2010 Hyundai Elantra Air Bags
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
I have a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. On Saturday, July 22, 2023, after the car was put into park in my fathers driveway and the emergency brake put on, the front driver and passenger bags deployed. The force of it's deployment cracked the windshield in several places on the passenger side. There were no warning lights or indications that this would occur. The car was in park. The seatbelts are in a locked (not able to retract) form, so the car is not drivable. The two individuals in the front seat were disoriented for a short time. All 4 passengers in the car experienced ringing in the ears for approximately 3 hours, but are ultimately, physically alright, however, not mentally. If this had occurred in another setting, the risk of accident or other safety measures would have been grand, but luckily it happened at the home of a family member. The airbag malfunction needs to be eligible to be fixed and not at the expense of me the owner. The car has a camera located in it and it captured all items listed above. The video may be provided. The Hyundai corporate office has been contacted and an incident file opened. The insurance company has been contacted, as well. Nothing has been done with the car, as the corporate office noted that they may need to see it in it's original state.
The contact owned a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving downhill in the rain at 45 MPH, she failed to apply the brakes and crashed into a vehicle. The impact of the crash caused a three-vehicle pile up. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Due to the failure, his wife hit her right arm and chest on the steering column. The authorities arrived at the scene and rendered aid by the EMT. The driver of the vehicle that his wife crashed into sustained neck injuries. The contact later took his wife to a hospital where she was treated for bruising to her right arm and chest. A police report was filed(2023-17095). The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer nor the dealer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
On Sept 12th of this year I was involved in a multiple rollover with my Hyundai elantra and not one single airbag deployed nor did my seatbelt tighten up to keep me from moving around as much. Due to this I suffered a fractured vertabrae.
I pulled up to my house, turned the ignition off, and the airbag deployed in my face.
My daughter was parked sitting in this car before going into work when all the airbags but the front ones deployed. The driver side one hit her arm very hard. The car was on but in park. Nothing hit the car.
MY 2010 ELANTRA HAS A FAULTY AIRBAG MODULE. MY AIRBAGS HAVE NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED AND I ONLY HAVE AROUND 47,000 IN MILEAGE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME I HAVE A CODE B1620. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1100 TO FIX, WHICH SEEMS LIKE AN OUTRAGEOUS COST TO ME FOR A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR. MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I BELIEVE AN ISSUE LIKE THIS SHOULD BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER SAN LEANDRO KIA (1066 MARINA BLVD, SAN LEANDRO, CA 94577, (510)347-3000) WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 165,000.
PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT HAS REMAINED ON FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA MODELS. MANY OTHER HYUNDAI MODELS ARE BEING RECALLED FOR AIRBAG DEFECTS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON MY MODEL. CAR NOT SAFE TO DRIVING WONDERING IF AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND HYUNDAI HEADQUARTERS BUT BOTH STATED MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. WHY?
HYDROPLANED HEAD ON INTO A GUARDRAIL AND AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY DOING 23+ MPH. HIGHWAY GOING AROUND A TURN.
MY RED AIR BAG NOTIFICATION ON MY DASHBOARD STAYS ON. WAS TOLD THIS MEANS NO AIR BAG COVERAGE. ALSO THAT IT IS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. I AM DRIVING THIS BUT ONLY BECAUSE DEALERSHIP SAID I WOULD NEED TOO PAY FOR INSPECTION TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS THEN PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE I AM A SENIOR DRIVER AND NEVER HAD A TICKET BUT AM WORRIED THAT THIS MAY CAUSE IT TO DEPLOY ON IT'S OWN WHILE DRIVING. AS A SAFETY ISSUE I FEEL THIS NOT BE A CHARGE THAT I NEED TO COVER. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF A POWER STEERING RECALL. ONLY TOLD ABOUT IT SOME TIME AFTER I PAID TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. NOW I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A SAFETY ISSUE BY THE DEALER NOT ME. THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THIS REGARDING THE RED LIGHT ALERT HAPPENING AND NOTHING BEING DONE.
AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING FRONT END CRASH AT 35-40 MPH
AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON AND WON'T SHUT OFF. AIRBAGS WON'T DEPLOY EVEN IN A CRASH WITH THIS LIGHT ON.
REQUEST EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR AIRBAG LIGHT THAT CONTINUALLY STAYS ON. REQUEST EXTENDED WARRANTY AND FREE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND CHECK OF CLOCK TIMER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA TOURING. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND A UTILITY POLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000.
"TAKATA RECALL" TODAY 9/25/17, I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC BECAUSE THE HORN DOES NOT WORK. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PAD IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHERE THE AIRBAG IS. IT IS NOT MAKING CONTACT TO MAKE THE HORN WORK. HE STATED THAT IT WAS A DEFECT FROM THE FACTORY. I NEVER GOT A RECALL NOTICE OF THERE BEING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO TEST THE HORN UNDER THE HOOD OF CAR, HOWEVER WHENEVER I NEED TO BLOW THE HORN IT DOES NOT WORK.
AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 15 MINUTES WITH MY KIDS IN THE BACK I PARKED MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY, TURNED BODY TO GET SOMETHING OUT CENTER CONSOLE, ENGINE WAS OFF KEYS WHERE IN MY HAND AND THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG DEPLOYS.
THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAY ON NOT WORKING
AIRBAG LIGHTS CONSTANTLY ON. CLOCK SPRING ISSUE.
DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, THIS VEHICLE RAN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. WHY? THE DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE WAS SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WITH SUCH VIOLENT FORCE, HER STERNUM WAS FRACTURED AND HER HEART MUSCLE BRUISED. HYUNDAI DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE TAKATA RECALL LIST. WHOM DOES HYUNDAI UTILIZE FOR ITS AIRBAGS?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,445.
AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION. ANOTHER DRIVER WAS TRAVELLING TOO FAST ON SNOW AND SLID INTO MY LANE WHILE I WAS TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HIS AIRBAG DEPLOYED, MINE DID NOT. THIS WAS A 6 AIRBAG SYSTEM, WITH NO PASSENGERS IN CAR. I NEED ASSISTANCE PULLING OUT THE EVENT DATA RECORDER AND CRASH DATA BEFORE THIS CAR IS SALVAGED SO WE CAN GET HYUNDAI TO RECALL THIS SYSTEM.
I WAS DRIVING MY HYUNDAI 2010 I HIT A PARKED CAR DRIVING ABOUT 35MPH NONE OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON A SLIPPERY ROAD, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, DRIVER/OCCUPANT SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE AND DEBILITATING SPINAL INJURY........UPDATED 12/15/15 *BF *TR UPDATED 9/8/2017*CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
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Quick Summary
The 2010 Hyundai Elantra has 39 Air Bags complaints on file. 20 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.