2008 Hyundai Santa Fe

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL, INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG IS INOPERATIVE. AS A CONSEQUENCE IN A SITUATION THAT WARRANTS THE AIR BAGS MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE IS CAUSED BY A WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION FAILURE. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. UPON CONTACT A REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED HER TO SIT IN THE REAR SEAT, BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS ARE SECONDARY SAFETY METHODS; SEAT BELTS ARE THE FIRST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000. BL UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO WITHDRAW THE COMPLAINT. THE CONSUMER WANTS ALL INFORMATION DELETED. UPDATED 10/13/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED WITH A SMALL STATURE ADULT. THE AIR BAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT A CERTAIN WEIGHT POSITIONED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE DESIGN AND THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE CONTACT HAS CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,500. UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HIS WIFE WEIGHED ROUGHLY 125. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS OFF NO MATTER HOW SHE SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. UPDATED 10/15/09

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CAR IS GREAT RUNNING VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR ONE SAFETY PROBLEM: THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECTS MY WIFE AS AN ADULT AND TOGGLES ON AND OFF AT WILL. IT IS REALLY FRIGHTENING TO BE TRAVELING DOWN AN HIGHWAY OR ANY ROAD AND REALIZE THAT I HAVE NO AIRBAG. MY WIFE IS 5' 3 " AND WEIGHS ABOUT 120 LBS AND AT TIMES I NEEDED TO HAVE HER REPOSITION SEAT TO THE TOTAL UPRIGHT POSITION TO RESET THE AIRBAG INDICATION LIGHT. THIS DOES NOT GIVE ME A SENSE OF SECURITY SINCE I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD DEPLOY IF NEEDED .I CALLED TWO HYUNDAI DEALERS AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS A COMMON PROBLEM AND SUGGESTED FOR ME TO COME IN FOR A CHECKUP. I AT THIS TIME HAVE NOT MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER BUT WILL CERTAINLY MAKE ONE ASAP. *TR

SINCE I BOUGHT MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE AND PULLED IT OFF THE LOT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DOES NOT REGISTER ME. I AM 5'3" 105 LBS. RARELY DOES IT EVER WORK AND IF IT DOES ITS ONLY FOR A MINUTE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. LADY STATED SHE HAS HEARD COMPLAINT NUMEROUS TIME AND HYUNDAI WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY TELL YOU TO RESTART THE CAR AND SIT WITH PERFECT POSTURE. THIS STILL DOES NOT WORK AND EVEN IF IT DOES MOVE AN INCH AND IT TURNS BACK OFF. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AND I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS. ITS LIKE HYUNDAI IS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! *TR

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, INDICATING THAT THERE IS NO PASSENGER AIR BAG ACTIVE WHILE MY WIFE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS MIGHT HAPPEN 2 OR 3 TIMES IN A 100 MILE TRIP. I HAVE BEEN TO THREE HYUNDAI DEALERS AND ALSO TALKED WITH HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS 3 TIMES. ALL THREE DEALERS WERE ABLE TO SEE THE PROBLEM WITH MY WIFE SITTING SQUARELY IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, BUT ALL DEALERS SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERS SAY THAT THE LOAD CELLS UNDER THE SEAT ARE SET TO REQUIRE 80 LB OF FORCE BEFORE THE AIR BAG WILL FUNCTION, TO PREVENT POSSIBLE INJURY TO A SMALL CHILD. THE HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS PEOPLE ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE, AND AGREE THAT THE PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED, BUT ARE NOT ABLE TO HELP. MY WIFE IS 5'-6" TALL AND WEIGHS 120 LB. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE, EVEN WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,391 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. UPDATED 08/04/09. *LJ UPDATED 08/06/09.*JB

2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON STATING AIRBAG IS OFF WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE SEAT. I BROUGHT BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM THEY NEVER SAW THIS HAPPEN BEFORE ON A SANTA FE BUT IT DID ON THE TUCSON. THEY PUT ON A MACHINE AND CLAIMED IT WAS FINE AND OF COURSE WOULD NOT HAPPEN WHEN IT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO MAKE SOME CALLS AND I MIGHT NEED THE SEAT REPLACED BECAUSE THE SENSOR MAY BE BAD AND I WOULD HEAR FROM THEM IN A COUPLE DAYS. THAT WAS JUNE 24, 2009 AND IT IS NOW JULY 13, 2009 AND I HAVE NOT HEARD A THING. IT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I WENT OUT AND I TOOK PICTURES AND VIDEO OF IT TO SHOW ME SITTING IN SEAT AND THE LIGHT ON AND WITHOUT REVEALING MY WEIGHT, BELIEVE ME I AM HEAVY ENOUGH TO MAKE THE LIGHT STAY OFF. I AM GOING TO CALL THEM AGAIN TOMORROW AND HOPE FOR SOME RESULTS. THIS COULD BE A FATAL DEFECT AND I DEMAND IT TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CAR IS GREAT EXCEPT FOR ONE THING: THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT ME AS AN ADULT AND TOGGLES ON AND OFF AT WILL. IT IS REALLY FRIGHTENING TO BE BARRELING DOWN THE ROAD AND REALIZE THAT I HAVE NO AIRBAG. I HAVE READ THAT THE SENSOR IS SET AT ABOUT 120LBS AND I WEIGH 115LBS. THE ARROGANT SERVICE PERSON AT HYUNDAI RECOMMENDED THAT I BE THE DRIVER OR SIT IN THE REAR SEAT! I COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD JUST TELL A 48 YEAR OLD WOMAN TO SIT IN THE BACK! (THAT SHOULD BE INTERESTING GOING ON DATES WITH THE HUBBY OR HELPING MY 15 YEAR OLD LEARN TO DRIVE.) THE SERVICE PERSON ALSO ASKED ME IF I WAS SITTING SQUARELY ON THE SEAT WITH MY LEGS EXTENDED. WHAT? YES, I WAS SITTING SQUARELY ON THE SEAT WITH LEGS EXTENDED!! SO, IF I SHIFT MY BUTT SLIGHTLY ON A 4 HOUR DRIVE - ARE THEY SAYING I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING? WHAT RIDICULOUSNESS. I WAS APPALLED. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT MANY PETITE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SANTA FE AND THE SONATA. THIS IS NOT AN UNKNOWN OR RARE PROBLEM. I AM TAKING IT IN TO HYUNDAI SERVICE ON MONDAY, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I WAS NOT ENCOURAGED BY THE QUESTIONS THE SERVICE PEOPLE ASKED. IF IT CAN'T BE FIXED TO BE ARMED AT ALL TIMES, I WILL RETURN THE CAR - AND THAT WOULD BE A SHAME BECAUSE WE LIKED EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I JUST PURCHASED THIS 2008 SANTA FE GLS (USED WITH 10,000 MILES) ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. WE NOTICED THIS ISSUE TWO DAYS LATER. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT TURN ON WHEN I, A 120 LB, 5' 7", 31 YEAR OLD ADULT FEMALE SIT IN THE SEAT. I TOOK IT IN TO THE HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER AND WAS SIMPLY TOLD THAT I WAS NOT HEAVY ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE SEAT SO THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IT IS SET TO ACTIVATE FOR ANYONE OVER 110 LBS. I AM DEFINITELY HEAVIER THAN THAT. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH SHOULD BE RESOLVED QUICKLY AS I HAVE READ OF MANY OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. *TR

2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE - PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIRBAG LIGHT INDICATES THAT THE AIRBAG IS NOT WORKING WHEN A PASSENGER, WHO WEIGHS AROUND 170 LBS IS IN THE SEAT. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS FOR REPAIR, ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME, THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE ISSUE, I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN WITHIN 10 MINUTES. I TOOK PICTURES AND VIDEO OF THE PASSENGER IN THE SEAT WITH THE "AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. BROUGHT IT BACK THE NEXT DAY, THEY REPLACED A WEIGHT SENSOR. ISSUE WAS STILL HAPPENING, BROUGHT IT BACK THE THIRD TIME AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE ISSUE. AGAIN, I DROVE OFF THE LOT, AND THE ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN. CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN AGAIN. THIS TIME I BROUGHT IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, AND TODAY WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE ISSUE, BUT THEY WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I BOUGHT THIS CAR WAS SAFETY. I WILL NOT RIDE WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT, BECAUSE, CHANCES ARE THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT WORK OR WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. HYUNDAI NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS AS THERE ARE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE FROM SANTA FE OWNERS. *TR