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 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On January 16,2025 I was driving my Hyundai Santa Fe on the freeway with my three children when the automatic brake system suddenly failed, causing me to lose control of the vehicle. As a result, we spun off the road, and the vehicle flipped four times, causing us multiple injuries. Additionally, due to a known recall involving the failure of the airbag deployment system, the airbags did not deploy during the crash. These combined defects caused me and my children to suffer significant injuries, including broken cervical spine. Broken thoracic spine and Broken Sternum. My daughter has a fractured spine and sternum. And both my sons have serious bruising and head trauma. Both the automatic brake system and the airbag system on this vehicle are part of existing recalls issued by Hyundai Motors. …
Took my car in for repair because I was told that my power steering pump and gaskets were bad. Upon further investigation it wasn't neither. It was the power steering hose that goes from the power steering to the racket pinion. Both of the hoses had holes in them and were rusted out. Here Hyundai upgraded the power steering pump because of problems and I was never notified about the upgrade and you cannot purchase the hoses needed you have to purchase a whole new power steering pump that I don't need. The airbag light is on and I couldn't even order the airbag it was on back order when asked. The seat belt on the right passenger side in the back will not lock in place due to I don't know what. Campaign 947 the under body corrosion treatment didn't protect what it was suppose to causing my frame and control arms to go bad. …
My vehicle shows diagnostic scan codes consistent with recalls that do include my vehicle's year, make, model, and trim, but does not include my VIN. I would like to have this safety hazard resolved, and it seems to me to be the responsibility of the maker.
The vehicle was stationary stopped in a line of traffic on an exit ramp. Another vehicle, traveling at high speed, failed to notice traffic was stopped and struck my vehicle from behind. The force of the impact caused heavy damage to my rear bumper, bent the frame and crumpled the rear passenger side quarter panel, etc. It also launched my vehicle diagonally into the guard rail causing heavy damage to my front bumper and driver side quarter panel, etc. The impact launched me forward and my face smashed into the steering wheel, breaking my nose, injuring my eye socket, causing a concussion and whiplash in my neck. I was wearing my seat belt. The air bags never deployed. Had the airbags deployed, it May have saved my face and preventing other injuries.
We were rearended by a large pickup truck that was travelling at a high rate of speed and the driver did not apply his brakes. We were struck while attempting and making a right turn, spun around clockwise and flipped on our top, totally demolishing our car. Our concern: the airbag system did not engage resulting in injuries requiring immediate transportation for hospitalization for the driver and passenger. The accident occurred on a paved, rural-type street with little traffic present. The driver has a broken neck, multiple injuries including a closed head concussion.
Airbag light continuously on. Never had a problem before. Have been in an accident but cleared. Car was put back together and not on a salvage title. Fuel pump sensors are at fault. Need to replace fuel pump sensors. All fault codes appear when vehicle is not in motion.
I was coming from food shopping, on August, 26, 2019 and was trying to leave out my parking spot. While me backing out, my vehicle accelerated backward and while I tried to stop my vehicle it tapped into a light pole. I was trying to get my self out of this weird situation. I switched gears to park my car, and my car accelerated forward slamming into a brick wall and also rubbing against it. My car then slowly started to back up not even letting me be able to break or switch gears. For the last time it accelerated forward side swiping a lady car and hitting the brick wall again. My air bags did not go off, leaving me with an concussion and also sever neck and head pain. This all happen so suddenly and randomly. I barely remembered what happened until seeing a video off of the camera at a near by gas station. …
My car has been in two accident one was yesterday when a deer jumped out in front of my car on the highway and I hit her straight on going about 55 miles per hour. The front of my car is destroyed but yet my air bags never went off. The first accident I was in was in the winter and a car plowed into me as I pulled over because I noticed she was out of control, she was coming down a large hill and was going at a high speed when she hit the drive side back door which caved in and the door was in the back seat. The back end frame of my car needed to be replaced. I was upset thinking what if one of my children was in the car with me but I was told the reason the airbags didn't go off because it wasn't a flat hit to the side of my car. Someone is going to get killed if these airbags don't go off when they should.
The air bag light came on my console 2 days ago. I took it to a mechanic who ran a diagnostic on it and concluded it was the occupant classification system (ocs). I found out there was a recall on 07/25/2012 recal number 12V354000 for this exact problem. However, I was not the owner at that time. I called 2 Hyundai dealerships nearby - countryside and st. Petersburg, fl who both told me they could not find any open recalls under my VIN number. This is unacceptable. Hyundai needs to accept all charges for the cost to repair this issue and it should be covered under the recall. As of now I am driving a vehicle that is unsafe because Hyundai will not honor my vehicle!!!
Air bag light stays illuminated on dashboard and does not go off.code read 1490b which is the occupancy sensor.apparently the 2007 and 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe has been recalled for same problem but not the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe yet. Dealership in lacrosse wisconsin said they would have to order a whole.new seat at a cost of $2000.vehicle has never been in an accident.Hyundai should have to fix for free. This must be a manufacturer defect. Unsafe to drive as now I don't know if my airbag will deploy if I'm am in an accident. Is it possible this model year might also be recalled. Sounds like same problem as previous years. A $2000 repair is ridiculous!
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2009 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from April 19, 2006, through July 7, 2008. The occupant classification system (OCS) may need recalibration to accurately detect small statured adults.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the classification software free of charge. The safety recall began on September 7, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Airbag complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe, 8% of the model year's 358 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-354 (sensor/control module-inactive, Jul 25, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 10 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.