2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Air Bags & Restraints Problems

I WAS DRIVING AND APPLIED MY BRAKES AT AN INTERSECTION,WHEN I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP,THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT BROKE APART!I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD TO REPAIR AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART!!I AM SCARED IF I GET INTO A BAD ACCIDENT ,BUT, CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPAIR.IS THERE A RESOLUTION. TO REPAIR/REPLACE BY HYUNDAI ,PER THEIR SAFETY DEPT AND GOOD WILL THE SERVICES AND PARTS!!!PLEASE HELP!!! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS IN A FRONTAL CRASH WITH THE SIDE OF A SCHOOL BUS AND THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED ON OUR 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO HYUNDAI AND THEY SENT AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY OUT TO INVESTIGATE. A FEW WEEKS LATER WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HYUNDAI TELLING US THE AIRBAGS WERE OPERATIONAL AND MY HUSBAND NEEDED TO USE HIS BREAKS IN ORDER FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS WHAT ARE AIR BAGS GOOD FOR WHEN YOU GET INTO AN ACCIDENT WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TIME TO REACT. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME OUR HYUNDAI VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IN 2001, I WAS IN A 65 MPH FRONTAL CRASH WITH A GUARD RAIL ON THE INTERSTATE IN MY 2000 HYUNDAI TIBURON. WHEN I CALLED HYUNDAI THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD HIT THE GUARD RAIL AT A CERTAIN ANGLE. WHAT ANGLE OTHER THAN STRAIGHT ON WILL DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS? I DID NOT PURSUE THE MATTER, WHICH I REGRET NOT DOING BUT KNOWING THAT ANOTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLE WE OWN HAS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ISSUES I AM AFRAID AS I OWN ANOTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLE. I ASKED HYUNDAI TO INSPECT THE SAFETY OF MY 2006 SONATA BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED. *TR

ON 2/2/08, I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY FOR MY 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE FROM BUTLER HYUNDAI (INDIANAPOLIS, IN. 317-848-4200). LABEL ON BELT STATES: SEAT BELT PART NO. 89810-26 500 YD, DATED 11/09/06. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT COME WITH ANY INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. I ASKED ANGELA, AT THE PARTS DESK, WHERE THEY WERE. SHE SAID SHE DID NOT KNOW. I MENTIONED THAT ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA, ALL SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES ARE REQUIRED TO COME WITH INSTRUCTIONS. I ASKED FOR THE SUPERVISOR. SHE CAME BACK AND SAID THAT THE SUPERVISOR WAS BUSY, AND HE WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. I ASKED IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE SERVICE CENTER THAT SHE COULD GIVE ME, OR MAKE A COPY OF FOR ME. SHE SAID NO. SHE SAID I COULD GO TO HYUNDAI ONLINE, OR CALL TECHNICAL SUPPORT. SHE DID NOT GIVE ME A PHONE NUMBER OR WEB SITE INSTRUCTIONS. BEFORE PURCHASING THE SEAT BELT, I SPOKE TO CLAUDIA KOVELL OF NHTSA (PHONE: 202-366-5293). SHE STATED THAT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE, ALL SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES NEED TO COME WITH INSTRUCTIONS. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTE FE. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. IT HAS ABOUT 90700 MILES ON IT. MY REAR DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT RETAINER SYSTEM DOES NOT LOCK WHEN USING WITH A CHILD SEAT.. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT A KIA WAS RECALLED FOR: "KIA SEAT BELT RECALL: IN JULY 2006, KIA RECALLED ABOUT 32,000 VEHICLES THAT FAILED TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208. THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETAINER FUNCTION IN THE REAR OUTBOARD SEATBELT ASSEMBLIES MAY DISENGAGE WHEN USED WITH CERTAIN CHILD SEATS. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THIS DEFECT POSES AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT. " I HAVE CALLED THE HYUNDAI DEALER, AND HYNDAI USA. THEY BOTH TELL ME I AM OUT OF WARRANTY, AND I MUST PAY FOR DIAGNOSIS AND ALL REPAIRS. EVEN IF IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE AUTOMATIC RETRACTION SYSTEM ON THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CHILD SEAT IS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT HER VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THE SEAT BELT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR FOR THE SEAT BELT RETRACTION SYSTEM WOULD COST $300 PLUS $89 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 90,700 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000. UPDATED 02-25-08 *BF THE AUTO-LOCKING SEAT BELT DID NOT REMAIN LOCKED TO USE WITH A CHILD BOOSTER SEAT. HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELT DOES LOCK WHEN THE BELT IS PULLED QUICKLY. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT PART AND STATED IT IS WORKING CORRECTLY. UPDATED

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI (MODEL UNKNOWN). THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. ALTHOUGH SHE WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELT, THE CONTACT STRUCK THE LEFT SIDE OF HER FOREHEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE URGENT CARE CENTER FOR EXAMINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE ROAD WAS SLIGHTLY DAMP AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84,000. UPDATED 01/02/08. *4200 UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH OF THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS FAILED. THE CONTACT PLACED THE CHILD SEAT ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE AND SECURED IT WITH THE SEAT BELT. WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE CHILD SEAT OVERTURNED. THE CONTACT THEN POSITIONED THE CHILD SEAT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE, BUT COULD NOT SECURE IT BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AND THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 91,000.*AK UPDATE 05/04/07*TR

MY DAUGHTER CALLED OUT "HELP, MOMMY! I'M STUCK!" I LOOKED IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR TO FIND THE SHOULDER-BELT OF MY VEHICLE WAS WRAPPED AROUND HER NECK. I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF HER HEAD SO I ASKED HER TO DUCK HER HEAD OUT. SHE SAID "I CAN'T, I'M STUCK!" I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN I GOT TO HER, HER FACE WAS GETTING RED. I DUCKED HER HEAD UNDER THE BELT. TO MY HORROR, THE BELT WAS WRAPPED AROUND HER NECK AGAIN. THANKFULLY SHE COULD CALL TO ME. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. THE LOCKING MECHANISMS ON THE SHOULDER-BELTS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE WHEN YOU FULLY RETRACT THE BELT TO INSTALL A CHILD SAFETY SEAT ARE BROKEN. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THREE DEFECTIVE MECHANISMS SO FAR. WHEN I FIRST INSTALLED THE SEAT, THE MECHANISM WORKED. AFTER NEEDING TO REMOVE THE SEAT AT ONE POINT AND DISENGAGING THE MECHANISM, IT QUIT WORKING. IT NEVER LOCKED AGAIN. SO, I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED, AS MY VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IN THE MEANTIME, I MOVED HER SEAT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SAME PROBLEM. THE LOCKING MECHANISM OF THE BELT WORKED, UNTIL I HAD TO DISENGAGE IT. THEN THAT SIDE BROKE. MY VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, SO I MOVED THE SEAT TO THE REPAIRED SIDE. AFTER A WHILE, I NEEDED TO MOVE HER SEAT AND DISENGAGE THE LOCKING MECHANISM. IT QUIT WORKING! I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. THE PART WAS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT LABOR WASN'T. I DIDN'T HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD IT AT THE TIME. IN ORDER TO KEEP MY SEATS INSTALLED CORRECTLY, I BEGAN USING THE LOCKING CLIPS THAT CAME WITH THE SEATS. (NOW I HAVE TWO CHILDREN.) THIS HANDLES THE SEATS BEING INSTALLED SAFELY, BUT IT DOESN'T DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT THE BELTS OF MY VEHICLE CAN MOVE FREELY BECAUSE THE LOCKING MECHANISMS ARE BROKEN. BECAUSE OF THIS MY INQUISITIVE TWO-YEAR OLD WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY PULL ON THE BELT AND WRAP IT AROUND HER NECK NEARLY TWO COMPLETE TIMES. *JB

4/6/06 I HAD AN AUTO ACCIDENT GOING 75 MPH IN A 70 ZONE. FULL IMPACT OF MY FRONT END TO THE OPPOSING PARTIES VEHICLE (SUV). I DID A 360 AND FLIPPED AND LANDED ON MY DRIVER'S SIDE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ALL. NEITHER DRIVER SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE. I SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES - CURRENTLY IN TREATMENT. MY VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND IS NOW IN A SALVAGE YARD.