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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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#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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