2003 Hyundai Santa FE air bags problems

42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE — 14% of all complaints for this model year.

Air Bags complaints

14%

share of all complaints

67,598 mi

median reported incident mileage

14 / 1

crash / fire reports

What owners report

“The airbag lights keep coming on - I am now on my third repair to fix this ongoing problem. I likely need to replace the airbags! So costly but it is a safety issue so how can I not? This is a known and ongoing issue and hyundai should be responsible and cover this defect.”
filed Jul 4, 2018
“Airbag light remains on so this is a safety issue. Will I have to pay for this? I really don't know the history of this vehicle I never received a car fax on it. That is why I need to know if there were any recalls on the airbag with the airbag light remains on. I know this might be because of the…”
filed May 6, 2018

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…
DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026