Problems · by component

1999 Hyundai Sonata air bags problems

36 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Hyundai Sonata cite air bags, 21% of all 170 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.

Complaints
36
21% of all complaints
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
21
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“L WAS STOPPED ON TRAFFIC ON HIGH WAY ,AND SOME ONE, HIT ME ON THE BACK ,THE GUY WAS SO FAST PROBLEM MORE THAN 75 MPH ,THAN MY CAR FLOAT 20 FOOT ,AND HIT THE CAR ON MY FRONT AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY OR OPEN , SO THE QUESTION IS HYUNDAI SONATA 1999 USUALLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM , ???? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 7, 2014Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10558957
“I PURCHASED MY 1999 SONATA FROM A USED CAR DEALER & HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, ITS BEEN A NIGHTMARE, ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER!!!! THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED BECAUSE THE COMPONENT HAD SEVERELY MELTED, ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ABS/AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON, & HAVE HAD TO CHANGE OUT THE HALF SHAFT ON BOTH DRIVERS/PASSENGER SIDE, NUMEROUS TIRES, BRAKES BUT THE MOST SEVERE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS WHICH PUTS MY SAFETY, MY 12 YR OLD SON & FIANCE'S SAFETY, ALONG WITH FAMILY/FRIEND'S SAFETY AT RISK IS THE COMPLETE CORROSION OF THE SUBFRAME I TOO TO A MECHANIC TODAY & HE TOLD ME TO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WILL RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I CAN POTENTIALLY END UP HURTING MYSELF OR OTHER INNOCENT BYSTANDERS BECAUSE HYUNDAI MADE A DEFECTIVE SUBFRAME ESPECIALLY FOR US THAT LIVE & DRIVE IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS OF THE WINTRY/ICY ELEMENTS FOR 5+MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR IN UPSTATE NEW YORK!!! I WILL BE CALLING HYUNDAI'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CTR & FUCCILLO HYUNDAI(LOCAL DEALER)& THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR NEW YORK. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT COULD'VE HAPPENED IF I DROVE OVER A POT HOLE RESULTING IN MY TIRE(S) FALLING OFF ESPECIALLY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 11, 2011Steering, Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Air bags, Structure, TiresODI 10439345
“1999 HYUNDAI SONAT GLS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON AFTER BEING WORKED ON BY HYUNDAI DEALER 10-15 TIMES. WAS WORKED ON WITHOUT ISSUE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY WITH NO SUCCESS. ONCE EXTENDED WARRENTY EXPIRED, THE DEALER THEN KNEW THAT THE CAR NEEDED A NEW WIRE HARNESS FOR ABOUT $1000. THE SERVICE MANAGER THEN SUGGESTED THAT I HARD -WIRE THE WIRE HARNESS TO GET AROUND THE CONNECTOR ISSUE. IS THERE A RECOURSE TO AN AIRBAG PROBLKEM THAT HAS BEEN WORKED ON AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 27, 2011Air bagsODI 10393016
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS DEACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE HAD A RECALL REGARDING THE AIR BAGS AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG, AND ADDED A SCALE TOOL OPERATION AND LT MODULE. EIGHT YEARS LATER, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER TO INSPECT THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND INQUIRE ABOUT ANOTHER RECALL. WHILE THE DEALER WAS INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THEY REALIZED THAT THERE WERE NO AIR BAGS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PREVIOUS DEALER WAS SUPPOSED TO REPLACE THE AIR BAGS AND HE HAS PAPERWORK STATING THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE REPLACED. HE STATED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR EIGHT YEARS WITHOUT ANY AIR BAGS. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,825.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 6, 2009Air bagsODI 10267851
“AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO GO ON SINCE 2001. FIRST TRY TO FIX IT 12/01. UP TO END OF 5 YEAR WARRANTY NO COST TO ME. ON 3/19/08 IT COST ME $93.00 TO GET THE LIGHT OFF. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FLOOR HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR A COST OF $780.46. LIGHT BACK ON JULY 08. IN SEPT OF 05, I TRIED TO GET HYUNDAI CUSTOMER TO GET THIS FIXED FOR ME, BUT HYUNDAI REFUSED TO DO IT, AT THEIR COST. MY DISAGREEMENT IS THERE WAS A RECALL AND THEY TRIED; BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO COME BACK, OVER AND OVER AGAIN.. MY CONTENTION IS THEY NEVER FIXED IT, IF THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME BACK ON. THIS SHOULD BE FIXED BY THEM AT THEIR COST NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES. THE PROTECTION FOR A LONG TIME HAS NOT BEEN THERE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. CAN YOU HELP? THEY TRIED 7 TIMES TO FIX IT AND ONCE THE WARRANTY WAS UP I DID NOT WANT TO KEEP PAYING FOR NOTHING. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2008Air bagsODI 10236777
“THE CAR (1999 SONATA GLS V6) HAD A FRONT END ALIGNMENT DONE BY SEARS JULY 6, 2008 AT KENOSHA WI. THE FAILURE OCCURRED (JULY 14, 2008) WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN INTO THE HOSPITAL PARKING GARAGE (WAUKEGAN ILLINOIS). THE CAR SPEED WAS 5 MPH WHEN IT MADE A GRINDING SOUND AND JOLTED TO A STOP. SPARKS FROM UNDER THE CAR WERE WITNESSED BY SECURITY GUARD WHO IT REPORTED TO THE DRIVER OF CAR. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF ROAD TO PREVENT BLOCKING TRAFFIC. INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE SHOWED THE SUBFRAME BROKE FROM CORROSION CAUSING THE ENGINE TO DROP THEN BREAKING THE AXLE SHAFT. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO TOWED BACK TO HOME BY AAA. CURRENTLY HAVE COMPLAINT AT HYUNDAI DEALER WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED. WORKING WITH HYUNDAI SERVICE MANAGER WHO STATES FIRST HE HAS HEARD OF IT. THE AUTO TECHNICIAN EMPLOYED AT THE SHOP STATES IS A COMMON ITEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR INTERMITTENT AIR BAG LIGHT THAT WOULD COME ON AND REMAIN ON. THE AIR BAG LIGHT COULD NOT BE FOUND WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2008Power train, Air bags, StructureODI 10234848

Showing 6 of 36 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

2 recalls on this component

Air bags: side

Free remedy

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, AN INTERMITTENT CONDITION THAT LEADS TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION COULD RESULT FROM MOTION OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS AND SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR WHICH MOUNT TO THE ADJUSTABLE SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY. THIS CONDITION ONLY RELATES TO THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS AND COULD PREVENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT DURING A CRASH WHERE SUCH DEPLOYMENT SHOULD OCCUR.

Air bagsReported Apr 9, 2002NHTSA 02V105000

Air bags

Free remedy

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COULD ILLUMINATE DUE TO MOTION OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS AND SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR THAT MOUNT TO THE ADJUSTABLE SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY. THIS CONDITION ONLY RELATES TO THE DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG(S).

Air bagsReported Nov 6, 2001NHTSA 01V347000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.