The AP reports, "Hyundai Motor Co. said Tuesday it was recalling 393,714 Sonata passenger cars in the United States to fix a problem with the air bag system in the front passenger seat." Sonatas sold from 2006 to 2008 are affected by the recall. "Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson said the company was not aware of any injuries and was conducting the recall to 'ensure the safety for our customers.'"
Motor Trend explains, "The advanced airbag system is meant to leave the passenger airbag turned off in cases where a child is sitting up front, who could be injured by the supplemental restraint's force. Hyundai recently filed a document with the NHTSA stating that in some cases it appears the passenger airbag is staying turned off even when an adult is sitting up front, and the sensor in the cushion may not be sensitive enough." Hyundai believes the problem "is not present in all Sonatas, and Hyundai expects that only one percent or fewer of the recalled cars will actually have a problem."
Kicking Tires adds, "The system isn't defective per se, but the company has received complaints about how it works." Though the system is only supposed to turn the air bag off when a child is in the front seat, KT says "there are complaints that the system is shutting off even when small adults are in the front seat. A small adult would be better served with the airbag deploying."
Hyundai will send a mailing to affected owners in late May, but in the meantime, Sonata owners are encouraged to contact Hyundai at 800-633-5151. Hyundai dealerships will inspect each car to determine whether or not a repair is needed. According to Motor Trend, "If a dealer does find a faulty sensor, it will remove the seat cushion and ship it to a Hyundai technical center where it will reprogrammed to provide 'a greater margin of recognition of small-stature adults.' The fix should take a few days, and owners will get rental cars in the meantime."
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