2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

FRONTAL AIR BAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN A PASSENGER WAS SEATED. ALSO, SENSOR FAILED TO ACTIVATE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED

I BOUGHT A NEW HYUNDAI ELENTRA IN JUNE 20TH, 2004. EVERY SINCE I GOT IT, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR CONTROL SYSTEM HAS NOT WORKED. I AM A FULLY GROWN ADULT FEMALE WHO WEIGHS 128LBS. WHEN I AM SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IS TURNED OFF MEANING THAT IT WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE WITH NO RESULTS. HYUNDAI KEEPS TELLING ME THAT THE SENSOR SYSTEM IS WORKING PROPERLY AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE DEALER HOWEVER, ADMITS THAT THEY REALIZE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT THAT THEY CAN NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE UNLESS HYUNDAI AMERICA GIVES THEM PERMISSION. THIS ISSUE REALLY CONCERNS ME BECAUSE IT IS A REAL SAFETY PROBLEM THAT COULD LEAD TO DEATHS. PLEASE NOTE THAT EVERYTIME SOMEONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE, THE SENSOR HAS FAILED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HESITATED THEN STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

WHEN AN ADULT SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ADVANCED AIR BAG WOULD SHUT OFF. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THE DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT IF A PERSON'S WEIGHT WAS OVER 50 LBS. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON AS LONG AS THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. *JB

MY HUSBAND BOUGHT A 2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA END OF FEBRUARY AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR. WHEN I AM SITTING IN THE SEAT (I WEIGH APPROX 120 LBS) THE LIGHT INDICATING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF IS ILLUMINATED 99% OF THE TIME. WHEN WE NOTICED IT I TRIED TO BE AWARE OF THE WAY I WAS SITTING AND ALSO HAD OTHERS SIT THERE INSTEAD OF ME. WHEN READING THE OWNERS MANUAL ABOUT THE SENSOR WEIGHT BEING 56 LBS AND NOTICING THE PROBLEM PERSISITING NO MATTER HOW STILL OR CORRECT I SAT WE CALLED THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME THEY PHYSICALLY LOOKED AT IT TO "DIAGNOSE" THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK (6/04) AND I WASN'T SITTING RIGHT; OF COURSE IT STILL OCCURED. SO WE HAD TO GO DOWN AND DEMONSTRATE THAT I SAT IN THE SEAT EXACTLY LIKE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO AND THE LIGHT NEVER WENT OFF. THIS PROMPTED THEM TO ORDER A NEW SENSOR. IT TOOK APPROX 40 DAYS FOR THE PART TO ARRIVE AND WE JUST RECEIVED THE VEHICLE BACK YESTERDAY AND IT IS STILL MALFUNCTIONING.*AK

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 ELANTRA IN APRIL 2004. AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR AND HAVING DRIVEN IT FOR A FEW MILES, I REALIZED THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS DISABLED. SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED THE CAR, I HAVE RIDDEN IN THE PASSENGER SEAT SEVERAL TIMES, AND REGARDLESS OF THE POSITION, THE AIRBAG REMAINS DISABLED. WHEN THE ODOMETER READ 1,000 MILES, I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND I REQUESTED A CHECK OF THE PASSENGERS AIRBAG SENSOR. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL; HOWEVER, THE SERVICE MANAGER EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THIS FEATURE WAS PART OF THE DESIGN FOR THE NEW 2004 MODEL. HE OFFERED ME TO TEST DRIVE A BRAND-NEW ELANTRA TO COMPARE IT TO MINE. THE OTHER CAR HAD THE SAME DESIGN FLAW. I AM DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED. I DO NOT CONSIDER THE CAR TO BE SAFE. ON JULY 14/04 I SENT A LETTER TO THE DEALER AND TO THIS DATE I HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE ADVANCE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, LETTING THE CONSUMER KNOW THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE TURNED OFF. THIS CAUSED A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS WERE OFF WHEN THEY MAY HAVE BEEN NEEDED TO BE ON. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK *NM

2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN MAY OF 2004. SINCE THEN ON TWO OCCASIONS WITH ADULTS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THE AIR BAG OFF LIGHT HAS COME ON. THE HYUNDAI DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T RECREATE IT AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. *AK

THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHILE SOMEONE WAS OCCUPYING THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION NUMEROUS TIMES, AND MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK TWO MECHANICS HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE, WITH THE CONSUMERS WIFE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, AS THE LIGHT STAYED ON, GOES OFF, THEN HAD COME ON AGAIN. THE PROBLEM HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *SC