2003 Hyundai Tiburon

MY CAR WAS PARKED, I GET INTO THE CAR AS NORMALLY AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR......... BOOM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH NO REASON, I NEVER HIT ANYTHING, THE CAR NEVER MOVED,IN LESS THAN A SECOND THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION, A BIG EXPLOSION, M CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. I WAS SCARED WHAT IF THAT COULD OCCUR WHILE I WAS DRIVING, IM 100% THAT THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND BE A RECALL OF THIS. MY INSURANCE WONT COVER AND THEY PROBABLY WILL RAISE MY COVERAGE, I HAD BRUISES IN MY HAND AND FOREHEAD DUE TO THE IMPACT. A REPAIR SHOP WILL COST ME MORE THAN 1,000 DOLLARS WHICH I DON'T HAVE. AND NOW IM SCARED TO DRIVE MY OWN CAR, AND I NEED IT TO GET TO MY JOB AND I CAN'T. *TR

ON MONDAY THE 14TH I ACCIDENTALLY REAR ENDED A VAN WHILE GOING ABOUT 60 MPH...HE WAS ALMOST STOPPED FOR A SUDDEN TURN OFF THE HIGHWAY... MY CAR IS TOTALED... THOUGH DRIVING ALONE, MY PASSENGER AIRBAG WENT OFF, BUT BY DRIVERS SIDE DIDN'T... MY BODY IS IN LOTS OF PAIN, AND MY INSIDES HURT ALOT... I DID LOSE CONSCIENCE FOR A SMALL TIME.... I'VE BEEN TO THE HOSPITAL TWICE AND MY DOCTOR ONCE FOR PAIN... NO BROKEN BONES, JUST LOTS OF BRUISES... I'VE BEEN TOLD THE PAIN AND SUFFERING WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLY LESS IF AIRBAG DEPLOYED AS DESIGNED... GEICO, MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS THE CAR IN CLAYTON NC, AND WANTS ME TO SIGN OVER THE TITLE SO THEY CAN PAY ME FOR MY CAR.... SHOULD I DO THIS BEFORE HAVING YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE INVESTIGATE THE REASON FOR AIRBAG FAILURE? DO I HAVE A CASE? I'VE RECEIVED MANY EMAILS FROM OTHERS IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS WITH THEIR HYUNDAI'S AND MUCH WORSE DAMAGES TO THEIR BODIES. *TR WHAT DO I DO?

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON. THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE THE CONTACTS RESPONSIBILITY. SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY, AND HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V321000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 4/23/08 *CN UPDATED 04/23/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DUE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE A SWITCH. SINCE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V321000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL), THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY APPROXIMATELY $400 FOR THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 147,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

I CO-OWN THIS CAR WITH MY DAUGHTER. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. THIS CAUSED HER TO FAIL INSPECTION IN VIRGINIA. WE FOUND OUT ABOUT SAFETY RECALL 02V290000 WHICH SPECIFIED THAT ON 2003 TIBURONS THE DRIVER SEAT BELT BUCKLE COULD BE DAMAGED BY THE HEIGHT ADJUSTER MECHANISM, RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG OR THE PERMANENT LIGHTING OF THE AIR BAG LIGHT WITH FAILURE TO DEPLOY ON IMPACT. THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX IT BECAUSE HYUNDAI CLAIMS THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY MARCH 2003 AND WILL NOT AGREE TO FIX CARS MANUFACTURED AFTERWARD. MY DAUGHTER'S CAR WAS PRODUCED IN MAY 2003, MAKING THE WINDOW BETWEEN ELIGIBILITY AND NON-ELIGIBILITY ONLY 32 DAYS FROM MARCH 31 TO MAY 1. WE HAVE SPENT HOURS TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. HYUNDAI CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY, IF THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AS OF MARCH 2003, THERE ARE CARS SUFFERING FROM THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND MANUFACTURED LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LATER. I AM STILL WORKING TO GET THEM TO UNDERWRITE REPAIRS. MEANWHILE, MY DAUGHTER IS DRIVING A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE CAR, WE'VE SPENT HOURS GOING TO DEALERSHIPS TO GET THEM TO LOOK AT IT AND ARGUING ON THE PHONE WITH HYUNDAI AND ITS DEALERS, AND WE HAVE BOTH LOST A LOT OF TIME FROM WORK AND SUFFERED GREAT AGGRAVATION. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON ON THE DASH OF MY 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON BECAUSE OF A BROKEN WIRE UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. HYUNDAI HAS HAD RECALLS ON OTHER VEHICLES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE WIRE GETTING BROKEN UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT. THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM UNDER A RECALL TO INCLUDE PUTTING A PLASTIC COVER OVER THE WIRES TO PROTECT THEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THAT PROBLEM ON MY VIN NUMBER VEHICLE, SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG NOT TO DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS DEBRI UNDER THE SEAT THAT CAUSED THE BREAK. THE ONLY THING UNDER THE SEAT WAS A SMALL COLLAPSED UMBRELLA THAT WAS ON THE BACK SEAT FLOOR. I BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE WAY HYUNDAI RUNS THE WIRES UNDER THE SEAT. *TR

CLUTCH FAILED AT 44,000 MILES AFTER BUYING CAR USED. SERVICE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT FIX , STATED IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR. COST $1500 TO FIX. AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON, PAST 65,000 SO SERVICE DEPARTMENT WONT FIX IT UNLESS I PAY FOR IT. HATCH BACK LATCH WONT WORK, $200 TO FIX THAT. HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT EVERY OTHER MONTH. BROUGHT CAR TO SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE OF A NOISE IN THE FRONT OF CAR. SAID THEY COULDNT HEAR ANYTHING. 2000 MILES OVER MY WARRENTEE BROUGHT CAR BACK BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING WORSE, SAID IT WAS FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND WOULD COST $1000 TO FIX. DURING COLD WEATHER EMERGENCY BRAKE STICKS TOOK IT IN AND THEY COULDNT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, GO FIGURE. SEATS WONT LATCH SOMETIMES AFTER LETTING SOMEONE OUT FROM THE BACK. IS THERE A END TO THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE WITH THIS HYUNDAI.

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON, I THINK THIS IS DUE TO SEAT BELT BUCKLE WIRING ISSUE, SINCE LIGHT WAS GOING ON AND OFF FOR FEW DAYS (AND WHEN I WAS MOVING SEAT BELT BUCKLE IT WAS DISAPPEARING) I DID RESEARCH TIBURON FORUMS AND I SEE THAT MOST PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SAME ISSUE HAD THEIR SEAT BELT BUCKLE REPLACED AND LIGHT RESET AND THAT WAS IT. PROBLEM WITH ME IS THAT I'M OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE CALLED HYUNDAI AFFAIRS AND REPORTED THIS ISSUE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT HYUNDAI DEALTER MAY AND MOST PROBABLY CHARGE ME FOR INSPECTION AND FIXING ISSUE, SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY CAR. I'M AFRAID THAT AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY DURING ACCIDENT AND I THINK HYUNDAI SHOULD PAY FOR FIXING IT SINCE THIS IS NOT ISOLATED ISSUE. MANY OTHER HYUNDAI HAVE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT: A FRONT-END COLLISION. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS TOTALED MY CAR. MY DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE PASSENGERS SIDE DID. I HAVE INJURIES. AND MOST LIKELY WILL BE GOING FOR SURGERY. THERE WAS SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IF MY AIR BAG WAS FAULTY. I SEE THERE ARE RECALLS ON MY CAR (HYUNDAI TIBURON) FOR FAULTY SEAT BELT MECHANISM, WHICH EFFECTS THE FUSE, WHICH BLOWS OUT AND NEVER SENDS THE SIGNAL TO THE DRIVER AIRBAG. WAS THIS THE CAUSE OF MY FAULTY AIRBAG? OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE? WAS MY INDIVIDUAL CAR RECALLED FOR THAT FAULTY DEVISE? WAS MY CAR OVERLOOKED BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF THE RECALL AND THE TIME OF MY PURCHASE? I AM THE SECOND OWNER. IS THERE ANYWAY TO CHECK MY INDIVIDUAL AUTO? I BOUGHT MY CAR CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED. AND IT WAS ONLY DEALER SERVICED. WE BUY NEW CARS FOR SAFETY FEATURES. WE GET DISCOUNTS ON INSURANCE RATES FOR: HAVING THESE FEATURES ON OUR CARS; THERE ARE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD THAT TELL US WE NEED FUEL; THAT OUR DOORS ARE OPEN; THAT WE NEED TO CHECK THE ENGINE; THAT WE HAVE ABS BREAKS; EVEN TO TELL US THAT WE NEED TO WEAR OUR SEAT BELTS. THERE IS EVEN A LIGHT THAT SAYS WE HAVE AN AIRBAG. BUT NOTHING, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SAYS CHECK THE AIRBAG AND MAKE SURE IT IS WORKING. THIS IS A LIFE SAVING DEVISE. WHY ARE THERE NO REGULAR CHECK-UPS, FOR THE AIRBAG, TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS WHEN YOU NEED IT? THIS SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR ALL VEHICLES!!! WHY DID MY AIRBAG NOT WORK? AGAIN, IS THERE ANYWAY TO CHECK MY INDIVIDUAL AUTO? I FEEL THAT IF IT WORKED, I WOULD NOT BE PERMANENTLY INJURED! *TR