Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Hyundai Elantra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while the wife was driving at 30 MPH, the contact's wife was involved in a no-fault accident. The other vehicle involved was a 2020 Yukon Denali, which ran a stop sign and crashed the front driver's side. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. The contact's wife was taken by ambulance to the hospital for medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was condemned to total loss by State Farm. The contact stated his wife suffered bruises and a herniated fifth disk in her back that required medical attention. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,200.
While making a U-turn in a parking lot I accidentally ran over a pothole. Upon doing so the driver's airbag deployed burning a hole through my shirt and leaving burns on my stomach and arms. No other part of the vehicle was affected.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. While driving approximately 15 MPH going around a bend, the steering ability seized. The contact crashed into a parked vehicle, rolled back, and struck another parked vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the contact's head struck the windshield. The brakes also failed to respond. A police report was filed. The following day, the contact went to the hospital due to a severe headache and fever. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot by the police, towed to an independent mechanic, and then towed to the contact's residence. After the manufacturer was notified, the vehicle was towed by a third party investigator to their facilities. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000. Updated 05/31/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. While driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle lost all steering capabilities. The contact crashed the vehicle into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact was injured, but did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the power steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the remedy failed to correct the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. While parking, the vehicle independently accelerated when the brake pedal was depressed and crashed into a fence and a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained bruises to the chest that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000.
Takata recall. Driver lost control of the car and over corrected and hit a tree which pushed her into another tree. The front end of the car was wrecked and the air bags did not deploy. We were never contacted about the recall on the car so we had no knowledge that the air bags were defective.
We pulled the car out of an intersection and t boned another car. Both cars were totaled in this accident, yet no airbags deployed. There was no fire. The accident happened on a flat roadway. The driver of the Hyundai was wearing his seatbelt. Please see pictures.
The car was hit by another car going and the airbags failed to deploy resulting in injuries. My car was turning left at about 15 MPH and the other driver blew through a red light at 60 MPH. Photos available from esurance.
On May 26 2008 my wife and I were involved in an accident. Another car ran the red light and hit us. My wife and I were injured and our car was totaled. None of the airbags went off on our brand new 2008 Hyundai Elantra. We were later told by Hyundai that passenger airbags don't always go off because of weight variations in some adults. My wife is 5' 4" and her weight is normal for her height. Hyundai never told us of this potential problem with airbag deployment. This company should be required to inform the potential buyer limitations involving safety features! Many unsuspecting people could be severely injured without this knowledge. Also this information should be given to the potential buyer prior to purchasing the vehicle not after! …
While on vacation in michigan, my spouse and I were hit by a drunk driver. We were traveling north bound on us 127 at 35mph, crossing over addison rd (in the town of addison) when the other driver crossed the road hitting us. (he was arrested at the scene of the accident.) he struck us on the driver's side and dented the front and rear door to the point that neither door could be opened, and buckled the rear fender. The impact was severe enough that it blew out all the driver's side windows, blew out the passenger rear tire, bent the b-pillar on the driver's side, and ripped the top hinge completely off the driver's side rear door. It also creased the top middle driver's side of the roof. None of the side curtain airbags deployed and we felt that they should have. As a result of the accident, my spouse incurred a bump, 2 ' in diameter by ' tall, on the back right rear side of her head.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 elantra vehicles manufactured from July 14, 2006, through November 1, 2008. The front passenger seats in the vehicles contain a weight sensor designed to deactivate the right frontal airbag when occupants of certain weights occupy the seat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a protective cover over the weight classification system connector to prevent contamination. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expecting to begin during April 2011.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 elantra vehicles manufactured from July 14, 2006, through August 29, 2007. The driver's seat track position sensor determines the seat's fore and aft position and allows the driver's frontal air bag to deploy at the pressure appropriate for that seating position, with a lower…
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the air bag control module free of charge. The safety recall is expecting to begin during April 2011. Owners May contact Hyundai's customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Airbag complaints in other Elantra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2008 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the air bags of the 2008 Hyundai Elantra, 12% of the model year's 314 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Hyundai Elantra airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 11V-143 (sensor/control module-inactive, Mar 15, 2011); NHTSA recall 11V-179 (sensor/control module-inactive, Mar 15, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 Hyundai Elantra airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 22 crashes, 0 fires and 30 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.