2013 Hyundai Elantra: airbags did not deploy in a crash

Filed May 5, 2026 · Airbags · CA · crash · 1 injury

The airbags failed to deploy when I was in a car accident on 03/31/26. I was rear ended while at an intersection. The car that rear ended me had airbags that deployed upon impact. My car was the only car in which the airbags did not deploy despite the high impact. Not only was I rear ended, but I was slammed into another vehicle in front of me and into a streetlight/streetpole. My car is now totaled. My car sustained the most damage and my body. The airbags are available for inspection upon request. I would have filed this request sooner, but I am still hurt and I am still undergoing treatment for my injuries. My safety was put at risk by the lack of protection from the airbags in my car. I could have died. I’m alive, but I also sustained serious injuries from the lack of deployment. My body hit the steering wheel upon impact. My head, chest, back, neck, shoulders, right arm, right hand, wrist, and right leg/ankle were all injured due to this accident. If my airbags had deployed, my injuries would’ve been lessened and they could’ve been prevented altogether. I was rushed to the hospital at the scene. I’m still currently receiving treatment for the injuries I sustained from this crash and lack of airbag deployment. No, the problem hasn’t been reproduced nor confirmed by the dealer. No one has inspected the vehicle. An adjuster from the at fault party has only taken pictures of the exterior of the car, but they didn’t inspect the car. There were no warning lamps, no messages, no symptoms, no problems whatsoever prior to the failure. They first appeared the day of the accident on 03/31/26. My family and I’ve had this car since 2012/2013 and it has never been in a major crash like this. The airbags have never deployed and they failed to deploy the day of this crash. There were no recalls on my car prior to the accident. All recalls have been serviced. My family and I’ve never been notified about airbag defects or airbag recalls on this car since we’ve purchased it.

Filed Jul 9, 2025 · Acceleration · 72,000 miles · LA · crash

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while in the process of parking the vehicle at the residence and driving 1-5 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and hit another unoccupied parked vehicle, causing the other vehicle to move 50-60 ft. away. The rear end of the other vehicle was damaged, and the front end of the contact's vehicle was damaged. The air bags did not deployed. There was no injury sustained. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Filed Apr 19, 2024 · Airbags, Brakes · AZ · crash

Traffic ahead of me rapidly decelerated. Upon applying the brakes, the peddle froze and then went to the floor without any resistance. I attempted to pump the brakes without success. I impacted the car ahead of me at 40 mph, the posted speed limit, creating substantial damage to both vehicles. The brakes failed to operate and the airbags failed to deploy upon impact. The vehicle failed to slow down and was reacting as if the accelerator was stuck. There were no system warnings at the time of the accident or afterwards. Braking abilities resumed immediately after impact. There is no visible evidence of any fluid leaks, brake fluid or otherwise. The vehicle was last serviced by the dealership for an oil change at the end of January 2024. A brake inspection was performed at that time. I was aware of a recall notice Campaign 251 regarding the brake ABS system. When I inquired at the last service date, I was informed no fix was available at that time. Current mileage is 49,779. I am still in the process of locating a repair shop.

Filed Jul 2, 2023 · Airbags, Seat belts · CA · crash · 1 injury

I had a rear tire blowout causing the car to stop rapidly causing me to hit my face on the steering wheel so hard I got knocked out . My foot pressed on the gas and I hit a parked car. And my airbags never deployed. Insurance didn't pay my claim because it wasy falt I hit a parked car. Because I was knocked out. I don't remember anything about 30 seconds before the accident. Had my airbags worked maybe I could have remembered what really happened. When the collusion center inspected my car they said a defect in the car was the cause of my accident. But the insurance already denied the claim. The yellow tab was the airbag sensor

Filed Apr 20, 2023 · Acceleration · AZ · crash

The driver owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra with 37,657 miles. While slowly turning left into a parking space, the car had a sudden acceleration event. The Elantra sped into the parking space and ran over two concrete parking spot blocks. The Elantra glanced off a grey pickup truck and scraped by a grey SUV. The Elantra entered the empty parking space opposite the SUV and proceeded to impact the side of a blue car in an adjacent spot. The blue car stopped the Elantra. Fortunately, the other affected vehicles were unoccupied and no pedestrians were present. The driver was wearing a seat belt and was not injured. The Elantra air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to the driver's residence and is available for inspection along with all maintenance records. A claim has been filed with insurance; the appraiser came yesterday. There was no warning or symptoms of a problem prior to the accident. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by anyone. The police came and helped identify the owners of the other vehicles.

Filed Apr 17, 2020 · Airbags · 89,000 miles · TX · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, she depressed the brake pedal however, the brakes failed to engage with an abnormal noise being heard. The contact stated that she pumped the brake pedal several times however, the vehicle travelled into a ditch, hit a fence and crashed into a metal post. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy as the front of the vehicle was damaged. The contact stated that no injuries were sustained and a police report was filed. The contact also stated while driving over a speed bumper an abnormal noise was heard when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously serviced under three recalls. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer and manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was 89,000.

Filed Oct 16, 2019 · Airbags · 96,119 miles · FL · crash · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owned a 2013 hyundai elantra. While the contact was driving 30 MPH, another vehicle ran her vehicle off the road. The contact drove into a concrete barrier and the vehicle flipped over. The passenger door was smashed in and had to be forced open. The frontal and side air bags did not deploy even though it was a frontal collision. The contact sustained a mild concussion and bruising to the face and upper body. The contact was transported to the emergency room via ambulance. The front windshield was completely smashed in towards the driver and passenger. The passenger was not injured. A police report was filed. The insurance company and manufacturer were contacted. There were no recalls; however, the air bag indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per an unknown recall repair on january 9, 2018. An unknown carmax dealer was also notified. The vehicle was totaled and towed to a scrap yard by the police. The failure mileage was 96,119.

Filed Oct 5, 2019 · Airbags · 87,000 miles · KY · crash · 1 injury

I was rear ended at a high speed and pushed into the car in front of me. The air bag did not deploy, causing me to hit the steering wheel and break my nose.

Filed Aug 19, 2019 · Acceleration, Airbags · 70,000 miles · NC · crash · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle and driving out of the parking lot at 3 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The contact then crashed into four parked vehicles and a few parking signs. The air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered a broken patella on their right leg, they had a bad abrasion on their left leg, a hematoma on their skull and black eyes that required medical attention. The contact was the only one in their vehicle at the time of the failure. There was no one else in the other vehicles the contact crashed into. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The insurance company was currently inspecting the vehicle. The contact called hyundai of ashville (860 tunnel rd, asheville, nc 28805 (828) 298-4911) however, the contact's insurance company instructed them to not call the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Filed Apr 3, 2019 · Airbags · KY

My airbag light came on and I called the dealership. They said that this has been happening a lot with hyundai models and said it was likely due to a "clock spring" and that it would cost me $100 just to evaluate, and then possibly another $350 to fix. The guy I talked to said that my airbag would not deploy until it was fixed. This seems like a serious safety issue that appears to be fairly common.

Filed Dec 13, 2018 · Airbags, Brakes · 101,569 miles · NC · crash · 2 injuries

Tl* the contact owned a 2013 hyundai elantra. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained head and neck injuries and the front passenger sustained head, neck and left shoulder injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow lot. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The cause of the failures was not determined. The approximate failure mileage was 101,569.

Filed Sep 6, 2018 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 69,154 miles · NM · crash

Tl* the contact owned a 2013 hyundai elantra. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the brakes failed and there was a loss of traction. The contact rear ended another vehicle that was approximately the length of two vehicles ahead of her. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The driver and front passenger had the wind knocked out of them, but were not injured. Ambulatory care was received. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a facility. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by an insurance adjuster or a dealer. The contact was made aware of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v769000 (service brakes, hydraulic) after the crash, but had not received a recall notification in the mail from the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the crash months later. The approximate failure mileage was 69,154.