Three problems related to air bag on-off switch have been reported for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Hyundai Elantra based on all problems reported for the 2004 Elantra.
Dealer performed software repair for passenger seat airbag recall. Problem still exists.
The consumer stated she was having problems with her air bag light. She says that if someone is sitting in the passenger seat, the air bag light switch will say passenger air bag off, and if no one is sitting in the seat it says the same thing. This problem occurs 80 percent of the time the car is in use and has been going on since the purchase of the vehicle. The consumer has reported this to Hyundai and they stated it was the way the person was sitting in the seat. The dealer has received numerous complaints and the manufacturer tells them not to fix it.
My 2004 Hyundai Elantra passenger airbag is not enabled even when a passenger with twice the advertised minimum required weight occupies the seat. A Hyundai bulletin tells passengesr to sit stiff like a mannequin to activate sensors to enable the bag, but that's not practical. Hyundai also offers to reprogram the sensors to require less weight, in conjunction with deactivating (permanantly shutting off) the "passenger air bag off" light. But there's no reason to believe that lowering the programmed weight will enable the bags since it already doesn't come on with 130 pounds but is supposed to come on at 56 pounds. Disabling the "passenger air bag off" light is only an effort to make occupants unaware as to if the bags are enabled or not and thereby lessen the burden for Hyundai. Owners should not expect a solution any time soon since the technology does not exist that keeps the airbags on when an adult passenger may squirm around, cross their legs, or even sit normally at times. A positive solution would be to recall the vehicles to install a keyed switch that can be toggled by the owner, and eliminate the sensors all together. At this point, any currently offered solution by Hyundai, which includes not sitting in the seat, or using another car, or sitting perfectly still, or having the "passenger air bag off" light disabled, is only designed to benefit the company and not the consumer, nor to make the bags work as advertised. Tspault@sbcglobal. Net.