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1205 messages,  Last post on Jul 16, 2009 at 5:31 PM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Fit, Mazda MAZDA3, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Sentra, Sedan

Messages Page 51 of 121

#500 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [spmrebel] by backy

Oct 30, 2006 (7:14 pm)

Replying to: spmrebel (Oct 30, 2006 7:00 pm)
The first rounds of NHSTA testing back in 2001 were not what Hyundai or anyone expected - they were pathetic.
 
The NHTSA ratings on the 2001 Elantra were 4/5/5/4--the same as for the 2006 model except the front ratings are flipped. If those were "pathetic", for a car designed in the late '90s, what do you think of the 2006 Spectra's 4/4/4/3 ratings, for a design that debuted in 2004?
 
The 2000 Sonata didn't receive complete test scores from the NHTSA, but the similar 2002 model got 4 stars across the board. The 2006 model got five stars across the board. I think that's a considerable improvement. Just as the IIHS ratings showed huge improvement: from Acceptable/Poor/Poor for 2000 to Good/Acceptable/Good in 2006. And I expect the 2007 Elantra will show improvement as well.

#501 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [backy] by spmrebel

Nov 01, 2006 (6:56 pm)

Replying to: backy (Oct 30, 2006 7:14 pm)
It may have been IIHS. Anyway, Hyundai was given 3 chances and at the end there scores were still poor.
 
First time airbags didn't fire correctly. 2nd time airbags fired correctly but seat track came loose and seat moved. 3rd time agency (NHTSA or IIHS) did not want to conduct test but Hyundai convinced them and supplied the car. This did pass but was not good.
 
The first test for 05/06 Spectra is much better than first test of XD generation.

#502 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [spmrebel] by backy

Nov 01, 2006 (7:06 pm)

Replying to: spmrebel (Nov 01, 2006 6:56 pm)
Your memory is off. You are referring to the IIHS frontal offset crash tests on the Gen 3 Elantra. The final result, for the 2004-06 models, was "Good". Also, the details of the tests are not as you described. For example, on the first test of the 2001 Elantra, the airbags did fire correctly, but fired late on the 2nd test. Here's where you can find all the facts:
 
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=318
 
The first test of the '05/'06 Spectra, a car that is a generation ahead of the XD Elantra and was designed after the IIHS side impact tests were created, should have been much better than those of a car designed many years earlier. However, they weren't. A "Poor" score on side impact for a recent design with side bags and curtains is unexplicable. And with a couple of tweaks, the Gen 3 Elantra outperformed the newer Spectra even in frontal impacts. That is hard to understand also. Kia has had two years to update the Spectra to get decent crash test results. They haven't done it.

#503 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [backy] by spmrebel

Nov 01, 2006 (7:56 pm)

Replying to: backy (Nov 01, 2006 7:06 pm)
Thats the one. Kia probably didn't have the luxury of convincing IIHS to be able to retest the Spectra like Hyundai had with Elantra. Hyundai had 3 chances. But I remember the seat dislodge from the tract in one of the crashes with is concerning. IIHS is a much better real world test than NHSTA
 
Looks like they may have an issue similiar to Hyundai maybe with side curtain airbags. I wonder if Kia has new programming for side curtain airbags. Hyundai has had 2 recall campaigns in the last year or so on the front airbags.

#504 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [spmrebel] by backy

Nov 01, 2006 (9:36 pm)

Replying to: spmrebel (Nov 01, 2006 7:56 pm)
Where do you get your information--do you just make it up as you go? ANY carmaker can request a re-test by the IIHS--but the carmaker has to pay for the test. Usually when a car does poorer than the carmaker expects on the IIHS testing, the carmaker responds immediately (as Hyundai did with the 2004 Elantra when there was a problem on the frontal tests). And the IIHS for its part holds back on releasing the test results until the re-test is done.
 
We don't know if Kia has new programming for side airbags because they haven't supplied a car to the IIHS for a retest, and they haven't announced a recall to fix cars already on the road. As for Hyundai, they have not had two recall campaigns in the past year for the front airbags. They had a reprogramming recall about two years ago, as a result of the IIHS tests on the '04 Elantra. And they had a recall on the OCS sensor (not airbag) more recently.
 
It would be nice if Kia would take action to beef up the crash protection on the Spectra, don't you think? I would think the lessons Hyundai learned on the Gen 3 Elantra's crash test problems would have taught the folks at Kia a lesson. I guess not.

#505 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [backy] by spmrebel

Nov 01, 2006 (10:45 pm)

Replying to: backy (Nov 01, 2006 9:36 pm)
I was thinking the same of you. You tend to pull a lot out of the air.
 
I read that Hyundai protested the IIHS testing and supplied the thrid car to them.
 
There were two recalls related to front air bags. One right after I purchased the car which I had done in April of 2005 and the OCS sensor which came out around a year ago. There was a class action lawsuit on this. I have the paperwork but have yet to get it done. The OCS sensor by the way is related to the passenger front air bag as its the sensor to determine the weight of the passenger and to automatically enable/disable it.
 
I will call Kia and find out if there are any recalls for the car or any service bulletins.

#506 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [spmrebel] by backy

Nov 02, 2006 (10:45 am)

Replying to: spmrebel (Nov 01, 2006 10:45 pm)
Hyundai protested the first IIHS testing, back in 2001, because they thought the "injuries" on the dummy's legs should not have been as high. That's why the IIHS ran the 2nd test--and it kind of backfired on Hyundai because the driver's airbag deployed late on that one. Because of that, the IIHS ran a third test.
 
I gave you the link to all these details earlier--I am not pulling them "out of the air."

#507 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [backy] by germancarfan1

Nov 02, 2006 (11:38 am)

Replying to: backy (Nov 02, 2006 10:45 am)
I find it humerous that you both feel the need to argue over which car is the safest of the bottom feeders. Though I do find it laughable that the Kia Spectra can only muster an "adequate" in Frontal testing by IIHS, let alone its Poor side impact rating. The fact is both cars are awful. Let's move on.

#508 of 1205 Re: 2007 Elantra safe? [germancarfan1] by pat

Nov 02, 2006 (11:55 am)

Replying to: germancarfan1 (Nov 02, 2006 11:38 am)
Actually, the best thing to do if posts don't interest you is just skip them instead of suggesting that people stop making them. Also, it would be nice if you drop the "bottom feeder" comment. I would appreciate that.

Messages Page 51 of 121

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