NHTSA Complaint #10670560 — 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA

WE PURCHASED A 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA SPORT/L1 ON 26 DEC 2014. MY WIFE REQUIRES AN EXTRA CUSHION TO SIT ON DUE LOWER BACK PROBLEMS. OUR PREVIOUS CAR (2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA) HAS SENSORS UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT THAT CONTROL THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. WITH MY WIFE SITTING ON THE EXTRA CUSHION, THE SENSORS CORRECTLY DETERMINED SHE WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND SET THE AIRBAG TO OPERATE IF WE WERE TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. NOT REALIZING WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE NEW HYUNDAI SONATA AIRBAG SENSORS, WE DID NOT TAKE THE EXTRA CUSHION ALONG WITH US ON THE TEST DRIVE. THREE DAYS LATER WE DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR DID NOT RECOGNIZE MY WIFE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE USING HER EXTRA CUSHION FOR SUPPORT. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE HYUNDAI SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND I FINALLY CONVINCED THE GENERAL MANAGER TO HAVE THE OCS SYSTEM CONNECTED TO THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER AND CHECK THE OPERATING SPECIFICATIONS. THE GENERAL MANAGER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT THE SENSORS WERE WORKING PROPERLY, BUT THEY STATED THAT HYUNDAI IS NOW USING A "GEL PACK" IN THE SEAT TO SENSE IF SOMEONE IS SITTING THERE. IN THE OWNERS MANUAL THERE IS A NOTE SAYING THAT A THICK COAT OR EXTRA CUSHION WILL NOT ALLOW THE SENSORS TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE ANYONE WEARING A THICK COAT AND SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF THE 2015 SONATA WOULD NOT BE PROTECTED BY THE AIRBAG. ALSO, MY WIFE IS NOT THE ONLY PERSON USING AN EXTRA CUSHION FOR SUPPORT WHILE RIDING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF A VEHICLE. WE ARE NOW STUCK WITH A NEW CAR THAT IS UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE TO RIDE IN "COMFORTABLY". WE HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH "OTHER" VEHICLES, AND THE EXTRA CUSHION DOES NOT EFFECT THE SENSORS IN THEM.