2004 Hyundai Elantra

SINCE I PURCHASE THE CAR IN AORIL OF 2004, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG INDICATOR CONTINUES TO READ AIR BAG OFF WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED IN THE FRONT SEAT WHO WEIGHS OVER 56.4 POUNDS THROUGH ABOUT 160 POUNDS. THIS IS RECALL NUMBER 03V322000, HYUNDAI RECALL NO. 062. THE MANUFACUTURER WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS I SIGN A RELEASE WHICH DOES NOT INCIDATE ANYTHING ABOUT THE AIR BAG WORKING WITH SOMEONE SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WEIGHING MORE THAN 56.4 POUNDS. THEY WANT ME TO WAIVE MY RIGHTS, NOT TELLING ME THE PARAMETERS THEY WILL RESET THE COMPUTER TO ACTIVATE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IF NECESSARY. I HAVE A COPY OF THE AGREEMENT THEY WANT TO TO SIGN. ALONG WITH A LETTER I SENT THEM DATED 10/18/2004. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER, THIS IS A PROBLEM ON ALL THEIR 2004 MODELS. PLEASE HELP ME.*AK

REGARDING: 2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GT THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REGARDS TO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THE 2004 ELANTRA CONTAINS A SENSOR IN THE SEAT THAT DISABLES THAT PASSENGER SEAT IF THE WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER IS LESS THAN A CERTAIN WEIGHT. A "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT ILLUMINATES TO INDICATE WHEN THIS IS OCCURRING. SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE (4/29/2004), IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THIS LIGHT ILLUMINATES WITH ADULT PASSENGER'S IN THIS SEAT. THIS HAPPENS WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF INDIVIDUALS, SOME WELL OVER 150 LB. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS THAT I HAVE FOUND: 1) JUNE 24, 2004 EDITION OF AUTOTECH DAILY (HAMPTON AUTOBEAT LLC) IN AN ARTICLE ENTITLED "ELANTRA SMART AIRBAG TOO SMART?" 2) ABC STORY: HTTP://ABCNEWS.GO.COM/BUSINESS/STORY?ID=89770&PAGE=1 3) CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM: TTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS04/HYUNDAI_AIRBAG.HTML AS THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I FOUND VERY TROUBLING AND UNSAFE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE IN RESOLVING THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO TWO (2) DIFFERENT HYUNDAI DEALERS FOR SERVICE, BUT ACCORDING TO THEM, THE SYSTEM IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. *JB

MY 19 YEARS OLD DAUGHTER'S WEIGHT IS NOT LESS THAN 56.4 POUND. IT SHOWED DISPLAYED "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" WHILE THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. I THINK THE ALIGNMENT OF OCS IS OFF. IT NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED ACCORDING TO THE SPECIFICS SET FOR 56.4 OR LESS. I THINK THE CAR SETTING IS HIGHER THAN 56.4 POUNDS. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY DEALER DURING THE 7500 MILE SERVICE AND I MENTIONED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM TO SERVICE MANAGER. I GOT A RESPONSE FROM THEM ON THE INVOICE. INVOICE SAYS "TESTED SYSTEM OUT WORKING TO FACTORY SPECS" I WAS SO UPSET THAT THEY DON'T BE BOTHER TO CHECK INTO THE DETAILS. THE HYUNDIA REPRESENTATIVE, MS. MUARA T. DOWD (DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER IN JAMESBURG, NJ) GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A MECHANIC TO SHOW ME WHAT HE HAVE DONE. WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED HIM. HE JUST PLUG HIS COMPUTER UNDER THE DRIVER. AND SHOWED ME THE COMPUTER FOUND NO PROBLEM RELATED TO THE AIRBAG. THAT'S ALL HE DO THE JOB AND LEAVE. NOT EVEN BOTHER TO CHECK INTO THIS MATTER. MS. DOWD TOLD ME THAT SHE HAVE SOMETHING TO FAX ME LATER ON. I FOUND OUT THAT THEY OFFERED ME TO SIGN THE WAIVE SOME SPECIFICS RELATED TO LIABILITY RELATED TO REPROGRAMMING IT. I FELT IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO DO THAT. I GOT A FAX FROM YOU REGARDING OCS REPROGRAMMING AUTHORIZATION. I THINK THAT IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR GETTING ME TO AUTHORIZE FOR REPROGRAMMING. I THINK IT NEEDS TO MAKE A CORRECT ADJUSTMENT ACCORDING TO YOUR COMPANY'S SPECIFICS TO 56 POUNDS OR LESS. I THINK IT IS NOT RIGHT AND I WOULD LIKE IT TO MAKE THE CORRECTION ON THIS PART. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM. WHAT I FOUND.... REFERENCE TO THE 2004 ELANTRA OWNER'S MANUAL SECTION "OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM" (SECTION 1 - PAGE 36-37). IF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED OR OCCUPIED BY SOMEONE LIGHTER THAN 56.4 POUNDS (25.G KG) THE INDICATOR "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" WILL BE DISPLAYED, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER'S AIRBAG WILL BE TURNED OFF AND WILL NOT DEPLOY IN FRONTAL CRASHES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, TECHNICIAN INDICATED TO CONSUMER THE PASSENGER HAD TO WEIGH 66.4 POUNDS IN ORDER FOR THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO TURN OFF, ALTHOUGH WITH PEOPLE WHO WEIGHED OVER 100 POUNDS THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS STILL ON.*AK

REPEATED INTERMITTENT ILLUMINATION OF "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" BEGINNING WITHIN DAYS OF PURCHASE. FAILURES OCCUR WHEN ANYONE SITS IN PASSENGER SEAT. ADULTS WEIGHING 190, 170, AND 140 HAVE TURNED AIRBAGS OFF. POODLE WEIGHING 9 LBS TURNED AIRBAGS ON! NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS AT SERVICE AUGUST 04 TO PRESENT, WITH LONG DELAYS WAITING FOR HYUNDAI REPRESENTATIVES TO ADDRESS AND DELAYS AND CANCELLED APPOINTMENTS BY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. RESULTS OF SERVICE APPOINTMENTS INCLUDED COULD NOT DUPLICATE, TOLD THAT SENSOR ACTIVATED WHEN PASSENGER MOVES IN SEAT, CLAIMED TO ORDER NEW "UPGRADED" SENSOR, DID NOT HAVE "SPECIAL" TOOL TO INSTALL NEW SENSOR, NOTHING MORE THAT SERVICE DEPT COULD DO, AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY IN ACCIDENT IF SENSOR INDICATES AIRBAGS OFF, THEN TOLD THAT DISTRICT MANAGER WOULD HAVE TO INSTALL NEW SENSOR, SVC CANCELLED BECAUSE DISTRICT MANAGER ADVISED SERVICE MANAGER THAT NEW SENSOR WOULD NOT WORK, TOLD THAT DISTRICT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WOULD ARRIVE TO ASSESS AND VERIFY ISSUE THEN LET ME KNOW WHAT WOULD BE DONE AND WOULD HAVE TO SIGN WAIVER, DISTRICT SVC REP TESTED (COMPARED MY 04 ELANTRA MANUFACTURED SEPT 03 AND ANOTHER MANUFACTURED MAY 04) AND CONCLUDED CAUSE WAS THE WAY I SIT IN THE SEAT. LIGHT CAME ON IN BOTH VEHICLES WHEN I SAT IN PASSENGER SEAT, AND WHEN HE SAT IN MY PASSENGER FRONT SEAT. CONCLUDED THAT I WAS NOT SITTING FAR ENOUGH BACK IN THE SEAT FOR SENSOR TO RECOGNIZE. STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT A DEFECT BUT A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE 04 ELANTRA. WOULD RETURN TWO WEEKS LATER TO "REPROGRAM" SENSOR TO MORE SENSITIVE STATE. THIS WAS MORE THAN ONE MONTH AGO. HAVE HAD THREE NEAR COLLISIONS SINCE PURCHASE, WITH CONSTANT FEAR OF PASSENGER SEAT FOR SEVEN AND ONE HALF MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. *JB