2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Seat belts Problems

The driver seat belt locking mechanism has failed. I tried to replace it with OEM manufacturer parts but have been told by Hyundai that the part is not available, it is on back order but will be discontinued before backorder is fulfilled. My question is how can you discontinue manufacturering a part which is mandated by every licensing state? I have filed a complaint with Hyundai but they have ignored my attempts to resolve this. I need help to return my vehicle to safety standards.

NHTSA ID

11440059

Incident

Aug 13, 2021

PLEASE NOTE THAT MY AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT IS ON AND I HAVE HAD THE LIGHT RESET MORE THAN SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN DRIVING THE LIGHT WILL GO ON AGAIN AND AGAIN. I HAVE THE DEALER LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM TWICE AND THEY HAVE RESET THE LIGHT AND THAT DID NOT WORK. ON 4.26.2016 THE DEALER TOOK THE SEAT OUT AND CLEANED ALL OF THE CONNECTIONS AND SEALED WITH CONNECTER SEALANT. THE DEALER STATED ON THE BILL THAT IF THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO ORDER A FRONT SEAT ASSEMBLY. THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON 4.26.2016 THREE HOURS LATER. I DROVE TO WORK 4.27.2016 AND THE LIGHT REMAINED ON. MY CONCERN IS WHY THE CONSUMER HAS TO BEAR THE COST OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT MY FAMILY IS IN DANGER BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE IN REGARDS TO THE AIR BAG ISSUE I AM HAVING. I DO NOT THINK IT IS FAIR TO THE CONSUMER THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO FIX SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE FIXED AND THERE IS NOT ANY SORT OF SOLUTION TO FIX THIS ISSUE THE FIRST TIME WHEN I TRIED TO GET IT FIXED. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE SENSOR WORKS FINE AND THEY SEEMED TO BE CONFUSED ON HOW TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE THE FIRST OR SECOND TIME. THERE ARE A LOT OF FORUMS OUT ON THE WEBSITE LIKE EDMUNDS.COM WITH HYUNDAI HAVING THE AIR BAG SENSOR ISSUE. IS THIS A PLOY FOR HYUNDAI TO FORCE YOU TO BUY A NEW CAR THAT IS 8 YEARS OLD AND ONLY HAVING 85,080 MILES ON THE CAR. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND THE TIME AND MONEY THAT I HAVE PUT IN TO TRYING TO MAKE MY 2007 SANTA FE SAFE. I HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT STEPS IN TO HELP PRODUCT THE CONSUMERS BEFORE PASSENGERS GET SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS ISSUE FROM BRAND NEW CARS AND USED CARS.

NHTSA ID

10861682

Incident

Apr 26, 2016

WHILE OUR VEHICLE WAS MAKING A SLOW TURN, ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING AT APPROX. 50 MPH, CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE, THEN OUR CAR WAS FLIPPED AND LANDED ON THE ROOF. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ALL PASSENGERS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. WHEN THE CAR FLIPPED, THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT RELEASED AND BECAME UNSECURED, TOSSING THE PASSENGER. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE CABIN CAGE AND SIDE DOOR PANELS. ....UPDATED 04/23/15 *BF

NHTSA ID

10705338

Incident

Apr 6, 2015

Mileage

118,000 mi

2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO REAR SEAT BELT PASSENGER SIDE ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, THAT WAS NEVER RESOLVED. THE REAR SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, WOULD RESCIND OR SLIDE BACK INTO THE OPENING AND THE CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO PULL THE SEAT BELT OUT. WHEN THE SEAT BELT WAS PULLED OUT BY THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER, IT WOULD NOT STAY OUT. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, IT WAS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO.

NHTSA ID

10550203

Incident

Oct 1, 2013

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IN THE MAIN DASH CONSOLE STAYS ILLUMINATED AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAIUSA.COM CUSTOMER SERVICE & THEY JUST REFERRED ME TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE "CERTIFIED USED" AND THEY SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY DID NOT TRANSFER WHEN BOUGHT USED (5 YRS/60,000 MILES). JUST TO GET THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED WOULD BE $95. SO I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET NHSTA WEBSITE AND I FOUND ALL OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS YEAR, MAKE & MODEL. ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WHERE THE AIRBAG MALFUNCTIONS, SENSOR WARNING DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, ETC. SO MY QUESTION TO THE NHSTA IS WHY HASN'T THIS VEHICLE BEEN RECALLED FOR AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT MALFUNCTION WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS YOU HAVE RECEIVED? THIS IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY IF IT PREVENTS AIRBAGS FROM DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE WITH HYUNDAI & HOPEFULLY THIS CAN BE CORRECTED WITH A RECALL. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

10421748

Incident

Aug 5, 2011

Mileage

41,105 mi

I OWN A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SUV. THE SEAT BELT FOR THE PASSENGER REAR SEAT (40) DOES NOT STAY UP AND AVAILABLE TO NEW OCCUPANTS. IT ALWAYS FALLS DOWN THE SEAT BELT SLOT AND IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO RETRIEVE FOR THE PASSENGER. PASSENGER INVARIABLY SEAT THEMSELVES INTO 60 PORTION OF THE SEAT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE DRIVER. THE ONLY WAY WHICH I HAVE FOUND TO RETRIEVE THE SEAT BELT AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PASSENGER IN THE 40 SEAT IS TO LAY THE SEAT DOWN AT ABOUT A 30 DEGREES. REACH UNDER THE SEAT VARY CAREFULLY AND PUSH THE SEAT BELT UP FROM THE BOTTOM. THIS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND WITH THE BOLTS AND UNFINISHED METAL ON THE FLOOR POSES A SAFETY HAZARD IN ITSELF. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER TWICE AND ASKED ABOUT REPAIR OR RECALL AND THEY JUST KIND OF LAUGH WHEN I TELL THEM ITS A PAIN AND NEEDS FIXED. THEY JUST SAY "YOU AND ALOT OF OTHERS WOULD LIKE THAT". IT WOULD TAKE A SIMPLE FIX OF PUTTING IN A STIFF COLLAR LIKE THAT ON MOST VEHICLES OR A FLAT SLEEVE WHICH COULD KEEP THE BELT FROM RECEDING INTO THE ABYSS OF THE VEHICLE. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT MOST PASSENGERS IN THE 40 POSITION DO WITHOUT WEARING THE BELT, AND JUST HOLD IT IN THE LAP. CAN YOU FIRMLY SUGGEST TO HYUNDAI TO PUT A PERMANENT FIX TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED FOR NOT WEARING A SEATLBELT WHICH IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THEM BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURES OVERSIGHT AND LACK OF CONCERN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10352795

Incident

Aug 30, 2010

Mileage

1 mi

THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT OF MY 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE AT TIMES DOES NOT WORK BECAUSE THE RECEPTOR SLIDES DOWN DEEP INTO THE POCKET AND IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO RETRIEVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A DESIGN DEFECT AND THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE FEDERAL REGULATIONS PROHIBITED THEM. WE WERE COMING HOME TWO WEEKS AGO AND MY FRIEND COULD NOT BUCKLE UP AND WE WERE TRAVELING 60MPH AND I WAS NERVOUS. THE MANAGER PLACED A STYROFOAM PIECE IN THE SLIT AND SAID HE HOPED IT WORKED. HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS? *TR

NHTSA ID

10249761

Incident

Nov 14, 2008

ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL FOR MY 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, FOR MAXIMUM SAFETY THE MIDDLE OF THE HEAD RESTRAINT SHOULD BE AT EYE LEVEL. AS A SERVICE ADVISOR AT A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP HAS VERIFIED, THE POST NOTCHES ENABLE THE MIDPOINT TO COME UP ONLY AS HIGH AS MY MOUTH--FAR BELOW THE RECOMMENDED HEIGHT. I AM 6'3, NOT EXTRAORDINARILY TALL. HYUNDAI'S CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE SAID ON JAN. 16 THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED, THERE WAS NOTHING THE AUTOMAKER WOULD DO EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS PROVIDING ME LESS HEAD AND NECK SUPPORT THAN RECOMMENDED BY THE COMPANY'S OWN MANUAL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10215145

Incident

Jan 16, 2008