A few days ago after starting the ignition on the computer performed its normal check, however, the air bag light remained continuously on. This continues to stay on each time I turn on the car. The airbag light does not blink, it remains constantly on. Passenger airbag light works according to the light above the radio; it indicates "off" when no one is sitting in the passenger seat and the light turns off when someone sits down. The horn does work, however the buttons on the steering wheel do not work. The buttons on the steering wheel began to not work prior to the airbag light coming on. There is a recall for the clock spring contact assembly under the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v472000. This recall only includes santa fe's manufactured up to march 20th, 2008. My santa fe was manufactured after on april 24th, 2008. Requesting investigation to extend this recall due to there are multiple complaints regarding this malfunction on the clock spring for the santa fe on vehicles made after the date of march 20th, 2008. Multiple complaints regarding this are found on the federal safety agency website with this same malfunction for vehicles after the date of the recall.
2008 Hyundai Santa Fe airbags complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 70, newest first, as owners wrote them.
A week ago, the red lamp on my dashboard for air bag began to stay lit, while driving, parked, anytime the vehicle was running. Then a few days ago, while my 275 lb son was sitting in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag light stayed lit, saying off, indicating it was not working, despite having a passenger in the seat. Both of these have had recalls, (12v354000) and 11v472000, but I have not received notification to have serviced. One I suspect is because my vehicle was manufactured march 27th, and the recalled includes dates though march 21 (2008) but it is the same problem, so my vehicle should be repaired without cost to me. This is a safety concern for both drivers and passengers in this vehicle. I also have a special needs son, who cannot comprehend safety issues....
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. While driving unknown speeds, the driver side air bag indicator illuminated. The contact called a local dealer (plaza hyundai located at 2740 nostrand ave ste a brooklyn, ny 11210) where it was diagnosed that the driver's seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened case number: 10473827. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 45,000. ...updated 10/19/17
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle began to hydroplane without warning. The contact stated that the steering failed and, due to the contact attempting to apply the brakes, the vehicle began to spin. The vehicle crashed into the road divider. The passenger side of the vehicle was damaged. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed. A police report was filed. The contact received shoulder and back injuries, which required medical attention. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ball bearings on the front axle were worn out. The tie rods were replaced, but the calipers needed to be replaced also. The vehicle was repaired. The body of the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the ESC and ABS sensors illuminated. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tires and brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Hyundai dealer said my ball joints were bad, $750.00 for repairs, hyundai has recall I was not notified. Drivers air bag illuminated, going in for repair friday cost unknown. Again I was not notified about recall. I have to pay for repairs because I was not notified about recalls.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the front driver side air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The independent mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. While driving at various speeds, the air bag warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 44,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the clock spring switch needed to be replaced. In addition, the technician made the contact aware that the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v472000 (air bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.
Hyundai safety recall campaign no. 103: in relation to the above recall, my vehicle did not qualify due to it being manufactured on 2 june 2008. My clock spring for the driver's air bag has become inoperable as indicated by the air bag light illumination and dealer's diagnosis. The dealer states since there in no recall, I must pay for this part and the diagnosis because I have surpassed the 5yr/60k warranty. This is a safety issue and I am surprised it is not covered for free. As seen with the above recall campaign, I was a few months shy of having it replaced for free regardless of mileage. Is there a way to have my vehicle qualify for the recall?
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. When the ignition was turned to the on position, the air bag warning light illuminated continuously. The failure recurred continuously. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the clock spring assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
My red air bag light has been on for about 2 months. I took it to the hyundai dealership and they wanted $1500. My issue is I did nothing to cause the air bag malfunction so why should I pay this extremely high cost. (I'm retired) I also spoke with the hyundai regional manager and they offered me $200. This is a safety hazard and I want hyundai to fix this!!! I took my car in for the air bag recall in 2012, so something continues to be wrong with the air bag system.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was made aware of the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v472000 (air bags) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was unknown.
I took my vehicle into the dealership in may to fix two recalls, one of which was the air bag recalibration on the passenger seat. Approximately two weeks after the recall was done, my air bag light came in. I took it to the same dealership that had performed the recalls and they said it was the seat belt pretensioner in the passenger seat & would cost $491 to fix. I told them they should pay for it because it had something to do with the recall they had just performed but they refused and now I am out the money. I had no choice but to fix it because in case of an accident my passenger would be unprotected. Hyundai america should reimburse me the money!
Air bag light warning light remains on when vehicle is running. Took to dealer they said is clock spring assembly needs replacing. I told them it was a recall and they said there is no recall on it. I declined the repair because I knew there was a recall but I didn't take paperwork with me thinking they would know about it. Upon returning home and finding paperwork on recall (camp103) I called back and they now said there was a recall and they replaced that part in november 2012. I do not remember them replacing it but I'll take them at their word on that. My issue is, did they replace the recalled part with another defective part if it only lasted 18 months! I've had many cars over the years some a decade old or older never this air bag issue. I feel they should replace this recall again if they repaired it with another short lived defective part. *tr.. .. .updated 07/21/15
The 2008 hyundai sante fe has a recall on faulty airbag clocksprings. Coincidentally my 2008 sante fe clock spring now needs to be replaced. The hyundai service dealership and hyundai customer care tells me that I am not covered because my VIN is not listed in the "recall campaign" my confusion is I own a 2008 the recalls are for the 2008....how do I get my car included in this "recall campaign"? Please help. I will have to pay $400 to get this fixed when it should be under hyundai faulty warranty. Please help the little guy/consumer!! Thank you
Clock spring contact had to be replaced on the driver side of my hyundai sante fe 2008 built on april 03, 2008. The federal safety agency recall did not go far enough and ended march 20,2008. The driver side air bag continuously lit up indicating a problem. The clock spring contact had to be replaced and I was charged for the replacement. The recall should be extended beyond march 20,2008 so that my car is included in the recall since this is a severe safety issue which may have caused multiple deaths.. *tr .... Updated 06/30/15 *bf updated 8/30/2017
I took my vehicle to the dealership to perform two recalls: (1) stop lamp switch and (2) pods recalibration. I was informed the air bag light in the dashboard had come on and stayed on after the recalibration of the pods. I never had an issue with the pods system or an air warning light in the dash prior to the recall. I was told hyundai would pay to either replace the passenger front seat belt tensioner or the entire seat. They did not allow me to drive my vehicle because they said it was a safety issue and rented me a car for 4 days. Replacing the seat belt tensioner fixed the problem, but less than a year later (4-15-14) the air light has come on and now they tell me that it's the scale in the seat and the entire seat needs to be replaced at a cost to me of $2400+. The service advisor told me that the driver's side air bags were not affected -- only the passenger's and I would be safe to drive the car. The service tech quickly returned the car and we didn't receive any paperwork resulting from the inspection. My husband and I did not elect to replace the seat at this time while we research the issue. However, my husband and I did notice that the pods "off" light turns off when a passenger is in the seat which is confusing since the advisor said the scale isn't working. Now we are left with a 6-year-old car that has an expensive safety issue. We can't sell it to a private party because of the safety issue and the trade-in value has dramatically declined.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection however the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v472000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
Back in april, my santa fe also had the fuel gauge issue. It also began fluctuating wildly and the range computer was all over the place. The dealer told me it was part of the fuel pump and that I had to replace both of them, who knew it had two. It cost me $1,583.80 to fix. They told me if I didn't fix it, the car could just lose power and we would be stuck on the side of the road. This should definitely be a recall!!!! Now, my santa fe has the air bag light on. There was a recall for this back in 2011, which I definitely received literature from hyundai about it. Yesterday, the dealer first told me that recall didn't exist. Then they told me it didn't apply to my make or model, nor did it apply to my VIN. They wanted to charge $350 to fix the clock spring assembly. I refused since I know this was recalled. I'm going to try and contact the corporate office of hyundai about this. In the meantime, I don't have a driver side air bag in the event of an accident. Thanks hyundai. Stay away from hyundai vehicles!!!!
See attached email updated 06/04/2013*lj the occupant classification system (osc) does not consistently recognize small-statured adults, causing the passenger side air bag to deactivate when such person occupy the front seat. Also, there were problems with the transmission, a knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle, the vehicle shutting down, an issue with the throttle cable, and a whining sound upon acceleration.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated sporadically. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the driver's seat would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not ben repaired. The failure and current mileage was 24,500. Updated 06/18/13*lj updated 06/21/2013
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign id numbers 12v354000 (air bags: frontal: sensor/ control module) and 11v472000 (air bags:frontal). The contact also stated that after the repairs, the air bag warning light illuminated without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the front passenger seat belt tension sensor wiring harness clip failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,784. The current mileage was approximately 62,550. The VIN was unavailable.
Work under the recall to repair faulty sensors that failed to detect small statured adults (95 lb wife). For failure to detect didn't resolve issue, and efforts to determine what the new trigger weight was got nowhere with either local or hq reps. So now driving a vehicle that mfr has acknowledged safety defects yet refuses to fix.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning lamp illuminated, indicating that the air bag was turned off while the seat was occupied. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger side air bag sensor needed to be re-calibrated to the lowest weight limit. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 12v354000 (air bags:frontal:sensor/control module). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 41,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag off warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they had to recalibrate the air bag. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 12v354000 (air bags: frontal:sensor/control module). The failure mileage was 13,000 and the current mileage was 56,000.
This problem is true of our 2007 and 2008 santa fe's and has existed since we purchased the cars. I have finally come to the conclusion that this is a safety issue for not only my wife but also many other people who are of slight build. It is a problem that is easily correctable by the manufacturer. I have created case#[xxx] with hyundai america --they have responded that they will pass along the information to engineering --but they have noted that I will not be contacted by hyundai regarding deposition of the issue. The problem -- my wife weighs about 95 lbs. She frequently does not activate the air bag system on the passenger side of the vehicle. She is essentially unprotected in case of an accident. She just doesn't weigh enough to reliably activate the air bag system. Hyundai spends quite a few pages in their manual to cover themselves legally. They comment that if all else fails just sit in the back seat. I would imagine few husbands and wives opt for this solution. Most consumers probably haven't read the manual, ignore the off sign or don't know what it means, or don't care and risk the safety of their passenger. This is a safety issue to the general public. The sensor in the passenger seat should activate the air bag system for say anyone over 66 lbs. I believe another manufacturer has recently done so. It is stupid that I have waited this long to complain -- but I kept thinking their would eventually be a recall and I normally just don't complain about things. Hyundai could make an alternate sensor available to those who needed it. *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
On our 2008 hyundai santa fe limited with 45,391 miles, VIN # [xxx], the check engine light started coming on when it was about 1 year old. It has now come on approximately 10 times.the dealer always says it's the gas cap. We have tightened the gas cap varying degrees and it does not matter how tight it is. The check engine light continues to come on. They claim to have replaced the gas cap 3 times out of 10 trips. Whether that is true or not, I don't know. Additionally, the red "air bag" warning light came on about a week ago and will not go off. I understand hyundai has a history of airbag problems and would like to know if you can force them to fix this problem as well as the check engine light. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated the passenger's side frontal air bag was not activated. The dealer advised the air bags were idle and would not activate without a passenger of at least 120 pounds occupying the seat. The manufacturer confirmed the dealer's statement and would not provide any further assistance. The failure and current mileages were 25,256.
In my 2008 hyundai santa fe the front passenger air bag does not work properly. It intermittently works when my daughter and I (115 & 120 lbs) sit in the seat. I can sit perfectly still and it will be engaged, and then it will disengage, and then engage, again or visa versa. It has been to the dealer to be repaired 4 times, but they say they cannot reproduce. They just hook it up to a computer and say it works as designed. Humble hyundai service manager even told me to sit in the back seat (I'm 51 years old). I am afraid if we are in an accident that the airbags will not deploy. I have notified hyundai consumer affairs and hyundai pr as well. Does someone have to be killed in an accident for the federal safety agency and hyundai to issue a recall? I have been given weights of 30, 80, 150, 115 and 120 lbs to activate the airbag sensor by humble hyundai. Also given 35, 45, 150, 130, 135, 145, 40, 100 & 105 lbs by service departments of other dealerships. Also talked to consumer affairs about this, why can't hyundai tell anyone what the actual weight to activate is? There was a safety recall issued for sonatas for this exact problem why can't one be issued for santa fes. There are 48 complaints listed on http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2008/hyundai/santa+fe and they all say they were filed with the federal safety agency. The initial problem began on 8/21/08 with 300 miles on odometer and continues to be a problem until today 10/19/09 with almost 18000 miles on the car. The speed I am driving is not a function of the problem as it happens at varying speeds.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The air bag sensor does not detect an adult occupant in the front passenger seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer multiple times, and a technician replaced and re-calibrated the seat module. None of the repairs have remedied the failure. The vehicle identification number was unavailable. The failure mileage was 100 and the current mileage was 9100. Updated 11/17/09 *bf the consumer stated it would detect heavier adults. Updated 11/1/8/09
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