2007 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

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

APRIL 2013 PASSENGER SIDE VISOR WON'T STAY UP. JAN 2014 DRIVER SIDE VISOR WON'T STAY UP. *TR

THE SUN VISORS ON THESE CARS (AS WELL AS 2006 AND 2008 MODELS, I BELIEVE) ARE DEFECTIVE. THEY DO NOT STAY UP, WHICH CAUSES VISIBILITY ISSUES. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE AMONG SONATA OWNERS, AND HYUNDAI HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS. THEY REFUSE TO ISSUE A RECALL, AND DEALERSHIPS WANT OVER $100 PER VISOR TO FIX. *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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED. IN ADDITION, THE ESC-OFF LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT NOTICED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V113000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

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 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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE BRAKES ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AIR BAG BUCKLE/SENSOR ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED. AFTER SEEING SO MANY SIMILAR REPORTS, I WANT TO MAKE AWARE THAT I HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES. I AM ALSO WONDERING IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL ON THE OCS? I HAVE YET TO HAVE THE RECALL FIXED, BECAUSE THEY HAVE REFUSED TO DO SO, UNTIL I RECEIVED ANOTHER LETTER AND CALLED HYUNDAI. WHO THEN CALLED THE DEALER. AM STILL WAITING FOR THE RESULTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO PARK WHEN THE VEHICLE SLID ACROSS AN ICE PATCH AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED BUT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.