NHTSA Complaint #10553099 — 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

THE DUMMY AIRBAG LIGHT IN MY 2006 SONATA HAS BEEN ON FOR A FEW YEARS. THE LAST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN TO SERVICE, IN JULY 2012- I WAS TOLD THAT MY PASSENGER SEAT MAY NEED TO BE SENT OUT, BUT THAT I WOULD ALSO NEED 2 NEW SEAT BELTS. I WAS TOLD THE AIR BAGS WOULDN'T DEPLOY IF I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT.THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO TURN THE DUMMY LIGHT OFF BUT ONLY FOR A DAY OR TWO. THIS NOVEMBER 2013, THE SEAT WAS SENT OUT TO CA UNDER A RECALL NOTICE I WAS SENT BY HYUNDAI, AND I PAID TO HAVE MY SEAT BELTS REPLACED, BUT I FEEL THE WHOLE THING IS RELATED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. EVERYONE I HAVE SPOKEN TO ABOUT IT FEELS THE SAME WAY. THE SEAT BELT REPLACEMENT COST $350 PER SEAT EXCLUDING TAX. HYUNDAI HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM (THROUGH MY DEALER) SINCE JULY 2012 AND THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN ONGOING FOR MONTHS PRIOR TO ME TAKING IT IN FOR SERVICING, NOT REALIZING IT WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I MISSED THE 5 YEAR 60K WARRANTY PROBABLY BY 10K MILES OR LESS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OTHER SONATA OWNERS HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR SEAT BELTS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE SUING HYUNDAI TO HAVE THEM COVER THIS "REPAIR". I COULD GET NO STATISTICS FROM HYUNDAI WHEN I CALLED THEM REGARDING HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE EXPLANATION PROVIDED TO ME IS THAT THEY ARE SEPARATE PROBLEMS, NOT INTER-RELATED AND THAT THE SEAT BELT ISSUE IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND THE SERVICE CENTER WAS GIVEN A CODE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. *TR