NHTSA Complaint #10630947 — 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HYUNDAI THAT MY CAR WAS UNDER RECALL (ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING DE-ACTIVATED) & URGED ME TO VISIT THE DEALER IF OCS LIGHT WAS ON. HENCE I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BASED ON THIS SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. THEY CHECKED THE SYSTEM AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THAT MY SYSTEM WAS FINE. LESS THAN 1 MONTH LATER THE RED AIRBAG LIGHT APPEARED ON MY DASH BOARD INTERMITTENTLY FOR ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE IT CAME ON AND STAYED ON PERMANENTLY. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM RUN A SYSTEM CHECK AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE WAS A SENSOR WAS TRIGGERED DUE TO A FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF APPROXIMATELY $400!!! I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT DID NOT COME ON UNTIL AFTER THEY SUPPOSEDLY WORKED ON OR CHECKED THE AIRBAG SYSTEM DUE TO THE RECALL IN THE 1ST PLACE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL ISSUE AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE $400 JUST LAYING AROUND TO SPEND, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED YET AND NOW MY VEHICLE HAS FAILED THE SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO THE AIRBAG ISSUE!!! IF HYUNDAI HAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT SHOULD IT NOT BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO INSPECT IT TO SEE IF THE RECALL IS APPLICABLE INSTEAD OF CHARGING THE CUSTOMER FOR IT? SECONDLY, IF THIS INVESTIGATION PROVES THAT HYUNDAI HAS INSTALLED DEFECTIVE SAFETY EQUIPMENT IN THESE VEHICLES ACROSS THE BOARD, SHOULDN'T EVERY CUSTOMER WHO HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE TO HAVE THE SEAT BELTS REPLACED BE FULLY REIMBURSED? *TR