Air Bag On-off Switch problems of the 2006 Hyundai Elantra

My passenger occupancy sensor no longer detects the presence of a passenger, so my passenger airbag is always on, when the seat is both occupied or unoccupied. Also, my brake light switch no longer works, so my brake lights do not turn on when I depress the brake pedal. Both of these issues occur incessantly.

Prior to this date had issues with electrical such as back lighting of stereo and ash tray, cd player malfunctioning past few years, more recently odometer back light also does not light. Previous report of passenger side air bag lighting intermittently when nobody was sitting in seat, or if purse on seat, less than 10 lbs. Then at about 206,000 miles, my estimate driver instrument panel air bag light indicator on first some times, then shortly after on all the time. After reading numerous other complaints and seeing years prior and post my 2006 had recalls as did other similar cars and that airbags failed, I am very concerned. Hyundai seems to have excessive electrical problems reported and a spontaneous electrical fire is a main concern. I had my stop lamp switch replaced by dealership several years ago after a recall. The replacement should have been free however, I was told that it was only and advisory and not a recall and was made to pay $50 to replace the $7. 00 stop lamp switch part. I later went online and discovered that indeed it was a recall and the dealership had scammed me by charging labor to replace the switch. I believe these vehicles are a danger, especially since there may also be issues with cruise control by stop lamp, and I am not certain with several years and miles driving that the replacement part is still functioning properly. I would strongly recommend immediate recall of 2006 & a design change with ample testing to prove these imports are not cutting corners again. I was considering another, such as a Toyota, however the recalls on Toyota and deaths have made me cautious of their quality as well. If airbags are mandated by you then their repair when obviously defective should rest on the manufacturers. Owned 2 2003 lancers 2. 0l and were totaled, one rollover one front deer collision. Vehicle body safe but no airbags deployed either vehicle.

No accident occurred. Airbag light stays illuminated. Dealer says it is sensor in passenger side airbag. When dealer received part it would not fit because it is a three-prong design rather than a two prong design such as was originally installed. Dealer indicates that Hyundai switched to a three-prong design in mid-2006 model year. This necessitates the purchase of a seat cushion for the car that the three prong sensor can plug into. The sensor price with labor is about $300 and the seat cushion part price is $800. I believe that there have been other complaints about this problem and that Elantras from 2007 model year forward have been recalled for this same thing. I believed that a class action suit on this problem was filed in California alleging among many other things that Hyundai had prior knowledge of this problem with the 2006 Elantra and other Hyundai models. The dealer described the problem as a possibility that the airbag would not properly deploy for a smaller person. I believe that Hyundai should cover the cost of this repair.

My car has had engine lights go on and off for years on their own, windows that you use one switch for that make a different window go down and then sometimes they don't go up, my brakes haven't released the cruise control at times and now my passenger air bag light won't go off so I can't pass inspection. This is not something I had anything to do with and want it fixed, it's a safety issue.

Probable fire hazard: problem with frequent burning out of fuses to cigarette lighter (charger), some dash lights (back light for digital radio channel indicator) either no longer work or come off and on (ash tray light), ac and fan knobs--used to have to tap on them to get them to light, acted almost like a dimmer switch, sometimes had to tap several times to get to turn on, and sometimes knob back lighting on, but dim, and had to tap to get full power to bulbs, cd player overheating and stopped working--gives error message, (had similar cd player overheating with a 2003 Mitsubishi lancer I owned in early to mid-2000s, but cd player continued to work--elantra does not work more than a few seconds before ejecting cd. ) headlights burning out too frequently (including last time, when headlight removed on passenger side, light went out on driver's side as well. ) headlight had short and would come back on when I banged on lens with fist for several months, became more and more frequent until if finally burned out. Concerned of risk of electrical fire as engine area becomes hot. Note that clear-coat on hood over each headlight area and over fuse relay box area became yellow, then brittle, peeling off in past 6 months. Purchased vehicle in July 2008 or 2009? believe it had about 63,000 miles on it then--currently 138,000 miles. Airbag light says off when 200 lb. Husband seated on passenger side on occasion recently noticed in last year.

All bags in the car failed to open upon impact, don't buy "Hyundai"s and Hyundai said that since 2002 they knew about this problem. With Elantras and other models. But did nothing to fix them.