2004 Hyundai Santa Fe

WHILE LOOKING FOR A PARKING PLACE, THE AIR BAG IN THE BACK OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED, INJURING MY BACK AND MY LEFT KNEE. MY CHIROPRACTOR GOT MY BACK SOMEWHAT REPAIRED, BUT MY KNEE ENDED UP HAVING A MENISCUS TEAR THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. HYUNDAI IS WILLING TO REPLACE WHAT MY INSURANCE COMPANY PAID OUT FOR MEDICAL CARE AND TO FIX MY CAR. I WILL BE HAVING MEDICAL ISSUES FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE THANKS TO THIS AIR BAG INCIDENT. I BELIEVE HYUNDAI SHOULD PAY FOR ALL FUTURE MEDICAL ISSUES RESULTING FROM THIS INCIDENT BUT .... THEY INVESTIGATED AND ARE SAYING THAT THE "COMPUTER SHOWS AN IMPACT SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE DEPLOYMENT" SO THEY ARE WILLING TO REPLACE THE SEAT AND REIMBURSE ONLY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY SAY FUTURE MEDICAL ISSUES ARE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE THIS WAY. THEIR PRODUCT CAUSED IT, THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE! *TR

I PURCHASED A USED 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IN AUG/2005 FROM A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP (# ). IN AUG/2006, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE RESULTS WERE "CODE B1382 PSAB RESISTANCE HIGH - RESECURE CONNECTOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT/CLEAR CODE". IN FEB/2008, THE AIRBAG SENSOR AGAIN APPEARED. THE SAME TECHNICAL CODE WAS DETECTED, AND THE DEALERSHIP RESOLUTION WAS TO "REROUTE WIRE HARNESS". IN MAR/2008, THE AIRBAG LIGHT AGAIN APPEARED AND WAS SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP. IN NOV/2008, THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO THE AIRBAG LIGHT APPEARING. AT THE TIME OF SERVICE IN NOV/2008, THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE AIRBAG FREE OF CHARGE UNDER THE WARRANTY, AT WHICH TIME, THEY WERE INFORMED THAT A COMPLAINT WOULD BE FILED UNDER THE CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW DUE TO REPEAT FIXES FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP THEN FIXED THE ISSUE. ON NOV. 26, 2008, THE VEHICLE WAS HIT IN A HIGH-SPEED REAR END COLLISION (~35MPH) WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT AND PUSHED INTO AN INTERSECTION, WHERE IT BROADSIDED A MOVING VEHICLE. AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACTS, THE HYUNDAI WAS TOTALED, ALL REAR SEATED PASSENGERS SUSTAINED INJURY DUE TO THE SPARE TIRE BEING LIFTED FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT AND RAISING THE 60/40 SPLIT REAR SEAT AND PUSHING IT FORWARD, THE FRONT PASSENGER RECEIVED CHEST CONTUSIONS AND THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED UPPER BODY INJURIES. DESPITE BEING PUSHED FORWARD AND MAKING A STRONG IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. I REQUESTED HYUNDAI INVESTIGATE THE MATTER, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT ALTHOUGH THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED FROM THE SECONDARY IMPACT, IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I RESEARCHED COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER HYUNDAI OWNERS REGARDING REPEATED AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT REPAIRS AND OTHER AIRBAG FAILURES, INCLUDING STORIES OF CRASHES INTO POLES WITH FAILED AIRBAGS. HYUNDAI HAS NOT ISSUED ANY RECALL, BUT THEY PROBABLY SHOULD. *TR