred. something is happening. i want answers. i want to know why the malfunction happened. was this the first time or is it something that is ongoing and nobody is paying attention to. my husband sustained major injuries. we paid for safety features on a new vehicle and they did not work. what will it require for us to receive answers...a death? *ak | |||