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Hyundai Santa Fe Air Bag Light

39 messages,  Last post on Dec 05, 2009 at 10:27 PM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Santa Fe, Car Safety, SUV

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#34 of 39 Re: [antonio27] by JBrabbit Aug 10, 2009 (12:36 pm)
Replying to: antonio27 (Aug 05, 2009 4:57 pm) Note....I think everyone having a problem with their Santa Fe Hyundai (ours was a 2008) passenger side air bag light NEEDS TO READ THIS. We settled with Hyundai re purchasing our vehicle back in June 2009. We went through BBB auto line, lemon law...... the arbitrator ruled in our favor. It was alot of hassle and constant headache for sure. We had a choice of repurchase or another vehicle. We loved the Santa Fe and were very sad to part with it. Good Luck to all of you dealing with this unsafe problem. If we can be of help with more details let us know. Replies to this message: joehio2 (Sep 11, 2009 3:17 pm) flower6 (Sep 12, 2009 10:43 am) toosnick (Sep 12, 2009 5:52 pm)
#35 of 39 Re: [JBrabbit] by joehio2 Sep 11, 2009 (3:17 pm)
Replying to: JBrabbit (Aug 10, 2009 12:36 pm) My wife and I purchased a new 2008 Santa Fe LTD this past April. We bought the 2008 because the 2009 were filling up the lots and we knew we could get a good deal.   We like the vehicle but the passenger side air bag will not work for my wife when she is a passenger. She is 5' 2" and 125 lbs so I don't see how it is mistaking her for a child. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.   We took the vehicle back to the dealer and the service adviser witnessed the airbag off light while my wife was sitting in the seat. The dealer kept it for a week checking the wiring and running test and did not fix the problem.   When we went back to the dealer to pick up the car my wife sat in the seat and the technician had her hold a gallon of water and the airbag would still not engage for her. They suggested they might have to replace the seat. We were told to go home and we would get a call. The seat did seem to work when it was in the most upright position. This seat position also hurts my wife's neck because the head rest is tilted forward.   This is where we hit a brick wall. The district rep for Hyundai told my wife there is nothing wrong with the car and the air bag is not malfunctioning and she will just have to ride around with the seat in the extreme upright position.   Just think what a great vacation trip we're going to have since I do most of the driving.   They actually said the car is reading her as a petite person and the airbag is off for her own safety. However, last week we test drove a 2009 Santa Fe LTD and the airbag worked perfectly no matter how much my wife reclined the seat. SO TELL ME HYUNDAI, WHICH SANTA FE IS DEFECTIVE?? THE ONE WHERE THE AIRBAG STAYS ON OR THE ONE WHERE THE AIRBAG SHUTS OFF !!!   The dealer where we bought the Santa Fe is about 1.5 hours from home and we went to this dealer because they were the only one with a few 2008's on the lot.   Believe it or not one of the Hyundai reps my wife talked to actually got snotty and asked her why we would buy a car so far from home.   Gives new meaning the term Hyundai Assurance Program. Don't buy a Hyundai too far from home because I assure you, you will regret it.   If anyone else is having this problem please respond and let me know.   Thanks. Replies to this message: flower6 (Sep 12, 2009 10:43 am) toosnick (Sep 12, 2009 5:52 pm)
#36 of 39 Re: [joehio2] by flower6 Sep 12, 2009 (10:43 am)
Replying to: joehio2 (Sep 11, 2009 3:17 pm) We had the same problem. Our dealer called the techs in Ca. and they told them to replace the entire passengers seat they did that and we have had no problems. If they won't do that call the number of headquarters in Alabama. They should be able to do something. Have your dealer call Planet Hyundai in Golden Colorado they know all about it. We were told all airbags will not work unless you get the seat replaced. Good luck. Replies to this message: toosnick (Sep 12, 2009 5:52 pm)
#37 of 39 Re: [flower6] by toosnick Sep 12, 2009 (5:52 pm)
Replying to: flower6 (Sep 12, 2009 10:43 am) We have been dealing with this for a year. Just took our 2008 Santa Fe back to the dealership because the air bag light came on on the DRIVER'S SIDE and stayed on. I checked the Hyundai Manual that came with the car, and it said "routine service check." For an airbag light? Routine? Huh? Took it to the dealership to be addressed.    I mentioned the problem with the passenger airbag. Passenger who sits in it is 5'5" 140 lb - obviously not a child. I got a loaner car and had to give them my driver's license which says 130 lb (well . . . maybe some day . . . )   This light comes on when I am sitting in this seat haphazardly - no real rhyme or reason to it. Another dealership actually has video of it, but that has probably been "lost" by now . . . When I mentioned that the light comes on with my teenage daughter - 5'3" 115-120 lb, the man at the desk said that "90-125 is considered a small person" and may not be recognized as an adult. I argued the point that many adult women and the majority teenage girls are in this weight range.   The next day, when I picked the car up, the weight range MAGICALLY changed to "100-130." Unreal! I am guessing they saw that weight on my license and used it to try to justify their position.   Another person at the dealership said it was because the insurance industry is setting these standards. My reply was that no other auto manufacturers seem to be having this problem. (We also have 3 Toyota's. Their manuals actually state "90 lb" as the adult weight criteria. And we have NEVER had a problem with the passenger airbag.)   The ironic thing is that if a small person sits behind the wheel of the car, the air bag is functional - and the air bag is actually closer to them and more dangerous than the passenger's airbag!!   By the way, this vehicle has been in 4 times for this problem! The SEAT HAS BEEN CHANGED OUT and we still experience this problem.   This time, they said there was "an error code coming from the passenger seat which triggered the driver's airbag light." They supposedly fixed this and said "maybe this will stop the passenger airbag problem." The driver's side airbag is no longer lit, but too soon to tell about the passenger airbag light. It still comes on for a while when we first drive, but then goes off. '   The service person now mentioned a "grid in the seat" and so many areas have to be compressed in order for it to recognize an adult passenger. So, apparently, anyone under 130 lb needs to have "a big butt" in order for the grid to "acknowledge them as adults. LOL   THIS IS A BAD, BAD, BAD DESIGN on Hyundai's part, and they are making their service people defend it!!! What a crock!!!   P.S. - this car has 15,000 miles on it, we bought it new, and it has been in 4 times for the same thing!!!    WE WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER HYUNDAI!   DON'T BUY A SANTA FE!!!
#38 of 39 Solution to Air Bag Light Problem by shaemusmcduffy Dec 05, 2009 (8:54 pm)
My thanks to JBabbit on this forum for providing us a path to solving this problem (see Post #34). We were searching for a path to resolve this and didn't even think about the lemon law. We had this same air bag light problem with our 2007 Santa Fe, filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) AutoLine and Hyundai Motor America (HMA) *immediately* offered to either buy back the vehicle according to our state lemon law, or exchange the vehicle for another Santa Fe. Since HMA immediately came forward with an offer, BBB did not get involved, and there was no mediator or arbitration. HMA was easy to work with and the offer was fair (and in accordance with our state lemon law).   In my opinion, this is the only solution to the problem. I think everyone on this forum understands that this is a defect for persons of slight build, cannot be retro-fixed and is unsafe. I believe HMA recognizes this, hence their prompt offer to us. My recommendation: file a complaint with the BBB autoline (https://www.auto.bbb.org/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=autoline/autoline/first.w) and see what happens. It worked for us. Good luck and God Bless. Replies to this message: tidester (Dec 05, 2009 10:27 pm)
#39 of 39 Re: Solution to Air Bag Light Problem [shaemusmcduffy] by tidester HOST Dec 05, 2009 (10:27 pm)
Replying to: shaemusmcduffy (Dec 05, 2009 8:54 pm) Thanks, Shaemus! I love stories with good endings.   tidester, host SUVs and Smart Shopper

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