2003 Hyundai Santa Fe

2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH DEFECTIVE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE MECHANIC HOOKED THE VEHICLE UP TO THE SCANNER THAT CAME ACROSS THAT PROBLEM. IT WILL COST ALMOST $400 DOLLARS TO HAVE THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. *KB THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS AN INTERNAL FAULT CODE CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE OIL PAN WAS LEAKING. *JB

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK 1/21/2007 @07 :40 AM DOWN I 75 SOUTH @70-75 MPH WITH NO TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD NO ITEMS IN THE ROAD AND MY DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG WENT OFF. I WAS DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE AND KEPT MY HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. THE AIRBAG HIT MY ARM. I HAVE A LEFT UPPER ARM CONTUSION AND LEFT NECK/SHOULDER SPRAIN PER MY DOCTOR . NOTHING HIT MY CAR. THE NEXT DAY MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER IN ANN ARBOR AUTOMOTIVE . WHEN THE MAN PUT MY CAR ON THE TOW TRUCK HE NOTICED A DENT UNDER THE CAR AT THE GAS TANK. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN ON 1/21/07 I DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANYTHING. THAT SHOULD NOT SET A SIDE AIRBAG OFF. THE DEALER STATEMENT IS THAT WHAT CAUSED IT. WHICH THEY ARE FULL OF IT. THE TOLD ME IT IS GOING TO COST $5500.00 TO FIX. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND AWAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND THIS CAR SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE ROAD IF AIRBAGS DEPLOY FROM A ROCK ECT HITTING UNDER THE CAR. I FIND IT HEARD TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE THAT SENSITIVE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TWO TIMES, THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE OTHER THREE TIMES, THE DEALER REPLACED A WIRE UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT HARNESS, AND A WIRE HARNESS CLIP. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING LESS THAN 20 MPH. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE PICTURES HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED.

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES FAILED. UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO COAST, THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED, IT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. A THIRD TIME RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK *SC

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES FAILED. UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE CONTINUED TO COAST. HOWEVER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, AND AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. IT HAPPENED A THIRD TIME WHICH LED TO ANOTHER ACCIDENT, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER WAS INJURED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

ON MARCH 30, 2004 AT 5:52 AM WHILE ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR BY A MAN WHO RAN A RED LIGHT. AS HIS VEHICLE MADE IMPACT, MY SANTA FE WAS SENT INTO A ROLL-OVER, WITH APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR FLIPS. MY SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND AS A RESULT, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. I SUFFERED FROM A CONCUSSION AND DAILY HEADACHES, THAT AT TIMES WERE DEBILITATING. THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR, FROM FRONT TO BACK, WAS DESTROYED. I WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THIS WAY, AND HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR THROUGH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WITH THE HELP OF A PASSER-BY. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND SENT THEM ALL OF THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK. I RECEIVED A REPLY THAT STATED THEY FELT THE AIRBAGS HAD FUNCTIONED IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY WERE DESIGNED, AND THIS WAS THEIR FINAL DECISION ON THE MATTER. I FAIL TO SEE HOW SIDE-AIR BAGS, NOT DEPLOYING IN A ROLL-OVER COLLISION, ARE FUNCTIONING AT ALL. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THE DUAL SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS WERE ONE OF THE SELLING POINTS THAT THE DEALER USED. INCLUDED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL WAS A PAMPHLET THAT ALSO DESCRIBED THE AIRBAGS, ALONG WITH PICTURES OF A CAR BEING HIT IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND ROLL-OVER ACCIDENTS. ACCORDING TO THIS PAMPHLET, THE SIDE AIRBAGS WOULD PROTECT YOU IN CRASHES SUCH AS THESE. *JB

ON FEBRUARY 3, 2004, THOMAS ASHFIELD, MY HUSBAND, WAS DRIVING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL TO PICK UP OUR DAUGHTER. WHILE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND TOWARD THE HIGH SCHOOL TWO VEHICLES WERE TRAVELING NORTH. THE FIRST CAR WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THAN WHAT THE ELEMENTS CALLED FOR, HITTING THE SECOND CAR AND SHOOTING THE CAR INTO OURS, BROADSIDING TOM ON HIS DRIVER'S SIDE. TOM IMMEDIATELY HEARD A SNAP. HE SUSTAINED BROKEN RIBS, A TORN MENISCUS , AND A HERNIATED DISC IN HIS C5/C6. (HIS FIRST SURGERY IS COMPLETE, WE ARE AWAITING THE SECOND.) THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS ENOUGH TO REQUIRE APPROXIMATELY $8,400.00. DURING THE ACCIDENT, THE SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WANTED A RAPID REPAIR. WE NEVER THOUGHT TO GET ENGINEERS OUT TO LOOK AT THE DAMAGE OR TO TAKE PICTURES. WE DID LEARN THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG AND SENSOR FROM THE BODY SHOP AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD RETAIN THE COMPONENTS SO THAT HYUNDAI COULD VIEW THEM. I WROTE TO HYUNDAI ON APRIL 14, 2004. A REPRESENTATIVE CONTACTED US THE FIRST TIME IN JUNE AND THEN ON JUNE 22, 2004, HE CALLED AGAIN ASKING FOR THE NAME OF THE REPAIR SHOP. TOM GAVE HIM THE INFORMATION. THE REPRESENTATIVE CALLED US BACK AND TOLD TOM THAT THE REPAIR SHOP HAD GOTTEN RID OF THE PARTS. THAT WAS A SHOCK TO US BECAUSE UP UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO, THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD RETAIN IT. (WE CONFIRMED THIS WITH THEM WHEN THE REPRESENTATIVE FIRST MADE CONTACT WITH US.) IN ADDITION, FROM WHAT THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD TOM, THE STORY CHANGED ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I DO NOT HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA OF WHAT OCCURRED. SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. I WANT ANSWERS. I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE MALFUNCTION HAPPENED. WAS THIS THE FIRST TIME OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT IS ONGOING AND NOBODY IS PAYING ATTENTION TO. MY HUSBAND SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES. WE PAID FOR SAFETY FEATURES ON A NEW VEHICLE AND THEY DID NOT WORK. WHAT WILL IT REQUIRE FOR US TO RECEIVE ANSWERS...A DEATH? *AK