Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Seat belts reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Feb 12, 2016
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 308 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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.
Owner reports naming seat belt
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Feb 12, 2016
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, A TRACTOR TRAILER COLLIDED INTO THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACTS VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAINT THE CONTACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES TO HIS CHEST AND BACK. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND SEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 03/16/16*LJ UPDATED 03/22/16.*JB
NHTSA ID
10825789
Incident
May 21, 2015
Seat belts
Filed Feb 13, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED TO LOCK WHILE TRYING TO ATTACH A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCHING MECHANISM WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.
NHTSA ID
10683226
Incident
Jan 28, 2015
Mileage
111,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jan 24, 2015
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT COMES UNLATCHED WHEN HITTING CERTAIN BUMPS. VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO DEALER WOULDN'T REPLACE IT AND HYUNDAI HAS NO RECALL. GUESS HYUNDAI IS WAITING FOR SUFFICIENT PEOPLE TO BE KILLED IN ACCIDENTS BEFORE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. SOUNDS LIKE THE GM IGNITION SWITCH DEBACLE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10678730
Incident
Jan 12, 2015
Mileage
136,400 mi
Seat belts
Filed Dec 13, 2012
MY SEAT BELT ALL-OF-A-SUDDEN STARTED POPPING OUT AFTER BEING SNAPPED IN PLACE. IT HAS DONE THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES SINCE LAST WEEK. YESTERDAY, IT MUST HAVE DONE IT ABOUT FIVE TIMES. I HAVE TO KEEP SNAPPING IT IN PLACE AND TUGGING ON IT TO MAKE SURE IT IS SECURE. IT IS ESPECIALLY UNNERVING WHEN IT OCCURS WHILE DRIVING. YOU MAY LEAN TO THE SIDE AND ALL-OF-A-SUDDEN IT POPS OUT. I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN, BUT MY GREATEST CONCERN IT MAY FAIL WHEN I NEED IT MOST, LIKE IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR
NHTSA ID
10488743
Incident
Dec 3, 2012
Mileage
199,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jan 4, 2011
IN MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RECEIVER, FEMALE PART, HAS WORN OUT TWICE IN 99,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND TIME I HAD TO PAY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A SEAT BELT RECEIVER WARE OUT BEFORE. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT NHTSA SHOULD ADDRESS. *TR
NHTSA ID
10374051
Incident
Sep 1, 2010
Mileage
99,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Nov 7, 2008
I HAVE A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT WAS NEVER USED BY ANYONE. WE JUST KEPT IT CLIPPED TO THE ATTACHMENT ON THE SEAT. IT QUIT WORKING ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. RECENTLY, THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT BEGAN HAVING INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS STAYING LATCHED. MY 6 YEAR OLD SON SITS IN THAT SEAT SO I WAS VERY CONCERNED. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY SAID THE WARRANTY RAN OUT ON SEAT BELTS 4 MONTHS AGO SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. I DON'T' UNDERSTAND HOW A SAFETY ISSUES SUCH AS A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT IS NOT COVERED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE CENTER SEAT BELT WAS NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR SINCE NO EVER SAT THERE. I AM HAVING THESE TO SEAT BELTS REPLACED AT MY COST. SO FAR THE LEFT REAR SEAT BELT HAS NOT SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF DEFECT. I HAVE AN 8 YR OLD SON THAT SITS THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD REPLACE THAT TOO. WHAT IS MY GUARANTEE THAT SEAT BELT IS GOING TO WORK IN A COLLISION? OBVIOUSLY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE SEAT BELTS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WHERE THE SEAT BELTS JUST QUIT WORKING AFTER 5 YEARS. THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG HERE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10247917
Incident
Nov 4, 2008
Mileage
66,755 mi
Seat belts
Filed May 23, 2007
I HAVE A 2003 SANTA FE THAT HAS EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY. MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS BUCKLING HER SAFETY BELT AND THE WHOLE SAFETY BELT CAME OUT WITH THE BOLT. HYUNDAI SAID THAT ITS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN IF THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. IM CONCERNED ALSO ABOUT THE OTHER SAFETY BELTS AND WERE MY THREE CHILDREN GOING TO BE SAFE. THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO PAY IF I WANT THIS SAFETY PROBLEM REPAIRED.*AK
NHTSA ID
10191562
Incident
May 19, 2007
Mileage
80,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed May 20, 2004
WHILE PLACING THE SEAT BELT ON IT BROKE. CONSUMER INFORMED THE DEALER THAT THE SEAT BELT BROKE. *AK
NHTSA ID
10074011
Seat belts
Filed Nov 24, 2003
THE AIRBAG INDICATOR WOULD NOT GO OUT AFTER START OF ENGINE. BROUGHT CAR BACK TO DEALER WHERE I WAS ADVISED THAT DUE TO A SHORT IN THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER THAT THE CIRCUIT THAT TIED THE AIRBAGS WITH THE SENSORS IN THE BUMPERS ETC. WOULD KEEP THE AIRBAGS FROM DEPLOYING. DEALER INDICATED THEY WERE ORDERING A NEW PART TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER AND FURNISHED ME WITH A LOANER. THEY DID NOT WANT ME TO DRIVE THE CAR IN THIS CONDITION SINCE IT WOULD TAKE 2 DAYS TO GET A NEW PART. *LA
NHTSA ID
10047455
Incident
Nov 24, 2003
Mileage
157 mi
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own