2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG SENSOR LOCATED IN THE SEAT DOES NOT CORRECTLY CLASSIFY MY WIFE (130 LBS.) AS AN ADULT. AS A RESULT, THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG AND PASSENGER SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS ARE NOT CONSISTENTLY ACTIVATED. THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" INDICATOR LIGHT LOCATED ON THE DASH IS ON AT LEAST 30% OR MORE OF THE TIME OF TRAVEL. THIS SYSTEM IS NOT DEPENDABLE IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT OR SIDE IMPACT. THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHEN THE SYSTEM WILL BE ACTIVATED AND PROTECTING MY WIFE. SHE WEIGHS 130 POUNDS IN BODY WEIGHT. I BELIEVE THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT IS POORLY DESIGNED AND ULTIMATELY UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE. *TR

HYUNDAI SANTA FE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DOES NOT RECOGNIZE SMALL ADULT (WEIGHT 100 - 125). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V272000 (EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS). HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR THE TOWING PACKAGE THAT WAS INCLUDED. THE RECALL REPAIRS WOULD CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT THE VEHICLE WAS ALLOTTED TO TOW. THE INITIAL LABEL INCORRECTLY LISTS THE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS. THE INITIAL WEIGHT RATINGS WERE 2,976 FOR THE FRONT AND 3,197 FOR THE REAR. THE NEW RATING LABELS WOULD DROP THE WEIGHT TO 2,910 FOR THE FRONT AND 3,131 FOR THE REAR, CAUSING CONFLICT WITH THE EQUIPMENT WEIGHT NEEDING TO BE TOWED. THE DATABASE WOULD NOT TAKE THE VIN THAT THE CONTACT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 29,000. UPDATED 10-07-08 *BF UPDATED 10/09/08. *JB

WE HAVE A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG INDICATOR IS MALFUNCTIONING. MY WIFE (THE PASSENGER) IS 5' 3' AND 115 POUNDS. SHE SITS IN THE SEAT PROPERLY AS STATED IN THE MANUAL, HOWEVER SOMETIMES THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED "OFF" INDICATING THAT THE SYSTEM IS NOT ACTIVE (AIR BAG SYSTEM WILL NOT ENGAGE IN CASE OF A FRONTAL CRASH), OTHER TIMES (30%) IT WORKS PROPERLY. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, 4379, 5767 AND 11,421 MILES. THEY REPLACED THE SEAT BUT IT DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. THEY SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING ELSE AND MY WIFE SHOULD SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. WHEN WE TEST DROVE THIS VEHICLE EVERYTHING WORKED FINE, THREE WEEKS LATER THE PROBLEM STARTED. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BECOME RELUCTANT TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. IF HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA CANNOT FIX THIS PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE STATED, THEY SHOULD REPLACE OR BUY THIS (THESE) VEHICLES BACK. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS VEHICLE RECEIVED A 5 STAR CRASH RATING WITH SO MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH OUR 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE INCLUDING GAS TANK DOOR LATCH NEEDING TO BE REPLACED, CAR SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY, WHICH THE DEALER DIAGNOSED AS A COIL ISSUE. THE LAST PROBLEM LED TO THE CAR BEING TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY ARE REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION DUE A FAILURE OF THE CAR TO ACCELERATE AND THEN LURCH INTO GEAR, CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN A 150 LBS. OCCUPANT IS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG SENSOR STATES THAT THE AIR BAG IS INOPERATIVE. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE THE FIRST TIME. DURING THE SECOND VISIT TO THE DEALER, THE FAILURE WAS DUPLICATED; HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OCCUPANT SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN A 120 LBS. ADULT WAS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS OPERATING PROPERLY AND THERE WAS NO FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V161000 (AIR BAGS). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100.

PASSENGER AIRBAG ON/OFF INDICATOR LIGHT READS OFF, ALTHOUGH A 5'3", 125LB ADULT IS SEATED IN PASSENGER. BROUGHT TO DEALER SERVICE DEPT ATTENTION, TOLD I NEEDED TO WIGGLE IN THE SEAT TO GET ALL FOUR SENSORS TO ACTIVATE. OCCASIONALLY THIS TECHNIQUE WILL GET THE LIGHT TO NO LONGER ILLUMINATE, BUT IF YOU MOVE YOUR POSITION SLIGHTLY - THE LIGHT READ OFF ONCE AGAIN.*TR

AIR BAG OFF LIGHT STAY ON EVEN WHEN A SMALLER ADULT OF 120LBS IS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND PANIC ALARM GOES OFF BY ITSELF. AFTER EACH EVENT, ALARM WILL NOT FULLY RESET. *TR