2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai is conducting a voluntary recall of certain 2007-2008 model year Santa Fe and Veracruz SUVs over concerns about a front airbag defect.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) site lists the potential number of affected units at 205,233. Documents from Hyundai indicate that 178,685 Santa Fe and 26,548 Veracruz models are affected.
Santa Fe vehicles involved in the recall were manufactured from April 19, 2006 through March 20, 2008. Affected Veracruz vehicles were manufactured from December 26, 2006 through March 21, 2008.
The issue is the clock spring contact assembly for the driver’s front airbag. Over time, the assembly may become damaged, leading to high resistance in the airbag’s electrical circuit which could potentially cause the airbag not to deploy.
Hyundai told the NHTSA that high resistance in the airbag clock spring contact assembly will cause a warning light on the instrument panel to illuminate, telling the driver the airbag system requires service.
The NHTSA notice says that, if the clock spring assembly develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the driver’s airbag will not deploy, thus increasing the risk of injury to the driver.
Hyundai says it has received about 7,800 warranty claims for airbag defects in the vehicles but is not aware of any accidents or injuries caused by the defect.
Hyundai will contact owners of affected vehicles by first class mail and instruct them that if the airbag warning lamp is ON, they should contact a dealer and schedule an appointment for diagnosis and repair of the cause for the airbag lamp illumination and replacement of the driver’s airbag clock spring contact assembly, free of charge.
Owners will be instructed that if the airbag warning lamp is NOT ON, the airbag will operate correctly and they should not contact their dealer for a recall repair at this time. The automaker says it does not yet have sufficient quantities of the parts for all affected vehicles at the present time. Owners should keep the notification letter in the vehicle and at such time as the airbag warning lamp is ON, they should contact the dealer and make an appointment to bring the vehicle in for the necessary repairs and replacement of the driver’s airbag clock spring contact assembly. The safety recall is expected to begin during September 2011.
In the meantime, owners of 2007-2008 Hyundai Santa Fe and Veracruz SUVs with questions or concerns may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Refer to Hyundai safety recall campaign No. 103.
Alternatively, owners of 2007-2008 Hyundai Santa Fe and Veracruz SUVs with any questions or concerns may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Refer to the NHTSA Campaign ID No. 11V472000.
2007-2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz SUVs: Recall Alert
