2006 Hyundai Elantra

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE OWNER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG TO DEPLOY AND OFFER PROTECTION AGAINST INJURY. DESPITE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ELANTRA AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT (I.E. STEERING WHEEL) AIRBAG, THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ELANTRA TOOK A DIRECT HIT FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY A 90 DEGREE ANGLE (I.E. IT WAS "T-BONED"). THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT SPUN THE ELANTRA 180 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION IT WAS TRAVELING. THE IMPACT BEGINS ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR, BUT IS DEEPEST IN THE BACK-SEAT PASSENGER'S DOOR. THE MAXIMUM DEPTH OF THE INDENTATION IS APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES INWARD AND IS APPROXIMATELY 20 INCHES WIDE. THE VEHICLE THAT HIT THE ELANTRA WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS TO THE AIR BAG SENSOR YET THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,547.

I WAS TRAVELING NORTH THROUGH AN INTERSECTION (WITH A GREEN LIGHT) AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH. A MAN TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF ME AND I HIT HIM RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS FRONT AND BACK DOORS. HIS SIDE AIRBAGS AND HIS FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYED. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FIRST RESPONDERS (EMT'S AND FIREMEN) WERE VERY SURPRISED THAT MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CAR IS TOTALED, ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A SETTLEMENT YET FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE SALVAGE YARD WHERE IT WAS TOWED TO FOR HOLDING INDICATED THAT IT HAD A BENT FRAME AND THEY, TOO WERE SURPRISED THAT THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. I HAD INJURIES TO MY NECK (WHIPLASH) AND TO MY KNEE, ALTHOUGH NOTHING WAS BROKEN. *TR

WAS BROADSIDED IN MY 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, PRIOR TO MY ACCIDENT HAD CAR AT DEALER TWICE WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED FOR PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAG LIGHT GOING OFF AN ON. NO MATTER WHO SAT IN FRONT SEAT IT STILL DID THAT. I WAS TOLD BOTH TIMES THAT IT WAS FINE ONLY IT WASN'T, MY 14 YR. OLD DAUGHTER WAS IN FRONT SEAT THE SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF. SHE HIT HER HEAD ON THE PASSENGER WINDOW CAUSING HER TO BE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL. SHE IS OK BUT STILL FEELING PAIN. ONLY AFTER THIS ACCIDENT DID I HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE RECALLS AND TROUBLES OTHERS HAVE HAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT STRUCK A DEER WITH HER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. SHE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. A POICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 61,000.

DEFECT OF AIRBAG SAFETY EQUIPMENT. THE MALFUNCTION OF THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE PURPOSE OF THE OCS IS TO DISABLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT FRONT AIR BAG WHEN IT DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM OR SMALL CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG IS DISABLED TO PREVENT INJURIES TO A CHILD THAT MAY RESULT FROM A RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG INFLATION DURING A CRASH. THE ABOVE IS TAKEN FROM AN ACTIVE RECALL ON ANOTHER HYUNDAI MODEL WITH THE SAME EQUIPMENT. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND SHOWED THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS NOT ACTIVE. COMMON SENSE WOULD WARRANT CONCERN ABOUT THIS BEING SAME PROBLEM AS IN RECALL ID # 08V161000 - AIR BAGS. IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT, AS THIS IS SERIOUS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I WAS IN CASA GRANDE ARIZONA DRIVING NORTH ON TREKELL ROAD WHEN I WAS HIT IN THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WHILE GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THE FRONT, BACK AND PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE DRIVER DOOR, AND PART OF THE BACK DOOR CAME IN ABOUT 1 FT. I ENDED UP WITH A BRUISE LUNG, 2 CRACKED RIBS, AND GRADE 2 CUT ON MY SPLEEN. BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS WENT OFF, BUT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AT ALL. I HAVE ALOT OF PICTURES THAT SHOWS NO DAMAGE WHAT SO EVER TO THE FRONT OR PASSENGER SIDE. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO MY CAR WAS ON THE DIVER SIDE WHERE THE FRONT DOOR AND PART OF THE BACK DOOR CAME INTO THE CAR ABOUT 1 FT. MY CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA IN DEC 06 AND NOTICED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT WOULD STAY ON AT TIMES WHEN THERE WERE PASSENGERS ARE IN THE FRONT SEAT. ON MY FIRST OIL CHANGE, I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN THEY SAT IT THE CAR, NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND THAT PERHAPS MY PASSENGER WAS NOT SEATED "CORRECTLY". I ACCEPTED THE EXPLANATION AT THE TIME, BUT HAVING SAT IN MY OWN PASSENGER SEAT WHEN I WAS SLEEPY AND MY MOTHER DROVE, I AM DISTURBED THAT DESPITE BEING SEATED UPRIGHT WITH MY SEATBELT SECURELY FASTENED, THE LIGHT WOULD STILL NOT STAY OFF CONSISTENTLY. I FOUND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS ISSUE AND BROUGHT IT UP TO THE DEALER AGAIN AT MY LAST CAR SERVICING IN FEB 08, BUT WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT IT DID NOT HAPPEN AT THE SERVICE SHOP, SO IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. I UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT, BUT I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS MAY OR MAY NOT DEPLOY. THE TSB STATES THAT THIS MAY OCCUR WITH SMALLER STATURE ADULTS, BUT I HAVE NO CHILDREN OR VERY SMALL FRIENDS/FAMILY, AND I AM CERTAINLY AVERAGE SIZED AND THE LIGHT STILL GOES ON AND OFF. MY CONCERNS ARE ONLY ASSUAGED BY THE FACT THAT I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC THAT IT IS JUST A LIGHT SENSOR AND THAT THE AIR BAGS WILL ALWAYS DEPLOY IF THE SEATBELT IS BUCKLED. I HOPE THAT THIS IS TRUE, BUT AFTER READING OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS SITE ABOUT AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING, MY ANXIETY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE HAS INCREASED. I PLAN TO WRITE A LETTER TO HYUNDAI REGARDING THIS MATTER BUT I AM NOT SURE IF MY CONCERNS WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, SO I AM HOPING THAT THIS ENTRY WILL HELP TO BRING MORE ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE. MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE. IS IT REALLY JUST A FLAKY SENSOR/LIGHT OR ARE MY AIR BAGS UNRELIABLE? *TR