2005 Hyundai Sonata Air Bags
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Air Bag light stays on and cannot pass stare inspection without repair. NHSTA site has 54 reports of this issue and dealer cannot figure out how to repair. What can be done?
THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND IT WON'T GO OFF. THIS IS ALL THE TIME WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY, OR MOVING. WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR ON AND OFF, IT'S STILL ON.
AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND HAS NOT BEEN FIX CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY.
HAVING A CONSTANT MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRBAG SENSOR AFTER HAVING REPAIR AT LEAST 2 TO 3 DIFFERENT TIME OF HAVING THE CAR. THE AIRBAG LIGHT STILL COMES ON .
TAKATA INFLATOR MY CAR HAS THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON.
THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. THE MORE I LOOK AROUND I SEE THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. JUST THIS SITE ALONE HAD 50 COMPLAINTS ON THE AIRBAG ALONE.
TAKATA RECALL
I HAVE A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA AND REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AS OF TODAY AND THE DEALERSHIP CONTINUES TO STALL. THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON AND NEVER GOES OFF SO I REPORTED IT AGAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, WHERE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THE CONSUMERS.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A FENDER BENDER WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND RELEASED A LOT OF TINY METAL CRYSTALS. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALER AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
(TAKATA RECALL) I HAD A ACCIDENT ON 1/20/2016. MY AIRBAG DID NOT INFLATION, WHEN THE AIRBAG CAME OUT IT WAS DEFLATED. THE AIRBAG LET OUT CHEMICAL IN MY FACE, EYES, NOSE, THROAT.THE AIRBAG EXPOSURE CAUSE ME EYE TRAUMA, FACE SKIN IRRITATED , AND SINUS INFECTION, HEADACHE . I HIT SOME BLACK ICE ON HIGHWAY 77, THREE MILES BEFORE YOU GET TO NEWBORN, TN. MY CAR SLIDE OF THE ROAD IN TO A DITCH. THE BAG DID NOT CAUSE THE ACCIDENT, BUT IT CAUSE BODY PROBLEMS.
DRIVING FROM DEALER AFTER PURCHASING THIS CAR USED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. RETURNED TO DEALER AND WAS "REPAIRED" AND TOLD THAT THEY MUST HAVE LOOSENED THE CONNECTION WHEN THEY VACUUMED THE CAR. SINCE THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND STAYED ON. TOOK TO MECHANIC, THEY CHECKED THE CODES AND RESET THE LIGHT. THE LIGHT STAYED OFF FOR ANOTHER 6 MONTHS OR SO. THE LIGHT IS BACK ON AGAIN. TOOK TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS TIME HE COULD NOT RESET THE CODES AND THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE TO HYUNDAII DEALER FOR REPAIR. AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS YEAR MODEL, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SCAM BY HYUNDAII TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAKE MONEY OFF OF A CAR THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE DANGEROUS. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS STILL ON AND I AM DRIVING THE CAR, BUT WILL BE UNABLE TO DO SO WHEN I NEED ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION. CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY $1500+ FOR A REPAIR ON A CAR ONLY WORTH ABOUT $4000. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.
INVOLVED IN A FOUR CAR CRASH EARLY THIS MORNING. I WAS THE LAST IN LINE AND REAR ENDED A TRUCK. THE SONATA IS TOTALED. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED, BUT NOT THE DRIVER'S ONE. I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND GLASSES FLEW OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. IT WAS A HARD IMPACT, THE FRONT END IS DESTROYED.
ARE MY AIRBAGS A PROBLEM? WERE THEY MANUFACTURED BY TAKATA? THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS REMAINED ON SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED. SHOULD I GET THEM REPLACED? AM I IN DANGER FROM AIRBAGS? *TR
AT ABOUT 110,000 MILES THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON IN MY2005 SONATA. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SCANNED IT. THEY SAID IT WAS EITHER A BAD MODULE OR A BREAK IN A WIRE. I TOOK IT TO A VERY GOOD LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY INSPECTED THE WIRING AND MODULE IN THE CENTER CONSOLE AND FOUND NOTHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG. THEY PUT IT BACK TOGETHER AND THE LIGHT STAYED OFF FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN, THE DID THE SAME THING AND IT STAYED OFF FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS. IT HAS BEEN ON SINCE. *TR
WE HAVE HAD INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON IN THIS VEHICLE. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED WE TOOK IT TO A HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID THAT SOME ITEMS GOT UNDER THE FRONT SEAT AND COMPROMISED THE WIRE HARNESS. I EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS TO THE SERVICE REP THAT I WAS SHOCKED THAT THE AIR BAG AND SAFETY SYSTEM COULD BE COMPROMISED BY ITEMS THAT MAY GET UNDER THE SEATS. THIS WEEK WE HAD ANOTHER AN AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COME ON AND AGAIN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER. THIS TIME IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT CIRCUIT IN AN AIR BAG ASSEMBLY. ON 8/26/14 I CALLED A HYUNDAI SERVICE CONTRACT REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT COVERAGE FOR THIS UNDER A SERVICE CONTRACT. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE AND THAT AFTER TIME THE AIR BAG COMPONENT WOULD WEAR OUT. MY REACTION WAS THAT, YES, EVERY COMPONENT IN THE CAR WILL WEAR OUT OVER TIME. USING THAT ARGUMENT, HYUNDAI COULD ARGUE THAT NO COMPONENTS WOULD BE COVERED AS EVERY ITEM ON THE CAR IS ARGUABLY A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. I FOUND THAT POSITION SHOCKING AS NO SERVICE VENDOR OR OWNER MAKES REGULAR INSPECTION OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. THIS EXPERIENCE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT HYUNDAI DOES NOT TAKE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY REGARDING THE USE AND SAFETY OF THEIR AIR BAG SYSTEMS. *TR
AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES. CHECKED BY AUTO ELECTRICAL SERVICE SHOP, RESET LIGHT, BUT ILLUMINATES AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER. CONSTANT PROBLEM. TOLD AIR BAGS WILL NOT OPERATE IF LIGHTS IS ON. DANGEROUS. *TR
I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS NEW. MY WIFE PRIMARILY DRIVES THIS CAR AND THE PASSENGER SEAT MAYBE GETS USED ABOUT 10% OF THE TIME. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS JUST OVER 70K MILES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE HYUNDAI MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT. AT FIRST THEY TOLD US IT WAS DUE TO STUFF UNDER THE SEAT. THE NEXT TIME IT WAS A BAD MODULE @ $400 TO REPAIR. THIS TIME WAS DUE TO FAILURE OF STATE INSPECTION. PRIOR TO TAKING TO DEALER TO HAVE THE CODES READ, I DID RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN RELATIVE TO THE AIR BAG CIRCUIT SENSOR WIRING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AT THE DEALER SEVERAL YEARS AGO BUT NEVER WAS. SO THIS TIME, ONCE AT THE DEALER THE CODES WERE READ AND INDICATED A HIGH RESISTANCE ON BOTH SEATS AND A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE. I PAID TO HAVE THE SERVICE BULLETIN IMPLEMENTED AND REPLACEMENT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT BUCKLE. MY WIFE PICKED THE CAR UP BUT WITHIN A COUPLE MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. SHE RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM REPAIR IT AGAIN. NOW THERE IS A DIFFERENT CODE BEING READ FROM THE COMPUTER THAT INDICATES THAT THERE IS A SHORT ON THE PASSENGER AIR BAG, BUT THIS FAULT COMES AND GOES IF THERE IS MOVEMENT OF THE HARNESS IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIR BAG WITHIN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER CONTACTED HYUNDAI ENGINEERING CONCERNING THE NEWEST FAULT CODE AND THEY ARE IS NOW TELLING ME THAT HYUNDAI ENGINEERING IS STATING THAT TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM WILL REQUIRE THE SEAT TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2200. THIS IS ABSURD. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS ON THE VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE ROBUST ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND MANY YEARS OF SERVICE. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH SO MANY WIRING PROBLEMS LET ALONE AIR BAG ISSUES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
IN 2008 AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER SAID THAT IT WAS CODE B1382 AND CHECKED THE CAR. IT WAS THE CONNECTION UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF SINCE THAT DATE. THE LIGHT IS NOW ON AGAIN. IF IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHERE MY AIRBAGS ARE NOT GOING TO BE WORKING, AND SOMEONE GET INJURED IN MY VEHICLE, HYUNDAI WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT HAVING A RECALL . IT IS UP TO THE NTSB TO FORCE HYUNDAI TO HAVE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER SEEING THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES. *TR
AFTER MANY INDICATIONS OF AIR BAG FAILURE (LIGHT ON) AND SEVERAL COSTLY REPAIRS - FINALLY FOUND A HYUNDAI DEALER THAT INDICATED THERE WAS A BULLETIN ON HOW TO MAKE THE PROPER REPAIR. REPAIR MADE AT 55,820 MILES ON 12/10/12 - NOW OVER 58,000 MILE AND NO REPEAT OF AIR BAG LIGHT (THIS IS A NEW RECORD TIME AND MILEAGE WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT OUT) ERROR CODE THAT WAS CONSISTENTLY REPEATED = CODE B1382 QUOTE FROM THE E-MAIL FROM THE DEALER:: GOT SOME GOOD NEWS ON THE VEHICLE AND ITS NEEDS FOR THE SRS LIGHT. GOOD NEWS AS IT IS GOING TO BE EASILY REPAIRED AND COST NOTHING OUT OF POCKET FOR YOU. IT ISN??T GOING TO FALL UNDER ANY TYPE OF TRADITIONAL WARRANTY BUT WE WILL BE TAKING CARE OF THIS UNDER A GOODWILL WARRANTY. IT SEEMS LIKE THE CONNECTORS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED WERE REPAIRED INCORRECTLY. THERE IS A BULLETIN ON HOW TO REPAIR, SEAL, SECURE, AND RE ROUTE THE WIRING HARNESS SO THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ANY FURTHER IN THE FUTURE. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS BULLETIN WAS NOT FOLLOWED AND THEREFORE WE HAD THE REPEAT FAILURE. *TR
I BOUGHT THE HYUNDAI SONATA 2005 GLE FROM COLONIAL HYUNDAI OF DOWNIGTWON PA. IT WAS A USED CAR WITH POWER TRAIN WARRANTY GIVEN BY THE DEALER. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 73,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. SOON AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR THE AIRBAGS LIGHTS STARTED SHOWING UP. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GOT IT FIXED, THEY CHARGED ME LABOR AND SCANNING FEES DESPITE IT NOT BEING MY FAULT AS THE CAR HAD NO IMPACT TO ANY OBJECT OR ACCIDENTS. WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF GETTING IT FIXED THE AIRBAGS LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP FIXED IT AGAIN. THE AIRBAGS LIGHT AGAIN CAME BACK AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME, I REPORTED IT TO HYUNDAI GLOBAL CUSTOMER SERVICE - THEIR RESPONSE WAS TO TAKE IT BACK AGAIN TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND ASK THEM TO FIX IT. I DID NOT TAKE IT BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP BECASUE I LACKED CONFIDENCE IN THEIR WORK HENCE I TOOK IT OUTSIDE CAR SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY RAN THE SCAN BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAGS BUT SAID ONLY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP CAN RESET THE LIGHTS. I NOW MOVED TO NJ HENCE THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP NOW WANTS 90$ TO DO THE DIAGNOSIS AFTER WHICH THEY WILL GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE. I FEEL ITS UNNECESSARY WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY AND I HAVE ALREADY SPENT ENOUGH ON THIS ISSUE. I FEEL IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE AIRBAGS ISSUE. REQUESTING HELP IN THIS REGARD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH. THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS RESET. THE FAILURE RECURRED A FEW MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE, THE PROCEDURE WOULD BE VERY TIMELY. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON. I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP. THEY TAPED A CONNECTOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT THEY DID NOT TELL ME THE TROUBLE CODE. THEN ON 11/06/08 AIR BAG COMES ON AGAIN AT MILEAGE 56236. I TOOK IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND THE TROUBLE CODE WAS B1382 AND THEY AGAIN CLEANED CONNECTORS AND POSITIONED WIRING UNDER PASSENGER SEAT AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT. THEN IT CAME ON AGAIN AND WE DROVE IT APPROX 30000 MILES. ON 02/06/12 I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP (OTHER ONE CLOSED) AT 88705 MILES THEY FOUND TROUBLE CODE B 1382 AND FOUND BAD CONNECTION UNDER PASSENGER SEAT AGAIN. THEY REPAIRED CONNECTION AND LIGHT WENT OUT. ON 04/09/12 LIGHT IS BACK ON AS I WRITE THIS. WHY DOESN'T HYUNDAI GET THESE PROBLEMS TAKEN CARE OF? THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ON GOING PROBLEM ON THE 2005 SONATA. *JS
AIR BAG LAMP RANDOMLY TURNS ON AND OFF. PAID TO HAVE IT FIXED ONCE BUT AFTER SEVERAL DAYS SAME TROUBLE RETURNED. AS I UNDERSTAND, IF THE AIR BAG LAMP IS LIT THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. THIS WOULD SEEM LIKE A MANDATORY RECALL FOR A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. *KB
I HAVE A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. TODAY THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS STAYED ON EVEN AFTER THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON. AFTER READING THE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THE COST OF REPAIRS BY THE DEALERS, IT SEEMS THIS IS A DEFECT AND THE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR
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Quick Summary
The 2005 Hyundai Sonata has 43 Air Bags complaints on file. 11 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.