2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Seat belts Problems

The passenger restraint system in my vehicle has suffered a critical safety failure, and the manufacturer (Hyundai Motor America) is refusing to remedy the defect, leaving the front passenger airbag completely disabled. The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag warning light is permanently illuminated on the dashboard, accompanied by the "Passenger Airbag Off" indicator, even when an adult is seated in the front passenger seat. A diagnostic scan performed by an authorized Hyundai dealership confirmed a catastrophic failure of the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor mat located inside the front passenger seat cushion. The specific Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) retrieved was B1490 (OCS Sensor Mat Defect). The dealership confirmed that due to this hardware failure, the front passenger airbag is completely deactivated and will not deploy in the event of a collision, posing an immediate, severe injury risk to front-seat occupants. Hyundai previously recognized widespread safety defects with this exact component and issued an 18-Year OCS Sensor Warranty Extension (Campaign Z01) to replace the front passenger seat cushion/OCS sensor free of charge. However, Hyundai Corporate and the local dealership are refusing to honor the warranty extension on my vehicle based strictly on a technicality. They state that Campaign Z01 only covers the physical replacement of the OCS sensor if the computer outputs code B1764, whereas my vehicle is outputting code B1490. Both trouble codes identify an internal, unprovoked hardware failure of the exact same OCS sensor mat assembly, resulting in the exact same hazardous condition: a permanently disabled passenger airbag. By denying coverage based on a software code variation for an identical component failure, Hyundai is failing to remedy a known restraint system defect. I am filing this complaint to document this critical safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11776322

Incident

Oct 1, 2026

1. STEERING= STICKING STEERING AND PROBLEMS KEEPING CAR STRAIGHT. DRIVING 2. NO WARNING CHIME FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. WHEN DRIVING

NHTSA ID

11309720

Incident

Feb 17, 2020

Mileage

14,000 mi

MY CAR JUST TURNED OFF. WHILE I WAS DRIVING UNDER 15 MILES, IT TURNED OFF, THIS HAS HAPPENED 3!TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR. THE SEATBELT IN THE 2ND ROW BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT SOMETIMES DOESN'T WANT TO LOCK. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEMS SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. I SPOKE TO THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE AND SENT EMAILS AND NO ONE CAN FIX THE ISSUES.

NHTSA ID

11210121

Incident

May 23, 2019

THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WARNING CHIME IS INOPERABLE. ONLY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT OPERATES. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING WITH A PASSENGER ON BOARD WHO HAS NOT BUCKLED UP WITH THE SEAT BELT.

NHTSA ID

11046662

Incident

Nov 8, 2017

Mileage

2,500 mi

PASSENGER SEATBELT HAS LOOP SEWN INTO STRAP. APPEARS TO BE COMPROMISED. DEALER COULD NOT SAY WHY THE LOOP WAS THERE. HYUNDAI MANUFACTURER WON'T GET BACK TO US.

NHTSA ID

11042710

Incident

Aug 9, 2017

ON MY 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LIMITED, HE AUDIBLE SEAT BELT ALARM DOES NOT SOUND IF THE PERSON IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS NOT WEARING HIS/HER SEAT BELT. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM ON THE 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT (#141), BUT NOT FOR THE FULL SIZED SANTA FE (WHICH I HAVE). WHEN I CALLED HYUNDAI THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS!

NHTSA ID

10980191

Incident

Mar 28, 2017

Mileage

6,500 mi

I PREVIOUSLY PUT IN A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ON MY 2017 SANTE FE. WHEN SOMEONE SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND DOES NOT PUT THERE SEAT BELT ON NO AUDIBLE WARNING SOUND WARNS THEM TO BUCKLE THE SEAT BELT. I SEE THAT HYUNDAI HAS A FIX FOR THE DRIVERS SEAT AUDIBLE WARNING (06-01-013) BUT NO FIX FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT. HYUNDAI COULD YOU PLEASE COME UP FIX FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE.

NHTSA ID

10895870

Incident

Apr 5, 2016

I HAVE A 2017 HYUNDAI SANTE FE LIMITED ULTIMATE AND WHEN A PASSENGER SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND DOES NOT HAVE THERE SEAT BELT FASTENED NO AUDIBLE WARNING SOUND ALARMS TELLING THEM TO FASTEN THERE SEAT BELT. I HAVE GONE TO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE AUDIBLE ALARM ONLY GOES OFF IF THE DRIVER DOESN'T HAVE THEIR SEAT BELT FASTENED. THIS DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT TO ME THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEIR IS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE ( 800 633-5151) AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING THAT THEIR IS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I DID READ ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE THAT THEIR WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I'M GETTING VERY FRUSTRATED WITH HYUNDAI.

NHTSA ID

10876079

Incident

Apr 20, 2016

Mileage

200 mi