2009 Hyundai Elantra Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 42about this part
- Share
- 17%of 254 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 82,500miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 42 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Hyundai Elantra, 17% of the 254 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 82,500 miles. 13 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Takata recall about 2 months ago or 3 months ago my air bag light came on when I started the car and never went off the passenger air bag light that says off gos out when someone sit in the passenger seat but the light on the dash stays on I replaced the battery a month later because someone said to try that it did not work I looked up recalls and you do have them for 2009 elantras only for certain manufacturers months I belive my vehicle was affected too”
NHTSA complaint #11222819, filed 2019-06, 123,000 miles“I hit a deer on highway 890 in rotterdam ny, spun out of control and hit the guardrail, car had damage all around, the most damage was in the front resulting in a totaled vehicle, my whole front end is gone, and no airbags deployed, we were traveling doing about 60 miles per hour”
NHTSA complaint #10820497, filed 2016-01, 113,000 miles“Back in 2011, our 2009 Hyundai Elantra airbag light would stay on intermittently when the passenger seat was slid back. The light would go off when the seat was slid forward. Hyundai issued a recall in 2011 adding a cover to a sensor that seemed to fix the issue. Now, july 2015 and the airbag warning light is on and stays on. It started again when I: entered the vehicle, started it up, the airbag light went off. …”
NHTSA complaint #10733056, filed 2015-07, 53,500 miles“I was in a front end collision on 7/30/10. The car of the driver who hit me had her airbags deploy, while mine did not. The impact to my car was severe enough that the radiator support had to be replaced along with the bumper headlight and hood. I was going 20 - 25 MPH and the other diver was doing approximately the same speed.”
NHTSA complaint #10353243, filed 2010-09, 39,000 miles“In january 2017 I was involved in a accident. I hit another car in the rear at 65 MPH. The air bag failed to deploy I have been trying to get information from hyundia for over two years and they will not give any information they finally looked at my vehicle and said that the air bag failed to deploy because it was not designed to deploy in that type of accident .I assume there is a manufacture design problem. I was traveling on the freeway and a young girl crossed four lanes of traffic right in front of me and I hit her dielectric in the rear at 65 MPH. …”
NHTSA complaint #11155603, filed 2018-12, 46,000 milesRelated recalls
- 11V143000Mar 15, 2011Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 elantra vehicles manufactured from july 14, 2006, through november 1, 2008. The front passenger seats in the…Covers: Hyundai Elantra 2007–2009
Related service bulletins
- 11032523Apr 10, 2026The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province…
- 11032522Apr 10, 2026The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by…
- 10040952May 1, 2011Hyundai: 2007-2009 elantra. Airbag control unit reprogramming and installation of a protective cover over the weight classification sensor. *rm updated 9/21/11.
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 14% |
| 2024 | 1 | 2% |
| 2023 | 6 | 6% |
| 2022 | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 | 2 | 2% |
| 2020 | 5 | 2% |
| 2019 | 2 | 1% |
| 2018 | 12 | 4% |
| 2017 | 32 | 4% |
| 2016 | 26 | 9% |
| 2015 | 23 | 9% |
| 2014 | 32 | 8% |
| 2013 | 168 | 13% |
| 2012 | 124 | 19% |
| 2011 | 77 | 18% |
| 2010 | 46 | 12% |
| 2009 | 42 | 17% |
| 2008 | 38 | 12% |
| 2007 | 46 | 17% |
| 2006 | 56 | 36% |
| 2005 | 71 | 52% |
| 2004 | 114 | 63% |
| 2003 | 48 | 21% |
| 2002 | 70 | 20% |
| 2001 | 118 | 37% |
| 2000 | 39 | 20% |
| 1999 | 20 | 16% |
| 1998 | 7 | 13% |
| 1997 | 21 | 18% |
| 1996 | 14 | 14% |
| 1995 | 35 | 31% |
| 1994 | 31 | 41% |
Other parts of the 2009 Hyundai Elantra
133 complaintsBrakes
27 complaintsElectrical system
24 complaintsVehicle speed control
18 complaintsEngine
13 complaintsOther or unknown
11 complaintsBody and structure
11 complaintsElectronic stability control
10 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
5 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2009 Hyundai Elantra
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology