Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
AIR BAGS - FRONTAL
11V472000HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANYfrom 04/19/2006 to 03/20/2008V (Vehicle)20523305/28/2012MFRHYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY09/09/201109/13/2011
Defect SummaryHyundai is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 hyundai veracruz vehicles manufactured from december 26, 2006, through march 21, 2008, and model year 2007-2008 hyundai santa fe vehicles manufactured from april 19, 2006 through march 20, 2008. the clock spring contact assembly for the driver's air bag supplemental restraint system (srs) may become damaged through usage over time. the driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition, potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.
Consequence SummaryIf the clock spring develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the drivers air bag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.
Corrective SummaryHyundai dealers will replace the vehicle's driver's air bag clock spring contact assembly free of charge. the safety recall began in november 2011. owners may contact hyundai customer connect center at 1-800-633-5151.
NotesHyundai's safety recall campaign number is 103,owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
12V354000HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INCfrom 04/19/2006 to 07/07/2008V (Vehicle)19911809/07/2012MFRHYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY07/25/201207/26/2012
Defect SummaryHyundai is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2009 santa fe vehicles manufactured from april 19, 2006, through july 7, 2008. the occupant classification system (ocs) may need recalibration to accurately detect small statured adults.
Consequence SummaryImproper classification or detection may cause the front passenger airbag not to deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger.
Corrective SummaryHyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the classification software free of charge. the safety recall began on september 7, 2012. owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
NotesHyundai's recall campaign number is 105.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
AIR BAGS
11/08/201260784
 Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id numbers 12v354000 (air bags: frontal: sensor/ control module) and 11v472000 (air bags:frontal). the contact also stated that after the repairs, the air bag warning light illuminated without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the front passenger seat belt tension sensor wiring harness clip failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 60,784. the current mileage was approximately 62,550. the vin was unavailable.
11/08/201260784
 Tl- the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id numbers 12v354000 (air bags: frontal: sensor/ control module) and 11v472000 (air bags:frontal). the contact also stated that after the repairs, the air bag warning light illuminated without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the front passenger seat belt tension sensor wiring harness clip failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 60,784. the current mileage was approximately 62,550. the vin was unavailable. mah
11/08/201260784
 Tl-the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated without any warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. after diagnosis they advised her that the front passenger seat belt tension sensor wiring harness clip failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. prior to the air bag warning light being illuminated the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id numbers 12v354000 (air bags:frontal:sensor/control module) and 11v472000 (air bags:frontal). the failure mileage was approximately 60,784. the current mileage was approximately 62,550. the vin was unavailable. tb
07/16/20121
 Work under the recall to repair faulty sensors that failed to detect small statured adults (95 lb wife). for failure to detect didn't resolve issue, and efforts to determine what the new trigger weight was got nowhere with either local or hq reps. so now driving a vehicle that mfr has acknowledged safety defects yet refuses to fix. *tr
07/16/2012
 Work under the recall to repair faulty sensors that failed to detect small statured adults (95 lb wife). for failure to detect didn't resolve issue, and efforts to determine what the new trigger weight was got nowhere with either local or hq reps. so now driving a vehicle that mfr has acknowledged safety defects yet refuses to fix.
08/01/201130000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning lamp illuminated, indicating that the air bag was turned off while the seat was occupied. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger side air bag sensor needed to be re-calibrated to the lowest weight limit. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 12v354000 (air bags:frontal:sensor/control module). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 41,000.
08/01/201130000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning lamp illuminated, indicating that the air bag was turned off while the seat was occupied. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger side air bag sensor needed to be re-calibrated to the lowest weight limit. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 12v354000 (air bags:frontal:sensor/control module). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 41,000. kmj
08/01/201130000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the passenger air bag warning lamp indicated that it was off although the passenger seat was occupied. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger air bag sensor needed to be re-calibrated to the lowest weight limit. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 12v354000 (air bags:frontal:sensor/control module). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 41,000. pm
04/25/201213000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the passenger side air bag off warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they had to recalibrate the air bag. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vehicle was not covered under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v354000 (air bags: frontal:sensor/control module). the failure mileage was 13,000 and the current mileage was 56,000.
04/25/201213000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the passenger side air bag off warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they had to recalibrate the air bag. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vehicle was not covered under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v354000 (air bags: frontal:sensor/control module). the failure mileage was 13,000 and the current mileage was 56,000. kmj
04/25/201213000
 Tl- the contact owns 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated when she enter her vehicle on the passenger side she said that the air bag off warning light illuminated . the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated that they had to recalibrate the air bag. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they stated her vehicle was not under recall (nhtsa campaign id number: 12v354000). the failure mileage was 13,000 and the vehicle 56,000.jp
11/06/2008200
 This problem is true of our 2007 and 2008 santa fe's and has existed since we purchased the cars. i have finally come to the conclusion that this is a safety issue for not only my wife but also many other people who are of slight build. it is a problem that is easily correctable by the manufacturer. i have created case#4868953 with hyundai america --they have responded that they will pass along the information to engineering --but they have noted that i will not be contacted by hyundai regarding deposition of the issue. the problem -- my wife weighs about 95 lbs. she frequently does not activate the air bag system on the passenger side of the vehicle. she is essentially unprotected in case of an accident. she just doesn't weigh enough to reliably activate the air bag system. hyundai spends quite a few pages in their manual to cover themselves legally. they comment that if all else fails just sit in the back seat. i would imagine few husbands and wives opt for this solution. most consumers probably haven't read the manual, ignore the off sign or don't know what it means, or don't care and risk the safety of their passenger. this is a safety issue to the general public. the sensor in the passenger seat should activate the air bag system for say anyone over 66 lbs. i believe another manufacturer has recently done so. it is stupid that i have waited this long to complain -- but i kept thinking their would eventually be a recall and i normally just don't complain about things. hyundai could make an alternate sensor available to those who needed it.
10/02/201045391
 On our 2008 hyundai santa fe limited with 45,391 miles, vin # 5nmsh13e58h165181, the check engine light started comming on when it was about 1 year old. it has now come on approximately 10 times.the dealer always says it's the gas cap. we have tightened the gas cap varying degrees and it does not matter how tight it is. the check engine light continues to come on. they claim to have replaced the gas cap 3 times out of 10 trips. whether that is true or not, i don't know. additionally, the red air bag warning light came on about a week ago and will not go off. i understand hyundai has a history of airbag problems and would like to know if you can force them to fix this problem as well as the check engine light.
05/10/201025256
 Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated the passenger's side frontal air bag was not activated. the dealer advised the air bags were idle and would not activate without a passenger of at least 120 pounds occupying the seat. the manufacturer confirmed the dealer's statement and would not provide any further assistance. the failure and current mileages were 25,256.
08/21/20083001
 In my 2008 hyundai santa fe the front passenger air bag does not work properly. it intermittently works when my daughter and i (115 & 120 lbs) sit in the seat. i can sit perfectly still and it will be engaged, and then it will disengage, and then engage, again or visa versa. it has been to the dealer to be repaired 4 times, but they say they cannot reproduce. they just hook it up to a computer and say it works as designed. humble hyundai service manager even told me to sit in the back seat (i'm 51 years old). i am afraid if we are in an accident that the airbags will not deploy. i have notified hyundai consumer affairs and hyundai pr as well. does someone have to be killed in an accident for nhtsa and hyundai to issue a recall? i have been given weights of 30, 80, 150, 115 and 120 lbs to activate the airbag sensor by humble hyundai. also given 35, 45, 150, 130, 135, 145, 40, 100 & 105 lbs by service departments of other dealerships. also talked to consumer affairs about this, why can't hyundai tell anyone what the actual weight to activate is? there was a safety recall issued for sonatas for this exact problem why can't one be issued for santa fes. there are 48 complaints listed on http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2008/hyundai/santa+fe and they all say they were filed with nhtsa. the initial problem began on 8/21/08 with 300 miles on odometer and continues to be a problem until today 10/19/09 with almost 18000 miles on the car. the speed i am driving is not a function of the problem as it happens at varying speeds. *tr
03/01/2009101
 Since i bought my 2008 hyundai santa fe and pulled it off the lot the passenger side airbag does not register me. i am 5'3 105 lbs. rarely does it ever work and if it does its only for a minute. took to dealership and they state there is nothing they can do about it. lady stated she has heard complaint numerous time and hyundai wont do anything about it. they tell you to restart the car and sit with perfect posture. this still does not work and even if it does move an inch and it turns back off. i feel very unsafe in the passenger side and i have read numerous complaints about this from other consumers. its like hyundai is waiting for someone to die before they do anything about it! *tr
09/16/20082000106/12/2008
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. while driving at an unknown speed, the passenger side air bag light would illuminate, even when the passenger seat was occupied. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current mileage was 8,391 and failure mileage was 2,000. updated 08/04/09. *lj updated 08/06/09.*jb
04/12/20091
 My husband and i just purchased this 2008 santa fe gls (used with 10,000 miles) about two weeks ago. we noticed this issue two days later. the passenger airbag will not turn on when i, a 120 lb, 5' 7, 31 year old adult female sit in the seat. i took it in to the hyundai service center and was simply told that i was not heavy enough to activate the seat so there was nothing i could do. i was also told that it is set to activate for anyone over 110 lbs. i am definitely heavier than that. this seems to me to be a safety issue which should be resolved quickly as i have read of many other customers with similar issues. *tr
12/10/2008120001
 2008 hyundai santa fe - passenger side front airbag light indicates that the airbag is not working when a passenger, who weighs around 170 lbs is in the seat. i have brought this car to two different dealerships for repair, on four separate occasions. the first time, they couldn't recreate the issue, i left the dealership, the problem happened again within 10 minutes. i took pictures and video of the passenger in the seat with the air bag off light illuminated. brought it back the next day, they replaced a weight sensor. issue was still happening, brought it back the third time and was told they couldn't recreate the issue. again, i drove off the lot, and the issue happened again. called hyundai customer service, and was told to bring it in again. this time i brought it to another dealership, and today was told that they couldn't recreate the issue, but they will try again tomorrow. one of the main reasons i bought this car was safety. i will not ride with a passenger in the front seat, because, chances are that the airbag will not work or will not work properly. hyundai needs to address this as there are many many complaints online from santa fe owners. *tr
01/29/20091756101/29/2009
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai sonata. the contact noticed that the passenger side front air bag does not detect her weight. she weighs roughly 102 lbs. secondly, she noticed that the air bag warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel, which signified that the air bag was inoperative. the failure could cause the front passenger side air bag not to deploy and injure the occupant. the technician confirmed the failure; however, they could not provide a remedy. the manufacturer stated that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 08v161000 (air bags); therefore, they could not offer any recourse. the failure and current mileages were 1,756. updated 4/14/09 *cn updated 04/17/09.*jb
11/01/200828001
 Airbag indicator lights come on to show airbags are not functioning. 2008 santa fe was returned to dealer to correct the problem. dealer reset computer code for airbag sensors. worked for a couple weeks , then lights came back on. returned to dealer to check again. dealer said the airbag sensor built into the passenger seat was defective. the dealer substituted a seat from another vehicle and the problem disappeared. the dealer called a hyundai engineer in california and was told all airbags were not operable when light was on. dealer now has car waiting for delivery of a replacement passenger seat. dealer claims he has seen this problem once before. *tr
01/01/2009501
 2008 hyundai santa fe passenger airbag works sporadically at best. passenger weighs around 120 pounds and the light goes on and off leading me to believe that the airbag would not work effectively in an accident. have taken to the dealer twice now and they were unable to replicate the problem. it appears that the sonota has been recalled for a very similar issue. this has occurred the at 50 miles vehicle currently has 600 miles. *tr
05/03/20081
 Passenger side air bag disengages frequently with adult in seat. dealership says it is functioning as it is supposed to ...... not acceptable. this is not a safe situation. *tr
05/24/2008300
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the vehicle has been at the dealer for two months because the air bag light and door locks were not working properly. the dealer is currently stating that they have to rewire the entire vehicle. the vehicle has not yet been to the repair shop for the air bag light to be repaired. the part was ordered, but it did not remedy the failure. the doors have been repaired unsuccessfully approximately six times. the failure mileage was 300 and current mileage was 3,000.
09/19/2008451
 My 2008 hyundai santa fe has a defect in the passenger side air bag sensor. when my wife sits in the passenger seat of the car the pass airbag off light comes on which indicates that in the event of a collision her airbag will not deploy. she weighs 145 pounds, but if i get in the passenger seat then the light goes out, i weigh 210 pounds. there is obviously a problem with the weight sensor. this is a serious safety issue, i have heard from many other owners of similar vehicles complain of the same problem. the dealer refuses to acknowledge the problem , although a recall for a similar problem in the hyundai sonata was issued. please before someone loses their life because of this, have hyundai issue a recall. thank you. *tr
04/13/20082401
 2008 hyundai santa fe - passenger side airbag sensor malfunction with airbag warning light on @ 250 miles - less than 24 hrs after purchase. dealer cleared code - problem recurred later same evening - now problem is intermittent. seems as if the 2007 model issue has carried over to the 208 model. not happy - bad start for what is marketed as a safe car - what good is 8 airbags if they will not deploy when needed. *tr
AIR BAGS - FRONTAL
05/22/2009100001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminates on the instrument control, indicating that the passenger front air bag is inoperative. as a consequence in a situation that warrants the air bags may fail to deploy. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and a technician concluded that the failure is caused by a weight distribution failure. she contacted the manufacturer. upon contact a representative advised her to sit in the rear seat, because the air bags are secondary safety methods; seat belts are the first. the failure mileage was 1,000. the current mileage was 3,000. bl updated 10/13/09. *lj the consumer requested to withdraw the complaint. the consumer wants all information deleted. updated 10/13/09
05/06/20092000102/01/2009
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. while driving approximately 60 mph the passenger air bag off warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. the front passenger seat was occupied with a small stature adult. the air bag sensor does not detect a certain weight positioned in the front passenger seat. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the technician stated that the design and the air bag system was functioning properly. the manufacturer was notified; however, there were no resolutions. the contact has concerns of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 2,000 and the current mileage was 4,500. updated 10/13/09. *lj the consumer stated his wife weighed roughly 125. the passenger side air bag was off no matter how she sat in the passenger seat. updated 10/15/09
08/16/200810001
 My wife and i purchased a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the car is great running vehicle except for one safety problem: the front passenger airbag sensor does not detects my wife as an adult and toggles on and off at will. it is really frightening to be traveling down an highway or any road and realize that i have no airbag. my wife is 5' 3 and weighs about 120 lbs and at times i needed to have her reposition seat to the total upright position to reset the airbag indication light. this does not give me a sense of security since i don't feel confident that it would deploy if needed .i called two hyundai dealers and was advised that this a common problem and suggested for me to come in for a checkup. i at this time have not made an appointment with the dealer but will certainly make one asap. *tr
07/22/200951481
 The passenger airbag light comes on intermittently, indicating that there is no passenger air bag active while my wife is sitting in the passenger seat. this might happen 2 or 3 times in a 100 mile trip. i have been to three hyundai dealers and also talked with hyundai consumer affairs 3 times. all three dealers were able to see the problem with my wife sitting squarely in the passenger seat, but all dealers said that there is nothing that they can do to correct the problem. the dealers say that the load cells under the seat are set to require 80 lb of force before the air bag will function, to prevent possible injury to a small child. the hyundai consumer affairs people are very supportive, and agree that the problem needs to be resolved, but are not able to help. my wife is 5'-6 tall and weighs 120 lb. *tr
06/19/20093001
 2008 hyundai santa fe front passenger airbag light intermittently comes on stating airbag is off when there is a passenger sitting in the seat. i brought back to dealership and they claim they never saw this happen before on a santa fe but it did on the tucson. they put on a machine and claimed it was fine and of course would not happen when it was at the dealership. they told me they had to make some calls and i might need the seat replaced because the sensor may be bad and i would hear from them in a couple days. that was june 24, 2009 and it is now july 13, 2009 and i have not heard a thing. it happened last night when my husband and i went out and i took pictures and video of it to show me sitting in seat and the light on and without revealing my weight, believe me i am heavy enough to make the light stay off. i am going to call them again tomorrow and hope for some results. this could be a fatal defect and i demand it to be repaired. *tr
07/10/20091
 My husband and i recently purchased a 2008 hyundai santa fe. everything about the car is great except for one thing: the front passenger airbag sensor does not detect me as an adult and toggles on and off at will. it is really frightening to be barreling down the road and realize that i have no airbag. i have read that the sensor is set at about 120lbs and i weigh 115lbs. the arrogant service person at hyundai recommended that i be the driver or sit in the rear seat! i couldn't believe they would just tell a 48 year old woman to sit in the back! (that should be interesting going on dates with the hubby or helping my 15 year old learn to drive.) the service person also asked me if i was sitting squarely on the seat with my legs extended. what? yes, i was sitting squarely on the seat with legs extended!! so, if i shift my butt slightly on a 4 hour drive - are they saying i'm responsible for the airbag not deploying? what ridiculousness. i was appalled. i have read online that many petite people have had this problem with the santa fe and the sonata. this is not an unknown or rare problem. i am taking it in to hyundai service on monday, but quite frankly, i was not encouraged by the questions the service people asked. if it can't be fixed to be armed at all times, i will return the car - and that would be a shame because we liked everything else about it. *tr
11/15/20081
 Purchased 2008 hyundai santa fe. air bag senor light would come on. when ever a passenger would shift their weight in the seat, the senor light would come on and stay on. took into dealer two times with no problem found. third time factory rep was present, problem found but could not be fixed. was offered a different car with me paying the difference in sticker price or they would buy back my car with a fee. the lemon law in reverse. no action was taken to fix problem. *tr
10/15/2008300
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. while driving at an unknown speed, the air bag indicator would not stop illuminating when the passenger seat was occupied. the vehicle was driven to the dealer and they stated that there was no defect. the air bag indicator remained illuminated even when someone occupied the passenger seat. the vehicle was driven to the dealer approximately two months later and was left for repairs. the mechanic stated that the failure could not be duplicated. the vehicle has not been repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the current mileage was 4,000 and failure mileage was 300.
12/26/200817001
 The last week for nov. 2008 i purchased a new santa fe for my wife. on 12/26/2008 she was involved in a head on wreck. my 25 yr. old daughter who is very petty about 110 lbs. was riding in the passenger seat and the air bags did not deploy. due to the air bags not deploying she was injured very seriously. i had no idea that there were prior complaints about the air bags it appears that there has been quite a few complaints i hope something is done before someone is killed. the manufacture needs to fix this problem. *tr
10/23/2008101
 The air bag suppression system of my 2008 hyundai santa fe se is suppressing the front passenger air bags when my wife, who weights between 110 and 115 pounds, occupies the seat. this has happen ever time my wife has sat in the vehicle since we took delivery about 3 weeks ago. the car was brought to the service department at advantage hyundai in hicksville, new york were they used a male technician whom i was told weights 130 pounds to show me the occupant classification system was working to specs and indicated there was nothing further that could be done. i was also told by service that the occupant classification system would suppress the air bags for any weight under 120 pounds. following this service appointment, i spoke with charlie case for the nhtsa who suggested i file this complaint. *tr
11/02/20084001
 My 2008 hyundai santa fe seems to have a faulty passenger occupant sensor. my wife weighs about 105 lbs. and the sensor intermittently recognizes the passenger seat as being occupied. when i sit in the passenger seat the airbag sensor light will turn off. i weigh 198 lbs. my wife can usually position the seat to make the airbag sensor light turn off but then the sensor light will come back on again after approximately 30 seconds of driving. this is a safety hazard since the passenger seat occupancy sensor should register anything over 100 lbs. as an adult and therefore the sensor should remain off indicating that the air bag is activated. the hyundai dealer checked out the sensor and stated that it was working normally. *tr
06/30/2008145
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. immediately after the vehicle was purchased, the passenger side air bag indicator illuminated intermittently. the vehicle was driven to the dealer and the mechanic stated that the occupant classification system was defective. the vehicle was not repaired at that time. the vehicle was driven to the dealer a second time and the mechanic performed a diagnostic. the contact was informed that the occupant classification system was not defective. the failure persisted and the manufacturer stated that they were not liable for the repairs because the passenger needs to weigh 120 lbs or more. the current mileage was 5,000 and failure mileage was 145.
10/21/2008195001
 The front passenger air bag arms and disarms intermittently depending on the weight of the passenger. recently my 21 year old daughter who weighs 130 pounds had the air bag light go on indicating that the air bag was turned off while we were driving. i cannot get anyone from hyundai or the dealership to give me an exact weight requirement for the front passenger seat. can a small adult who weighs 115 to 120 never sit in the front passenger seat, this should not be the case and we should be able to permanently arm the airbag if we want. i cannot get anyone to help me with this matter. the dealership says the airbag checks out fine so they are at a loss. i called hyundai and the will not commit. *tr
09/19/200881
 Airbag sensor in front passenger seat does not detect an adult sitting in the seat. air bag will not deploy in an accident. *tr
09/04/200861
 Hello, this is a new car (400mi.) and with my wife (5'4 and 120lbs.) sitting in the passenger seat the passenger side airbag light illuminates, indicating the airbag is off. occasionally the light will go off (as expected, indicating the passenger airbag is armed) as we start driving and then it will come on after 5 to 10min. of driving. it is very disconcerting to think the airbag may not deploy if needed. thanks, dan *tr
06/01/20081
 My 2008 hyundai santa fe se seems to have a faulty passenger occupant sensor. i weigh about 130 lb. and it often does not recognize the passenger seat as being occupied when i sit in it and the passenger airbag will turn off. i can usually position the seat to make the airbag come back on but then the airbag will turn off again while driving (although it is not supposed to turn off and on after 30 seconds of driving). this is a hazard as the passenger seat occupancy sensor should register anything over 100 lb. as an adult. *tr
06/20/2008501
 Re: failure of the front passenger's air bag to be activated. hyundai 2008 santa fe with 150 miles i am a 145lb 5'8 male. 75% of the time when i am sitting in the front passenger's seat, the front airbag fails to turn on. even though i'm sitting upright with my feet placed on the ground, exactly as described in the owner's manual, the sensors located in the seat cushion fail to recognize me as an adult. i have visited the hyundai dealer and their equipment says the sensors are working. i have numerous witnesses at the dealer who have observed the failure of the sensors to turn on the airbag when i'm sitting in the seat. *tr
03/03/2008201
 Passenger seat airbag off indicator lights when a 115 pound, 5'8 adult sits in the seat (indicating that the passenger airbag will not deploy in the event of an accident). local dealership and hyundai national 1-800 complaint line indicate that the indicator light is performing to specifications. i believe specifications (supposedly a 130 pound minimum for full functioning of passenger airbag deployment system) are inappropriate and result in an unsafe situation. *tr
05/22/20082656
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the passenger side air bag light constantly illuminates when the contact's wife is seated in the passenger seat. his wife weighs 103 lbs. when an occupant weighting 110 lbs or more is in the front passenger seat, the air bags work fine. the contact has attempted to get in touch with the dealer owner, but has been unsuccessful. the current mileage was 3,980 and failure mileage was 2,656.
AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
11/01/2008100111/01/2008
 Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. the air bag sensor does not detect an adult occupant in the front passenger seat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer multiple times, and a technician replaced and re-calibrated the seat module. none of the repairs have remedied the failure. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. the failure mileage was 100 and the current mileage was 9100. updated 11/17/09 *bf the consumer stated it would detect heavier adults. updated 11/1/8/09