Air Bag Problems of Hyundai Santa Fe - part 1

The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact’s son stated that while driving at 45 mph, the brake pedal depressed with no warning light illuminated. The contact’s son stated that the abs braking system failed, and the brake pedal did not function when attempting to stop the vehicle. As a result of the failure, the contact’s son collided with the highway pavement. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was required. The contact’s son also stated that the air bags did not deploy during the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and was deemed a total loss by aaa due to severe front-end damage. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

See all problems of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

While driving on us-rt1 in dinwiddie va, in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. I was in a collision where a vehicle pulled out in front of me at no fault of my own, and I hit that vehicle going about 47mph. The front nor rear/side air bags deployed. My body slammed into the steering wheel causing severe whiplash as well and contusions to my left shoulder and neck, as well as my wife to be who also sustained injuries to her leg/knee. Had the airbags deployed I would have not made contact with the steering wheel though-out these events.

See all problems of the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Nhtsa complaint summary vehicle: 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe issue: airbag non?deployment in a 40?mph side?impact collision on January 20, 2026, my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe was struck by another motorist directly along the driver side awaiting to make a left turn. The other motorist crossed the centerline at an estimated impact speed of approximately 40 mph, according to the police report. The collision caused significant damage along the front and entire driver side of the vehicle. Despite the severity and direct nature of the impact, neither the side curtain airbags nor the front airbags deployed. The impact was so much that the other motorist ended up behind my husband in the left turning lane once he stopped. My husband, who was driving, suffered a head abrasion and a concussion from the force of the impact. Since the crash, he has continued to experience persistent headaches and intermittent dizziness when standing, which began immediately after the collision and have not resolved. The lack of airbag deployment in a high?energy side?impact crash raises concerns about a potential malfunction in the airbag sensors or side?impact detection system. This incident presents a significant safety risk, and I am reporting it so NHTSA can evaluate because as I've researched there have been other incidences of similar non?deployment issues are with 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. I can provide photos, the police report, medical documentation, and repair estimates upon request.

See all problems of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The air bags sensor is on which means none of the air bags will deploy if I am in an accident. The dealership stated it is not covered by the warranty. The sensors were not tampered with but the sensor is not working.

See all problems of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Passenger airbag dash is cracked risking unpredictable deployment of air bag.

See all problems of the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

On November 28, 2025 at approximately 2:20am, I was involved in a multi-car pile up crash on interstate 85 south near durham nc. At least 5 vehicles were involved and significantly damaged. At least two drivers were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. Fortunately I was not one of them. I was driving in the left lane of the 2 lane southbound interstate. It happened right in front of me and I had no chance of completely avoiding it so I veered to my left onto the shoulder to attempt to avoid a direct hit on the large Nissan SUV that was now straddling both lanes. I hit the front of the Nissan and the guardrail almost simultaneously at somewhere around 50 to 60mph which caused considerable damage to the front right quadrant and the entire drivers side of my vehicle, but my airbags never deployed and I sustained moderate to significant injury to my arms, shoulders, chest and neck, most likely due to how I was gripping the steering wheel in anticipation of the impact and from the seat belt. I did not require medical treatment at the scene but have since received treatment at home. I believe the airbags should have deployed given my speed at impact and where my vehicle came in contact with both the Nissan SUV as well as the guardrail. I believe this was a clear failure of the airbag system in my vehicle, which has since been deemed to be totaled by my insurance company.

For at least 14 months, the air bag light on the dash is on more often than not. The code that comes up on the obd shows it's from the passenger side seat sensor. Occasionally, the seat belt indicator will flash when there is no occupant, as well. The car has never been in an accident, and the air bags have never been set off.

The light for the passenger airbag has been on for years. I have taken it in, and the only thing the service department determined is that there was a water bottle under the seat. I was rear-ended into another vehicle, and the airbag did not deploy. The engine burns the oil from an oil change in approximately two weeks. I add a quart of oil every two weeks. If the engine seizes while driving due to this condition, I could be injured in an accident.

My air bar light was flashing so I took it into the dealer as it is still under warranty. They said it is a sensor in the seat that deploys the air bag. It has been since November with no eta on the part. When I asked about getting my car back after several times they tried to get me to sign a wavier saying if I was in an accident they wouldn't be liable. I refused and my car is still at this dealership.

My wife was parking our vehicle near the front of our home, simply rolling forward toward the car in front of her to complete parking on the left side of the street when the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated on its own. The vehicle turned hard to the right, struck the bumper of the parked car she was pulling up behind, continued right across the traffic lane where it hit two parked cars on the other side of the street with significant impact, lifting and turning one onto the sidewalk, at which point our vehicle went across the sidewalk and stopped after hitting a fence. The forward collision avoidance that we have experienced engaging previously, never engaged, despite hitting multiple vehicles on the lefft side and then right side of the street. The collision avaoidance alarms that we have experienced sounding previously, also never went off. The airbags never deployed, despite hitting 3 cars at two different sides of the street, as well as an iron fence that never moved. The vehicle went from traveling less than 5 mph while completing the last few feet of parking to a high rate of acceleration within a path of less than 40 feet, as evidenced by the significant damage it left. Had my wife not come to a stop as quickly as she did, she could have been seriously injured. If anyone had been on the sidewalk - there are 3 shcools on this block that children are often present - someone could have been killed. The vehicle is currently at a body shop being evaluated by insurance adjuster and likely a total loss. We reported tot the manufacturer and they intend to repsond to us by 9/16 and inspect the vehicle in its current state.

The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a deer jumped out in front of the contact's vehicle. The contact's vehicle crashed into the deer, where it came to a stop by the side of the roadway. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 10,024.

During a severe accident in which the cars collided from both the back and front at most likely over 50mph, the air bags did not deploy. In such a case, I feel as though they should have gone off as there was severe whiplash and the cars hit at such a fast and hard speed. My safety was impacted severely as if the cars around did not hit the way they did, I believe I could have died. It is extremely concerning that they did not go off when such large amounts of damage were done. In addition, there have been over 50,000 recalls done for air bags not working in this exact vehicle. In addition, the vehicle is being checked in the next day for additional damages and they will confirm the air bag issues. Police as well as insurance providers were shocked that the air bags did not deploy in such a severe case. No warning messages or lamps were on when the accident occurred or before. This is extremely concerning and I now fear for my safety even further if I were to purchase this vehicle again. It is a terrifying thought that I could have died due to a car malfunction.

See all problems of the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My engine failed. Dealership put it through an oil consumption test which it failed. They ended up keeping my car for 3 weeks to build a new engine, add new belts, new spark plugs and new filters to go with the repair. After completing this repair they told me they noticed my air bag light on. They recommended a new sensor to fix it. Which I was to pay $600 for. I agreed to this and had it done. I picked up the car and had it for 3 weeks before the airbag light came back on. I brought it back to dealership. They assessed it and told me the problem actually came from the seat and the total. To repair the whole seat would be $2500+ I am the only owner of this car. It has never been in an accident where the airbag deployed. It is in it's original state. I feel this is a huge safety concern that should be looked into.

My SUV was involved in a roll over accident. The front driver tire blew out causing the driver to hit the curb which caused the SUV to roll 4 times. The driver was ejected from the vehicle while wearing a seat belt and not one air bag deployed. Major safety issues.

See all problems of the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The airbag light comes on intermittently when a passenger is sitting in the front seat. Took to a lacrosse WI Hyundai dealer for obd code. The dealer reported the following: “body elect concern. Ods ecu and seat mat failure. Inspected found code b149000 found code due to ecu failure. Tested seat mat and found mat also failed due to high resistance outside of spec range. Repair estimate given at $2,800. 00.

See all problems of the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

I had adaptive cruise control on and debris hit my windshield and I went into the rumble strip and eventually into the guard rail where the car essentially pingponged from there until it eventually stopped when the metal hit the front. It appears the emergency brake did not activate and the lane keep did not activate. My air bags did not deploy.

See all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The passenger airbag sensor is malfunctioning and does not recognize that a passenger is in the car. The dealership advised that they don't know if the airbag would deploy if an accident occurred, which presents a risk to passengers. The airbag light stays on all the time. The dealership performed the diagnostics on the vehicle on 2/5/2025 and confirmed that the sensor was malfunctioning. They advised that the parts were on back order (88104-4z591-vas and 88952-4z500). We still have not been able to obtain both parts as of 8/26/2025. We have contacted dealerships in other states who advised that they've been waiting on these parts for over a year. We are unable to fix the vehicle, and it is unsafe to drive with anyone in the passenger seat. We opened an issue with Hyundai corporate, but did not receive any resolution. We were told that they would reimburse us for the cost of a rental when we needed to transport additional passengers. They later denied our request because 1) they claim it is not a safety-related issue, and 2) it occurred outside the state where we initially took the vehicle to the dealership since we are on a long-term work assignment and temporarily living in another state.

On January 16,2025 I was driving my Hyundai Santa Fe on the freeway with my three children when the automatic brake system suddenly failed, causing me to lose control of the vehicle. As a result, we spun off the road, and the vehicle flipped four times, causing us multiple injuries. Additionally, due to a known recall involving the failure of the airbag deployment system, the airbags did not deploy during the crash. These combined defects caused me and my children to suffer significant injuries, including broken cervical spine. Broken thoracic spine and broken sternum. My daughter has a fractured spine and sternum. And both my sons have serious bruising and head trauma. Both the automatic brake system and the airbag system on this vehicle are part of existing recalls issued by Hyundai motors. These failures directly contributed to the severity of our accident and the injuries we sustained.

See all problems of the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

To whom it may concern, I am writing to formally report repeated safety system failures in my Hyundai vehicle that have resulted in significant injury and ongoing hardship. The first incident occurred in 2021, when my vehicle was struck from the front by another driver who fled the scene. Despite the impact causing visible front-end damage, the airbags did not deploy, and the seatbelt did not engage properly. The vehicle was repaired by an authorized Hyundai dealership, yet at no point was I informed that the vehicle’s safety systems might be compromised or that it should not be driven. The second and more severe incident occurred in December 2024, when my vehicle was rear-ended by a commercial truck and subsequently pushed into four other vehicles. Once again, neither the airbags deployed nor the seatbelt engaged, resulting in multiple bodily injuries for which I am still undergoing treatment. After reporting this second failure to Hyundai, I was informed that the airbags and seatbelts may not activate when the vehicle is struck from behind. However, this explanation does not address the fact that the same safety failures occurred in the 2021 front-end collision as well. I believe these repeated malfunctions indicate a serious defect in the vehicle’s safety restraint and airbag systems that poses an ongoing danger to drivers and passengers. I am requesting a full investigation into these safety system failures, including whether the dealership’s repair process or Hyundai’s design or manufacturing contributed to these malfunctions. Due to these failures, I have experienced significant physical injury, emotional trauma, and ongoing medical issues, and I am seeking appropriate accountability and resolution.

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after the completion of an unknown air bag recall repair, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the front passenger's side lower seat assembly needed to be replaced due to the passenger occupant detection system (pods) failure, part number: b149000; however, the part was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent automated emails advising of the estimated time of availability of the part; however, the part had not been available, and there was no further communication from the manufacturer. The dealer advised the contact to remove the vehicle from the property because of the manufacturer. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 115,305.

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective clock spring. The contact was informed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The day after I purchased this 2018 used Hyundai Santa Fe, the passenger air bag light came on. July 2024. I have been working with the dealership where I purchased the vehicle (larry h miller Chevrolet, in murray utah), and calling Hyundai corporation for months. Hyundai called me every 3 days for almost 3 months with a customer update and they would say is "we have no updates". This is extremely frustrating. The main idea Hyundai corporate office is telling me is that they don't have a contract with someone that would provide the vehicle part to fix this issue. They don't have a car part available in existence to fix this issue. This is a huge safety concern. I asked them "does that mean my passenger airbag could randomly go off while I'm driving down the road, or does this mean that my passenger airbag won't go off in case I got in a wreck?" they said that it could mean a number of things, but at this time, do not put anyone in the front seat of my car. The car part is a passenger airbag plate sensor that is underneath the passenger seat. Hyundai said there are no after market parts that are sufficient enough to put into the vehicle. Especially with it being a safety issue. How can this be on the consumer??? this is very crippling. This is a huge safety concern with no timeline for resolve. I am very mad. I have been fighting this for 9 months now.

Involved in a car accident 4/24 going 60 mph, driver cut over and made contact near driver side door, causing us to also slam into a concrete wall on passenger door. After 3 months and up to 29k in damages, insurance declared our car a total loss on 7/23/24. On 7/25/24 the recall was released. No airbags deployed but I had 2 airbag safety codes on my phone (after accident) I didn’t have the car for. 4/11 and on. Poa was signed on 7/24/24 releasing car to at fault party’s insurance. Hyundai said they can’t do any investigation on the car to determine if it was a fault. Collision site and dealership was surprised airbags did not deploy. The final damage reported was the inner most pillar that was “last line of defense, cannot be repaired must be replaced” per collision site, had a crack all the way down. I was 30 weeks pregnant and now dealing with ongoing back issues and my toddler was in her car seat. Going that speed with that much damage and hit on both sides should have deployed airbags. Also interesting timing our car was totaled 2 days before official recall. All seatbelts in car “deployed” but side airbags did not. No airbags did.

See all problems of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My car has a recall, and the dealership is unable to fix it. There is also an issue with the oem control module that they are unable to get the part and unable to fix this because they do not have the correct software.

Had an accident where driver side front of vehicle was hit. The severity of crash resulted in total loss. The driver was hurt and concussed due to her head hitting the side window, driver side. The vehicle was equipped with front side impact and curtain airbags and all failed to deploy. The other vehicle's side curtains were deployed.

We noticed that we had our airbag light was on in our dashboard along with that we also notice that the buttons and horn did not work in to the steering wheel. When we took the car to get checked by the Hyundai dealership in lakewood. We were told that the clock spring was the cause of this problem to the airbag, horn, and the buttons not working. They told us that this clock spring part it was broken and it needed to be replaced. Our concern is the number one safety which making sure that all of the airbag and horn to be working. When this was communicated to the dealership person he response was that he could not say anything much about other then him saying that it was not under warranty and it was due to the mile of the car. Which I the moment we told them we totally understand about warranty and miles to the car but the safety of someone should not be put at risk just because of one part that connects all of this things. To us this is safety concern due to the airbag and horn not working. We are not sure by us reporting this would be something can be considered for a recall or be done about without costing any money to those who own a vehicle like this.

Air bag warning light repeatedly goes on and off. Code b1764, b1490, sometime both.

I believe it is a clock spring failure. The airbag light is on & the buttons on the steering wheel do not work. I searched it & have seen several posts of others having same issue. I really feel this should be looked into, cause this is highly unsafe to be driving around with what very well could be an airbag that doesn't deploy & could seriously hurt drivers.

I purchased this vehicle 05/05/2019 as a certified pre-owned vehicle from the dealership. I have kept regular maintenance on the car. Three same day of purchase, the engine quit as I was driving it. I was making a left hand turn and it quit while I was in the intersection. My children were in the car. Hyundai replaced the engine, but about a year and half later, that engine did the exact same thing. This time I was coming off the freeway. I can't imagine the possibilities if this had happened while on the freeway. Now, the engine is making the same sound as with the first two engines. I took it to Hyundai, and they claim it's normal. The car has issues where I will be trying to safely merge into traffic and it will hesitate. There are multiple intermittent issues that occur, but the scariest is knowing how the first two engines felt/ran and sounded prior to their failure, and once again experiencing those exact issues. How many times should an engine have to be replaced in a four year period? it is very likely that one of my children could be fatally injured depending on where we happen to be when this most recent engine fails, because it will - guaranteed. Online forums are full of thousands of people who purchased vehicles from Hyundai that have the exact same issue. No check engine warning. Just a rough sounding engine, and then it will just quit as they're driving. Something needs to be done. Lastly, June 18th, 2023 I had a collision with another vehicle. I collided with another vehicle, my front end to the other drivers driver's side. My air bags did not deploy. Nobody was injured, but I truly feel my airbags should have went off for the amount of damage to my front end. Pictures will be included.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v651000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

See all problems of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My airbag light came on 1000 miles over the warranty mileage while on vacation. Had the issue checked and it was a 'pre tensioner', driver side, that shorted out and in turn shorted out the airbag module. This is a huge safety problem and should not happen. It should also be covered, due to no fault of my own. I have tried to resolve the issue with Hyundai customer care, but no help from them. I had to, because I'm not driving unprotected, get the car fixed on my own. I'm retired, a veteran and on a fixed income. $2300. 00 is a lot to absorb. I've asked Hyundai for help, but no response.

The seat belt indicator on the console of a vehicle is illuminated the vehicle has not been any accidents or any problems other than that. I took it to the dealership and they stated it will take 2 to 3 weeks just a diagnostic this problem I think it should not be a problem.

Abs light, passenger air bag light and skid light came on. Passenger airbag light flashes whenever car is in drive.

The dealer at selma Hyundai (2505 highland Ave. Selma, CA. 93662) was unable to complete the the recall. Dealer stated “unable to complete pods update attempted multiple times. Current scan tool does not support hook-up to cables and option is to update no present. Air bag light due to pods (passenger occupant ecu) fault with loss of calibration. Scan tool will not communicate with passenger seat module. ” “no repair at this time. ”.

See all problems of the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My car has active recalls for the brake switch (prevents brake lights from working properly) and systems related to proper airbag deployment. In addition, there is a service recall (it doesn't show in your database, but it is Hyundai service campaign 936 (https://autoservice. Hyundaiusa. Com/campaign936/micrositetemplate/micrositetemplatevinvalidate/1224) related to the valve gasket literally dumping oil out to the point that it destroys the alternator - it destroyed my ac compressor, too! that's not the main point of this, but it's relevant in general. I have been attempting to schedule an appointment to get these issues resolved, but all local dealers tell me the recalls have "expired" and refuse to even look at the car. Some legitimately stop answering the phone when I call at this point, it just rings forever. The online tool to make an appointment from the official Hyundai site has you pick a time to bring the car in, but the dealers to not allot any slots to this so none are available to select. I contacted Hyundai corporate customer service to resolve this, and was told I'd need to "continue trying to work with the dealers. " it was no help at all. I am trying to fix the issues myself - my car is currently half-assembled in my garage, and I am technically proficient (I hope!), but it seems ridiculous to be denied service for active safety recalls - and keep in mind, I am only trying to do it myself because the dealers refuse to and I don't want to die in a fiery car crash. I shouldn't be forced to do this. Oh, in addition - Hyundai won't reimburse me for the repairs (I bought my own alternator/compressor once work was refused). . . Because they aren't being done at a dealership! it'd be hilarious if it wasn't so scummy. Thank you for any help you can offer. I am legitimately losing my mind at this point.