NHTSA Complaint #10068364 — 2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

AFTER PICKING UP MY NEW 2004 HYNDAI ELANTRA ON FRIDAY APRIL 30, 2004 I NOTICED THAT THE PASSANGER SIDE AIRBAG ON/OFF LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN I SAT IN THE SEAT, IN ANY AND EVERY POSITION WITH MY SEATBELT ON, AND THE SEAT IN ALL DIFFERENT POSITIONS THE INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD SAY PASSANGER SIDE AIR BOG OFF. I AM A FEMALE THAT WIEGHS 160 LBS .I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON MONDAY MAY 3RD THEY CALLED ME ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO THEY COULD NOT FIX IT. I WENT THERE THAT DAY AND SAT IN THE SEAT IN ALL THE POSITIONS, I SAT IN THE SEAT EXACTLEY AS THEY SAY YOU SHOULD AND THE INDICATOR LIGHT STILL DISPLAYED PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG OFF. THEY TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK IN TO BE REPAIRED. THEY CALLED ME ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND TOLD ME THAT THEY CHEKCED ALL OF THE SENSORS AND THAT THE COMPUTER SAYS THAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING PROPERLY AND AT THIS POINT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP ME. THEY HANDED ME A COPY OF HYUNDAIS TECHINICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM FEBUARY 2003 AND TOLD ME THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS SYSTEM WAS REQUIRED IN NEW CARS BY NHTSA AND THAT THEY CAN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM NOR WILL THEY REFUND OR REPLACE MY VEHICLE. WHEN I CALLED HYUNDAI CONSUMAR AFFAIRS THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEM OF THIS KIND. THEY REFERED ME TO NHTSA SAYING THAT IT IS YOU WHO REQQUIRES THIS SYSTEM AND I SHOULD TALK TO YOU WITH ANY CONCERNS. THE DEALER INSITS THAT THIS IS THE WAY THE AIRBAG SYSTEM SHOULD WORK FOR A ADULT WHO WIEGHS 160LBS, AND ARE GOING TO GIVE ME BACK A CAR THAT DOES NOT HAVE A WORKING PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG FOR A 160 LB FEMALE.*AK