Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Hyundai Elantra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 167 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 167, in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the passenger’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 11,511.
The airbags failed to deploy when I was in a car accident on 03/31/26. I was rear ended while at an intersection. The car that rear ended me had airbags that deployed upon impact. My car was the only car in which the airbags did not deploy despite the high impact. Not only was I rear ended, but I was slammed into another vehicle in front of me and into a streetlight/streetpole. My car is now totaled. My car sustained the most damage and my body. The airbags are available for inspection upon request. I would have filed this request sooner, but I am still hurt and I am still undergoing treatment for my injuries. My safety was put at risk by the lack of protection from the airbags in my car. I could have died. I’m alive, but I also sustained serious injuries from the lack of deployment. My body hit the steering wheel upon impact. My head, chest, back, neck, shoulders, right arm, right hand, wrist, and right leg/ankle were all injured due to this accident. If my airbags had deployed, my injuries would’ve been lessened and they could’ve been prevented altogether. I was rushed to the hospital at the scene. I’m still currently receiving treatment for the injuries I sustained from this crash and lack of airbag deployment. No, the problem hasn’t been reproduced nor confirmed by the dealer. No one has inspected the vehicle. An adjuster from the at fault party has only taken pictures of the exterior of the car, but they didn’t inspect the car. There were no warning lamps, no messages, no symptoms, no problems whatsoever prior to the failure. They first appeared the day of the accident on 03/31/26. My family and I’ve had this car since 2012/2013 and it has never been in a major crash like this. The airbags have never deployed and they failed to deploy the day of this crash. There were no recalls on my car prior to the accident. All recalls have been serviced. My family and I’ve never been notified about airbag defects or airbag recalls on this car since we’ve purchased it.
I have had a couple of issues that I have had others tell me or read online that they have had the same issues 1- When I bought the car, which was used at the time. Just a couple of years ago I drove it off of the lot and it had a break issue. I had to take it towed back to the dealership bc something broke underneath and the breaks were failing. So they fixed the problem supposedly. I only had a 30 day warranty and after the 30 days the breaks started grinding every time I stopped. This went on for a long time. I had an other mechanic look at it and did something and I can not recall exactly what he said but after about a week, the noise started back up and at that time I had had the car for about a yr and he said I still had about 25 percent left on my break pads. So probably about 4 months ago I changed my front breaks, including the rotors and the back breaks to, I also had to replace the front left caliber bc while trying to take the pin out of the caliber to clean it, the pin broke. So I replaced it. Took my care in to get inspected And they told me I need to do the back breaks and the back right caliber to pass inspection. So I did the work and got it done. I am not a rich person so I can only take it a mechanic if it something that I can not do myself my I have had good training bc had been a mechanic and had taught at mechanic schools so I know I have help and if I am not sure about something he will help. So now after doing all of that hard work, I am starting to hear the grinding noise again with the breaks and my breaks are good. It always starts our really light and then gets louder within a couple of weeks. 2- the second issue is that my airbag light is on, I am not sure why this is , I have never been in any kind of accident. One day just popped on and never went off 3- I have read online that you have had a recalls on newer models for Hyundai Elantra with the issue but not my year. Well my trunk latch ended up get latched and would not open
Description of the Issue: The airbag (SRS) warning light on my 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Hatchback intermittently turns on and off and flickers when turning the steering wheel, indicating a potential fault in the spiral cable assembly (clock spring). Hyundai issued a Clock Spring Extended Warranty (TSB #17-BE-004-1) for certain vehicles, but my vehicle is not covered. A complete failure of the clock spring may prevent the driver’s airbag from deploying in a crash, creating a serious safety risk. The airbag warning light first appeared on [XXX]. The issue occurs during normal driving, particularly when turning the steering wheel. Safety Concern: If the clock spring fails completely, the driver’s airbag may not deploy during a collision, significantly increasing the risk of injury or death. Requested Action: I request that NHTSA investigate the intermittent airbag warning light issue in 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT vehicles, focusing on potential clock spring failures, and consider a safety recall or other remedy to ensure that driver airbags deploy reliably. Additional Information: The vehicle is currently located in Ottawa, ON, Canada. Photos of the dashboard with the airbag light illuminated can be provided if requested. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Clock spring failures are a well known issue with Hyundai/Kia models from the early 2010s. Hyundai has offered an extended warranty on most models, but has excluded the GT models, even though they use the same parts. My clock spring has failed, disabling the horn and driver air bag functionality.
Air bag light is on constantly, goes off if my steering wheel is turned a certain way. But will come back on immediately after if turned and will not go off of dashboard
Airbag light and steering wheel control malfunction due to clock spring. Known issue can cause airbag not to deploy. Dealer refused to fix issue.
The air bag warning light is mostly ON, but turns off intermittently. I was told this is a safety issue and will cost hundreds of dollars to fix. I am very anxious about this. I did not find any recall notices but did see many complaints about this issue for 2013 Hyundai Elantras.
My daughter had a tire blow out which caused the passenger side airbag to deploy. A piece of trim approximately 32 inches long flew off from the passenger's side hitting my daughter in the head and causing a concussion and requiring an emergency room visit.. Hyundai performed an investigation and stated the airbags deployed like they should have but refused to acknowledge the cause of my daughter's injury and would not discuss it further.
At approximately 67,000 miles the airbag light on the instrument cluster has become permanently illuminated. This appears to be a common issue, causing Hyundai to extend the warranty on the clock spring; however, the GT model is not covered by this technical service bulletin. This issue may impact the deployment of the airbags and so should be a safety recall rather than a TSB which doesn't even cover all affected models.
There is a on going issue with clock spring failing on 2011-2014 Hyundai models. My model is not covered under their extended warranty cause I have a hatchback version of the Elantra, which uses the same parts. I have already replaced my clock spring at 2019 and again the issue has come in 2024. My air bag light is on, my car horn doesn't work and buttons on the steering wheel. Feel like this is a huge safety issue as I cannot communicate with other drives with my horn and I do not have a safety net of air bags deploying when a accident happens.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The air bag warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced; however, the air bag warning light illuminated on and off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the most recent failure. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Traffic ahead of me rapidly decelerated. Upon applying the brakes, the peddle froze and then went to the floor without any resistance. I attempted to pump the brakes without success. I impacted the car ahead of me at 40 mph, the posted speed limit, creating substantial damage to both vehicles. The brakes failed to operate and the airbags failed to deploy upon impact. The vehicle failed to slow down and was reacting as if the accelerator was stuck. There were no system warnings at the time of the accident or afterwards. Braking abilities resumed immediately after impact. There is no visible evidence of any fluid leaks, brake fluid or otherwise. The vehicle was last serviced by the dealership for an oil change at the end of January 2024. A brake inspection was performed at that time. I was aware of a recall notice Campaign 251 regarding the brake ABS system. When I inquired at the last service date, I was informed no fix was available at that time. Current mileage is 49,779. I am still in the process of locating a repair shop.
* Defective airbag light on. * Expensive inspection to know what's wrong with the airbag. * Don’t know if in case of an accident the airbag is going to work or protect my life. * This seems to be a common issue in this type of cars and it seems unfair to pay for something like that to be repair when it seems like a manufacturer defect.
My airbag light has been on for the past few months, and I am worried about the airbags not deploying in an accident. I will need to follow up with a dealer on this issue, but have seen others online say they are being charged $250 to have it fixed.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the message "Air Bag Off" was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound and vibrated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and after inspection, the contact was informed that the brakes were beginning to wear. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2013 Elantra GT purchased new less than 63,000 miles. Airbag warning light on constantly. Hyundai has issued an extended lifetime warranty on clock spring. 2 local Dealers are 45 days behind in scheduling repairs and will not look at clockspring without agreement to pay $200.00 diagnostic fee to find what other issue may be at fault. This makes the extended warranty bait and switch smokescreen worthless. Diagnostic failed to identify clock spring failure. Instead both front end impact sensors were shorting out and anticipated ECU failure. estimated repair approx $1,000. After this diagnosis noise and resistance in steering wheel increased which is symptomatic of clock spring failure causing electrical failure in other systems. 20 miles later AC blower motor failed and burning electrical smell/smoke presented from behind dashboard. The extent and resulting danger from the faulty wiring systems is undetermined at this time. Significant risk of fire danger
I got a recall letter in the mail and Burns Hyundai does not want to give me a service or loaner vehicle.
The Power Steering System failed with both EPS and Traction Control Lights. Can only steer without assists. Air Bag light on
The air bag dashboard light is on constantly which indicates that something is wrong and the airbag will not properly and safely deploy during a vehicle accident. This is a common problem with this make and model vehicle and should be recalled for manufacturer to replace for the safety of owners of their product.
The red dashboard light remains on all the time indicating a problem with the air bag. I'm not sure what is causing the light to remain on but it is concerning as I don't know whether airbag will deploy properly if needed. I recently visited the dealership for an appointment to install anti theft software due to recall. Two and a half hours later they presented me with an unsolicited appraisal of my vehicle with $1800 in recommended repairs to my car including $400 to replace a sun visor. During this unsolicited appraisal, the dealership neglected to list the red dashboard light that is constantly on. I believe that this is a common issue with Hyundai vehicles and should be fixed free as a recall because of safety concerns.
The airbag light is on and no fuses are out and cruise control and other buttons on steering wheel is not working. If airbags are faulty or do not deploy it is a huge safety concern. Someone could be killed or extremely hurt. It has not been confirmed by a dealer but willing to take it in to be checked. It has not been checked yet by a professional. My warning lamps have been on for about two weeks now.
The airbag warning light illuminated while driving on a flat highway in safe driving conditions. No action occurred that would cause the airbag light to illuminate. The light is not going away.
I had a rear tire blowout causing the car to stop rapidly causing me to hit my face on the steering wheel so hard I got knocked out . My foot pressed on the gas and I hit a parked car. And my airbags never deployed. Insurance didn't pay my claim because it wasy falt I hit a parked car. Because I was knocked out. I don't remember anything about 30 seconds before the accident. Had my airbags worked maybe I could have remembered what really happened. When the collusion center inspected my car they said a defect in the car was the cause of my accident. But the insurance already denied the claim. The yellow tab was the airbag sensor
Air bag indicator light comes on and stays on . This occurs intermittently
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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