NHTSA complaint: 2007 HYUNDAI ELANTRA — AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST HYUNDAI. I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN A 07' HYUNDAI ELANTRA IN WHICH I WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT WAS 45 MPH AND I'M SURE THAT THE DRIVER WAS GOING AT LEAST THAT SPEED IF NOT FASTER. THE CRASH SMASHED THE DRIVER DOOR, A PORTION OF THE BACK SEAT DOOR AS WELL AS DISLODGING PART OF THE FRONT BUMPER. MY FRONT TIRE WAS ALSO FLAT AND BENT OUT OF SHAPE. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DRIVER-SIDE DOOR SO I HAD TO CRAWL OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN I WAS HIT, I FELT AS IF I WAS ABOUT TO PASS OUT. MY VISION WAS BLACK AND FUZZY AND I FELT LIGHT-HEADED. I ENDED UP HAVING A LARGE BUMP ON MY HEAD, BRUISES ON MY SHOULDER AS WELL AS A BRUISE ON MY KNEE. I AM VERY UPSET THAT THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY BECAUSE HAD THE DRIVER BEEN GOING A LITTLE BIT FASTER OR HAD I BEEN IN A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IF NOT KILLED. ONE OF THE REASONS I PURCHASED THE CAR WAS BECAUSE OF ITS SO CALLED 5 STAR SAFETY RATING. HAD I KNOWN HYUNDAI HAD A PROBLEM WITH THEIR AIRBAGS I NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I ALSO NOTICED ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON THIS CAR FOR THE SAME REASON. I FEEL THAT HYUNDAI SHOULD MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE DISFUNCTIONAL AIRBAGS IF NOT RECALL THE VEHICLE ALTOGETHER. FURTHERMORE I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO STOP ADVERTISING THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CAR UNTIL THE PROBLEMS ARE FIXED. I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT MY LEGAL OPTIONS ARE. *JB
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation