Hyundai Motor Company: Air Bags
Hyundai Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 10, 2008 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 393,308. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 393,308 MY 2006-2008 SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM WHICH FEATURES AN OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE PURPOSE OF THE OCS IS TO DISABLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT FRONT AIR BAG WHEN IT DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM OR SMALL CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG IS DISABLED TO PREVENT INJURIES TO A CHILD THAT MAY RESULT FROM A RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG INFLATION DURING A CRASH.
The risk
MISCLASSIFICATION OF A SMALL STATURE ADULT AS A CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAY CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG TO NOT INFLATE IN AN ACCIDENT THAT MERITS AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND MAY RESULT IN INJURY TO THE RIGHT FRONT OCCUPANT.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL VERIFY THAT THE OCS DOES NOT PROPERLY RECOGNIZE A PROPERLY SEATED ADULT OCCUPANT. AFTER VERIFICATION, DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY AND SHIP IT TO AN EVALUATION AND REPAIR FACILITY. THIS FACILITY WILL EVALUATE AND REPAIR OR REPROGRAM THE SEAT CUSHION AND OCS AS NECESSARY. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT MAY 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Hyundai Sonata | 425 | 5 | 11 | 19 |
| 2007 Hyundai Sonata | 696 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| 2006 Hyundai Sonata | 1,047 | 11 | 9 | 43 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 08V161000.
Full record for the 2008 Hyundai Sonata → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →