2006 Hyundai Santa Fe

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ON AFTER INITIAL STARTUP DISPLAY. CODE READER INDICATED B1511 CODE, SHORT BETWEEN DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND BATTERY. FURTHER EVALUATION DEMONSTRATED THAT SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT DID NOT DISPLAY AT ALL, WHETHER BELT WAS BUCKLED OR UNBUCKLED. INTERNET RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THIS FAULT MAY PREVENT AIR BAG FROM FUNCTIONING IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. TO EVALUATE FURTHER, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS RESET TO CHECK FOR RECURRENCE. CODE RECURRED. IT WAS NOTED THAT CODE COULD BE PREVENTED AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT WOULD DISPLAY PROPERLY IF THE DRIVER SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS PRESSED DOWNWARD AND SLIGHTLY TOWARD THE DRIVER. THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH OBSERVATION THAT FOLLOWING A RESET, AIR BAG LIGHT RECURRED WHEN VEHICLE TURNED LEFT, CAUSING DRIVER TO SHIFT AGAINST BUCKLE. INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF SEAT BELT LIGHT WAS OBSERVED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND ALSO MOVING SLOWLY. DRIVER IS UNWILLING TO REMOVE SEAT BELT DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING TO EVALUATE FURTHER. HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA HAS DENIED RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. INTERNET SEARCHES INDICATE THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE, AND FURTHER THAT THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON VEHICLES BUILT ON THE SAME OR SIMILAR PLATFORM.

I OWN 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, AND THE AIR BAGS LIGHTS WARNING LIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND CAME BACK WITH EROR CODES B1706, ALTHOUGH THE MEANING WAS NOT EXPLAINED, DUE TO REASAERCH I PERFORMED I NOW KNOW THAT IT IS FOR PASSENGER BUCKLE PRETENSIONER RESISTANCE BEING TOO HIGH. I FOUND THIS PARTICULARLY ODD AS I USE THIS AS MY CAR TO COMMUTE TO WORK THUS THE PASSENGER SEAT IS RARELY USED. THE DEALER WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE BELT BUCKLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $600. I DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDS TO ADRESS THE ISSUE FOR THAT AMOUNT AT THAT TIME, HOWEVER CAME HOME AND PERFORMED EXTENSIVE REASEARCH ON-LINE AND THROUGH THE NHTSA SITE REGARDING THE ISSUE NOTING THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE IMPARTICULAR, ALTHOUGH MY DEALER HAD ASSURED ME IT WAS NOT. WHAT I DID NOT SEE WAS ANY RESPONSE FROM HYUNDAI REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND IN MOST CIRCOMSTANCES THE EFFECTED PERSON WAS RESPONDED TO, OR WAS RESONDED TO IN A NEGATIVE MANNER. THIS IS A POTENTIONALY MAJOR LIFE THRETENING SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY WHEN AIR BAGS DOES NOT DEPLOY DURING AN ACCEDENT. IT IS ALSO AN INCONVIENT PROBLEM NOTING THAT DUE TO THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINING ON, THE CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION REGULATIONS, AND FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN ONLINE SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE THIS PIECE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. THIS IS A SAFTEY ISSUE AND A FAILURE ON THE MANUFACTURES PART TO OFFER A SAFE PRODUCT. I URGE THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE DUE TO THE FREQUENCY OF COMPLAINTS AND THE IMPACT TO THE PASSENGERS' SAFETY AND URGE HYUNDI TO ISSUE A RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.