Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Airbags 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.
8
Latest Oct 1, 2003
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.
16%
of 49 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.
5
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4
What this page shows
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Hyundai Sonata submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 airbag
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Airbags
Filed Oct 1, 2003
ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1999 WHILE DRIVING ON BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON PRKWY, I APPROACHED AN AREA OF HIGHWAY WERE WORK WAS BEING DONE. I WAS NOW TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MPH. AT ONE POINT TRAFFIC CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. AS I GLANCED DOWN AT MY INSTRUMENTAL PANEL THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARED TO BE FLICKERING, THE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN WENT OUT. WHILE IN A STOPPED POSITION APPROXIMATELY (2) MINS AFTER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, THE AIRBAGS BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DEPLOYED. I WAS STARTLED BY THIS AND DID HOWEVER RELEASE THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES SLIGHTLY BUMPING THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE AND LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER OF MY CAR. THE MAJOR DAMAGE IS FROM THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR FROM THE AIRBAGS. PLEASE BE AWARE THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BEFORE MY CAR CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE. *SCC *JB
NHTSA ID
711907
Incident
Sep 18, 1999
Mileage
36,059 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 29, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported
PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AT LOW SPEED, UNDER 5 MPH, KILLING FRONT SEAT PASSENGER.*AK THE SONATA HIT THE REAR END OF A VEHICLE DEPLOYING BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT BAG. THE CONSUMER DOES NOT KNOW FOR CERTAIN IF THE 5 YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS BELTED. THE CONSUMER DOES NOT BELIEVE THE CHILD WAS. THE CHILD SUSTAINED LACERATIONS TO THE NECK, SPINAL CORD INJURIES AND BRAIN DAMAGE. THE CHILD WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.CW
NHTSA ID
10036844
Incident
Nov 25, 1999
Airbags
Filed Aug 13, 2001
AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
NHTSA ID
894167
Incident
Jan 1, 2001
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Jun 11, 2001
Crash reported
CONSUMER REAREND VEHICLE WITH A 25 MPH IMPACT WITH APPLYING BRAKES. DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SHOULDER SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK UP, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT HEAD AGAINST STEERING WHEEL. CONSUMER WILL CONTACTED DEALER TO DETERMINE CAUSE.*AK
NHTSA ID
890131
AirbagsExterior lighting
Filed Sep 1, 1999
IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE HYUNDAI SONATA'S TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION. IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO ACTIVATE, YOU MUST TURN ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS OR WAIT FOR THE VEHICLE TO WARM UP. THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN THE HYUNDAI, BUT THEY HAVE TAKEN NO STEPS TO RECALL THE AUTO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH, WHICH SOMEHOW PROVIDES POWER TO THE TURN SIGNALS, MUST BE REPLACED. THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE CONNECTION IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT POWERS THE AIR BAG CONTROL SYSTEM. WHEN THE CONNECTION IS POOR, THE "AIR BAG" LIGHT ACTIVATES, INCDICATING THE SYSTEM IS DISABLED. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN "REPAIRED" TWICE, AND STILL HAS NO AIR BAGS. THE DEALER "FIXES" THE PROBLEM BY "ADJUSTING/BENDING" THE "CONNECTOR" IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE PROBLEM RECURS WITHIN DAYS. I'VE BEEN WITHOUT WORKING AIR BAGS FOR 8 MONTHS NOW. HYUNDAI IS AWARE OF A MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT IN THE STERRING COLUMN WHICH CAUSES THE AIRBAGS TO REPREATEDLY FAIL AND DE-ACTIVATE IN THIS MODEL. THEY HAVE TAKEN NO STEPS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE GOV'T NEEDS TO ORDER THEM TO DESIGN A FIX FOR THESE PROBLEMS AND RECALL ALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. *AK
NHTSA ID
710820
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Airbags
Filed Jun 4, 1999
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH VEHICLE HAD HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK
NHTSA ID
838912
Incident
Jun 3, 1999
Airbags
Filed Sep 17, 1998
Crash reported
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL IMPACT TRAVELLING ABOUT 15MPH, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. CAR WAS TOWED, INSURANCE INVESTIGATION PENDING. *AK
NHTSA ID
827957
Incident
Sep 16, 1998
Airbags
Filed Jun 30, 1998
Crash reported1 injury reported
AIR BAG DID NOT INFLATE CAUSING INJURY IN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA ID
537248
Incident
Jun 2, 1998
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