2007 Hyundai Sonata AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS

I PURCHASED A USED 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA ON 5/29/2009 WITH 26,923 MILES FROM GETTEL HYUNDAI, SARASOTA FLORIDA. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 12/14/09 (34,151 MILES) BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ON. THEY FOUND B1706 ERROR (THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE RESISTANCE WAS HIGH) SO THEY REPLACED THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WITH NO CHARGE. ON 6/8/12 (61,000 MILES) I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND CODES: B1448, B1701 AND B1706.THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVER BY WARRANTY AND WOULD COST $800. I DECLINED THE WORK. BEFORE I LEFT THEY TOLD ME THAT THE AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY IF I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT. LAST MONTH I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA BACK IN APRIL 2008 TO REPLACE THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION WHICH CAUSED THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO REMAIN ON. TODAY (7/18/2014), (91,000 MILES) I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AND THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER CUSHION AIRBAG SENSOR AND WITH BOTH SEAT BELT BUCKLE SENSORS. THEY WILL SHIP THE FRONT PASSENGER CUSHION SEAT TO CALIFORNIA TO FIX THE AIRBAG SENSOR PROBLEM FOR FREE BUT IT WOULD COST $630 TO REPLACE BOTH SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID IF I DECLINED TO REPLACE BOTH SEAT BELT SENSORS THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IF I EVER GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. WELL, I CANNOT AFFORD THE REPAIR. IT IS A SAD SITUATION. HYUNDAI MUST KNOW BY NOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY, IT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. IT SEEMS TO BE ALL ABOUT MONEY AND THAT HYUNDAI IS PAYING FOR THE COST OF RECALL REPAIRS FOR THE SEAT CUSHION SENSOR BY CHARGING FOLKS TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES REPLACED. I'M SURE SOME LAWYER WILL FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND FIND PEOPLE INJURED DUE TO THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY MALFUNCTIONS AND FILE A LAWSUIT. I JUST HOPE NO ONE DIES BECAUSE OF IT. *TR

TWO WEEKS AGO MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER THIS MORNING AND THEY TELL ME THAT I NEED A NEW PASSENGER SEATBELT BUCKLE. FAILURE TO REPLACE THIS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE PART WOULD RESULT IN THE FAILURE OF THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. ALSO, THE STATE I LIVE IN WOULD NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO PASS INSPECTION WITH THIS LIGHT BEING ON. SO I CAN NOT WAIT FOR A RECALL, I HAVE TO REPLACE THIS PART NOW. SEEING AS HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM AND IT DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS SEATBELT BUCKLE HAS NOT YET BEEN RECALLED. *TR

I HAD NOT HAD VERY MANY RIDERS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF MY 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA UNTIL I WENT TO UPSTATE NY FOR A FAMILY REUNION. DURING MY 2 WEEK STAY IN NY I HAD PASSENGERS RIDING IN THE FRONT SEAT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. WHEN I WAS RETURNING HOME TO CT I NOTICED THAT MY RED "AIR BAG" LIGHT WAS ON. FROM THAT POINT IT HAS BEEN ON CONTINUOUSLY. I CALLED LIA HYUNDAI IN HARTFORD, CT AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TEST AND ANY REPAIRS. I OPTED TO NOT HAVE THE TEST AND REPAIRS DONE. IN 2013 I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM HYUNDAI ABOUT A RECALL INVOLVING THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND WARNING LIGHT. I HAD MOVED TO FL IN APRIL OF 2013 AND AFTER I HAD SETTLED IN, I CALLED COCOA HYUNDAI IN COCOA, FL. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT IF MY AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON CONTINUOUSLY, ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. ON 7-25-13 I BROUGHT MY CAR TO COCOA HYUNDAI TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. AFTER A WAIT OF AROUND 2 HOURS, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYING ON CONTINUOUSLY WAS A SENSOR IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE. HE SAID THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND IT WOULD COST ME $481 TO REPAIR. I OPTED NOT TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE BECAUSE THE QUOTE TO REPAIR A SEAT BELT BUCKLE ($481) WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH. I HAVE SINCE BEEN NOTIFIED BY HYUNDAI THAT COCOA HYUNDAI DID NOT FOLLOW THE PROTOCOL FOR THIS AIR BAG/PASSENGER SEAT RECALL WHICH REQUIRED THE DEALER TO REMOVE THE SEAT, HAVE IT SENT OUT FOR TESTING AND PROVIDE THE OWNER WITH A LOANER CAR. I AM ON A 4 MONTH WAITING LIST TO HAVE THE PROPER TEST AT COCOA HYUNDAI. *TR

HYUNDAI HAD RECALL FOR AIRBAG LIGHT. I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL NOVEMBER 2013 AND THEY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER-DECEMBER 25, 2013 MY AIR BAG LIGHT WENT BACK ON. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER WHO SAID IT'S NOT THE AIRBAG PROBLEM, BUT SEAT BELT-CODE B1706 FOR PASSENGER SEAT BELT-SAID THE SEATBELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ASKED IF THIS WAS COVERED AS PART OF THEIR RECALL AS IT SEEMS TO BE SAFETY ISSUE? I WAS TOLD NO-I WAS RESPONSIBLE TO REPLACE IT-APPROXIMATELY $250.00. AIRBAG LIGHT IS NOW OFF-SEEMS LIKE IT IS WORKING, BUT TECH SAID THEY DID NOT GUARANTEE THE AIRBAG WOULD DEPLOY IF IN AN ACCIDENT! I TOLD HIM IT SHOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE THEN AND THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. HE SAID NO--MY PROBLEM. I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN WHO RIDE IN MY CAR SOMETIMES AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FIX IT, BUT AGAIN-IT SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE AIR BAG RECALL SINCE IT TRIGGERS THAT LIGHT AND THEY WILL NOT GUARANTEE THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY IF IN AN ACCIDENT--I FEEL HYUNDAI SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. IF PEOPLE DO NOT FIX THIS AND HAVE AN ACCIDENT, THERE COULD BE A LOSS OF LIVES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL HYUNDAI SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE-SEEMS TO BE A LARGE DEFECT FROM WHAT I SEE ON LINE-LOTS OF PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS/SEAT BELTS. *TR

I HAVE BEEN HAVING ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT, SINCE I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON CONSTANTLY. THIS STARTED IN SEPT. 2013, WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS 82000. THE SCAN TEST FOUND CODE B1706 (BUCKLE ASSEMBLY OPEN SHORT). I WENT TO THE DEALER (AUTONATION HYUNDAI MALL OF GEORGIA) AND I WAS TOLD THE BUCKLE HAD TO BE REPLACED (APROX $280), AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I TOLD THE SERVICE REP. THAT I COULDN'T AFFORD THE REPAIRS AT THAT TIME, SO REFUSED TO HAVE THE BUCKLE REPLACED. I DON'T SEE WHAT REPLACING THE BUCKLES WOULD DO, IF THERE IS AN OPEN SHORT THAT IS CAUSING THEM TO SHORTEN OUT. HYUNDAI CURRENTLY HAS A RECALL FOR AIRBAG LIGHT (ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING DE-ACTIVATED). I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE RECALL TODAY, AND THEY ARE GOING TO SHIP THE FRONT PASSENGER CUSHION SEAT TO CALIFORNIA TO FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR FREE. HOWEVER THE ISSUE WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY IS STILL NOT BEING COVERED. AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF THE 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA, FOR THE SAME ISSUE, HOW CAN THERE NOT BE SAFETY RECALL REGARDING THIS ISSUE? THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THE AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE THIS PROBLEM EXISTS. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN? MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! *TR

I HAVE BEEN HAVING ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS, SINCE I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON CONSTANTLY. THIS FIRST HAPPENED IN 2010, WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS 34089, AND THEN AGAIN IN 2011, WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS 40356. THE CAUSE FOR THIS THAT WAS LISTED ON THE REPAIR BILL WAS, SCAN TEST FOUND CODE B1701, BUCKLE ASSEMBLY OPEN SHORT. I WAS AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON 11/11/13, WHEN MY CAR'S MILEAGE WAS 57912. AT THAT TIME, I WAS TOLD BOTH BUCKLES HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I ARGUED THAT MY CAR HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES AND SHOULD STILL BE UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT BECAUSE IT WAS PURCHASED IN NOV. 2006. WHEN I ASKED WHY THIS IS CONSTANTLY HAPPENING, I WAS TOLD BY THE ADVISOR, "IT HAPPENS." (?) WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME, WAS TO LEAVE THE CAR WITH THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM FURTHER. I TOLD THE ADVISOR I COULDN'T AFFORD THE REPAIRS AT THAT TIME, SO REFUSED TO HAVE THE BUCKLES REPLACED. I DON'T SEE WHAT REPLACING THE BUCKLES WOULD DO, IF THERE IS AN OPEN SHORT THAT IS CAUSING THEM TO SHORTEN OUT. AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF THE 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA, FOR THE SAME ISSUE, HOW CAN THERE NOT BE SAFETY RECALL REGARDING THIS ISSUE? THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THE AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE THIS PROBLEM EXISTS . DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN? *TR.... UPDATED 08/05/14 *BF UPDATED 08/18/2014 *JS ...UPDATED01/07/15 *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. SHE STATED THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT WARRANT DEPLOYMENT. HOWEVER. THE AIR BAG LOCATED BY HER HEAD SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. UPDATED 01/13/15

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HYUNDAI THAT MY CAR WAS UNDER RECALL (ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING DE-ACTIVATED) & URGED ME TO VISIT THE DEALER IF OCS LIGHT WAS ON. HENCE I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BASED ON THIS SAFETY RECALL NOTICE, THERE I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WILL PERFORM THE INSPECTION AND CONDITIONALLY CHARGE ME $110 FOR IT WHICH I AGREED AND LATER MY ONLY OPTIONS TO GET THE CAR BACK AFTER THE INSPECTION WERE EITHER PAY $110 INSPECTION FEE OR THE $350 TO FIX THE ISSUE WHICH THEY DEEMED WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL AND HENCE NOT COVERED. IF HYUNDAI HAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT SHOULD IT NOT BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO INSPECT IT TO SEE IF THE RECALL IS APPLICABLE INSTEAD OF CHARGING THE CUSTOMER FOR IT? SECONDLY, HAVING CRITICAL SAFETY FEATURES (THAT DISABLES THE ENTIRE OCS!) FAIL ON THE CAR JUST AFTER WARRANTY IS VERY UNFORTUNATE, IN THIS CASE THE SEAT BUCKLE PRE-TENSIONER FAILED AND DISABLED THE OCS SYSTEM (ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THE SEAT BELT AND AIRBAG WOULD HAVE WORKED FINE WITH SLIGHTLY LESS FUNCTION IF PRETENSIONER ADDED FEATURE IS NOT AVAILABLE). PLEASE ADVISE WHAT I NEED TO DO SINCE HYUNDAI REFUSED TO REFUND MY PAYMENT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I NOTICED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ON SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR TO SERVICING. 1/21/12 (97,624 MILEAGE), CODE CAUSING AIR BAG LIGHT WAS CLEARED (CODE NOT INDICATED TO OWNER). ON 8/18/12 (111,685 MILEAGE) THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONSTANT AGAIN. DEALER RESET THE LIGHT. ON 1/17/14 (141,400 MILEAGE APPROXIMATE) VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR OCS AND BRAKE LIGHT RECALL. AGAIN AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON CODE B1706 (PASSENGER PRETENSIONER) WAS SCANNED. DEALER SAID AIR BAG LIGHT ISSUE IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY RECALL AND REPAIR OF THIS ESSENTIAL SAFETY ITEM WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OWNER. I BELIEVE ANY SAFETY RELATED ISSUE WITH THE VOLUMINOUS AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS AND ISSUE AS THIS ONE SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE SENSOR WAS TRIGGERED DUE TO A FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($385). THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY OUR EXTENDED 100,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. MUST HAVE BEEN FRONT BUMPER TO FRONT BUMPER COVERAGE. FORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN ACCIDENT TO SEE IF THE AIR BAGS WOULD DEPLOY OR NOT. REGARDLESS, THE COMPANY HAS FAILED TO STAND BY ITS SAFETY FEATURES.. EVEN WITH REPEATED COMPLAINTS, HYUNDAI HAS STILL FAILED TO RECALL THE VEHICLES FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, HE NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER BUCKLE RESISTOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. *TR

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2007. WITH ABOUT 5000 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM AND TURNED THE LIGHT OFF. IT CAME BACK ON I THINK AROUND 11,000 MILES. SAME THING HAPPENED, THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM & TURNED THE LIGHT OFF. IN OCTOBER 2010 WE TOOK IT IN AGAIN WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON AT 47,458 MILES. THE DEALER REPAIRED A PASSENGER SEAT BELT. IN MAY 2011 WITH 58,640 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY REPAIR PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN IN 2012 BUT WE'VE BEEN DRIVING IT THIS WAY FOR A WHILE. THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON MORE OFTEN THAN OFF IT SEEMS, AND IT ALWAYS IS SOME MINOR ISSUE OR CAN'T BE FOUND. IN FEB 2013 WITH 87,725 MILES I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND NOW THEY SAY IT IS A DRIVER'S SEAT BELT ISSUE AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CLEARLY HYUNDAI IS HAVING MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE SEAT BELTS AND THE OCS SYSTEM. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME AFTER WORK GOING SOUTH ON I-65 AND AT 4:00 PM, APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER MILE SOUTH OF EXIT 179 PRATTVILLE ALABAMA A DEER JUMPED OUT OF THE DITCH AND I HIT THE DEER GOING AT 70 MPH.I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT KEEP ME FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY FORTUNANTLY I ONLY SUSTAINED BRUISING AND PAIN THAT KEPT ME OUT OF WORK FOR 2 DAYS.THE CAR WAS ATOTAL LOSS AND I JUST FINISHED PAYING FOR IT ON 1/17/2013. *TR

WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A RECALL ON THE OCS AND THE DEALER FOUND TWO FAULT CODES B1701 AND B1706 INDICATING THAT BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE BELT PRETENSIONERS RESISTANCE IS TOO HIGH.I SEE THERE ARE MANY 2006 AND 2007 SONATAS WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE. DEALER WANTS A TOTAL OF 871.74. WITH THE NUMBER OF REPEATED COMPLAINTS I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL. *TR