NHTSA Complaint #10514801 — 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

ABOUT 2-3 YEARS AGO, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE CONSOLE BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE AND TURN OFF INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE OR PATTERN, UNTIL IT REACHED A POINT OF STAYING ON ALL THE TIME. TO ME, THIS INDICATES AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM DIAGNOSED SPECIFICALLY, ALTHOUGH AT ONE POINT, MY MECHANIC MENTIONED OFF HAND THAT I HAD A BROKEN SEAT BELT, BUT, AFTER I LOOKED THEM OVER MYSELF, ALL SEAT BELTS FUNCTIONED PERFECTLY FINE, SO I DID NOT REPLACE ANY OF THEM. THIS MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE WARNING LIGHT, HOWEVER, RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THIS WARNING LIGHT MAY BE ON FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS, AND MOST CASES INVOLVE EXPENSIVE AND UNRELIABLE REPAIRS, AND THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURS WITHOUT REASON. BECAUSE OF THIS, I HAVE ELECTED NOT TO PAY TO HAVE IT "FIXED." IT HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM UNTIL THIS YEAR, WHEN MY CAR ONLY BARELY PASSED INSPECTION (PRIOR INSPECTORS HAVE APPARENTLY NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT). READING FURTHER, I AM EVEN LESS INCLINED TO FIX IT - SPENDING $1500 ON A REPAIR THAT HAS REPORTS OF RE-OCCURRENCE ON A 7-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE SEEMS SILLY. HOWEVER, I'M LODGING THE COMPLAINT HERE ANYWAY. I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO GET A DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURER TO DIAGNOSE OR FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR