# 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE — AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
> NHTSA complaint `494503` · 2004-09-05 · Hyundai Motor America
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** HYUNDAI
- **Model:** SANTA FE
- **Year:** 2003
- **Manufacturer:** Hyundai Motor America
- **Component:** AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
- **Miles at failure:** 10,309
- **Speed:** 45 mph
## Narrative
ON MARCH 30, 2004 AT 5:52 AM WHILE ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR BY A MAN WHO RAN A RED LIGHT.  AS HIS VEHICLE MADE IMPACT, MY SANTA FE WAS SENT INTO A ROLL-OVER, WITH APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR FLIPS.  MY SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND AS A RESULT, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW.  I SUFFERED FROM A CONCUSSION AND DAILY HEADACHES, THAT AT TIMES WERE DEBILITATING.  THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR, FROM FRONT TO BACK, WAS DESTROYED.  I WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THIS WAY, AND HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR THROUGH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WITH THE HELP OF A PASSER-BY.  BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.  I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND SENT THEM ALL OF THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK.  I RECEIVED A REPLY THAT STATED  THEY FELT THE AIRBAGS HAD FUNCTIONED IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY WERE DESIGNED, AND THIS WAS THEIR FINAL DECISION ON THE MATTER.  I FAIL TO SEE HOW SIDE-AIR BAGS,  NOT DEPLOYING IN A ROLL-OVER COLLISION,  ARE FUNCTIONING AT ALL.  WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THE DUAL SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS WERE ONE OF THE SELLING POINTS THAT THE DEALER USED.  INCLUDED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL WAS A PAMPHLET THAT ALSO DESCRIBED THE AIRBAGS, ALONG WITH PICTURES OF A CAR BEING HIT IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND ROLL-OVER ACCIDENTS.  ACCORDING TO THIS PAMPHLET, THE SIDE AIRBAGS WOULD PROTECT YOU IN CRASHES SUCH AS THESE.  *JB
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*