2002 Hyundai Elantra Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2002 Hyundai Elantra, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 71,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (46% of reports).
- 70air bags complaints
- 71,000median miles at failure
- 34mention a crash
- 22mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 16%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 32 of 70 complaints (46%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 8 of 70 complaints (11%)
- Upon impact: mentioned in 7 of 70 complaints (10%)
- Frontal sensor: mentioned in 5 of 70 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 51 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 70 complaints, 34 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 22 an injury.
Hyundai Elantra air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Elantra | 1 | 50% | — |
| 2025 Elantra | 3 | 14% | 3,300 |
| 2024 Elantra | 1 | 2% | 5,308 |
| 2023 Elantra | 6 | 6% | 44,000 |
| 2022 Elantra | 4 | 4% | 60,000 |
| 2021 Elantra | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2020 Elantra | 5 | 2% | 7,000 |
| 2019 Elantra | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2018 Elantra | 12 | 4% | 46,000 |
| 2017 Elantra | 32 | 4% | 26,500 |
| 2016 Elantra | 26 | 9% | 32,000 |
| 2015 Elantra | 23 | 9% | 25,673 |
| 2014 Elantra | 32 | 8% | 41,673 |
| 2013 Elantra | 168 | 13% | 71,088 |
| 2012 Elantra | 124 | 19% | 89,000 |
| 2011 Elantra | 77 | 18% | 99,000 |
| 2010 Elantra | 46 | 12% | 63,830 |
| 2009 Elantra | 42 | 17% | 82,500 |
| 2008 Elantra | 38 | 12% | 55,819 |
| 2007 Elantra | 46 | 17% | 66,055 |
| 2006 Elantra | 56 | 36% | 68,000 |
| 2005 Elantra | 71 | 52% | 35,500 |
| 2004 Elantra | 114 | 63% | 17,102 |
| 2003 Elantra | 48 | 21% | 46,000 |
| 2002 Elantra | 70 | 20% | 71,000 |
| 2001 Elantra | 118 | 37% | 62,000 |
| 2000 Elantra | 39 | 20% | 50,513 |
| 1999 Elantra | 20 | 16% | 80,500 |
| 1998 Elantra | 7 | 13% | — |
| 1997 Elantra | 21 | 18% | 141,000 |
| 1996 Elantra | 14 | 14% | — |
| 1995 Elantra | 35 | 31% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Hyundai is recalling certain my 2001-2002 elantra vehicles. Movement of the side impact air bag wiring harness mounted under each front seat, possibly caused by contact from materials placed under the seat, may result in an electrical resistance that would cause supplemental restraint system (srs) warning light illumination.
Risk: This condition only relates to the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bags and may prevent seat mounted side impact air bag deployment during a crash where such deployment should occur. Non-deployment of the srs air bags may increase the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger under certain crash conditions.
Fix: Dealers will install new side impact air bag wiring harness connector clips and revised side impact air bag wiring harness attachments under the driver's and front passenger's seats. The recall is expected to begin during the fourth quarter of 2008, and will be sent out in six mailings. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2002 huyndai elantra gls suddently the airbag is on soon engine running, and i have been told by technician that the airbag defective and it is under a recall.
Airbag light came on and remains on steady as i was driving in residential section today, around 10pm. It has been 104 degrees with humidity factor the last couple of days.
Air bag light comes on when you move the seat forward or backward. Should be covered by a recall, but when i call the dealer i am told that there are not open recalls on my vehicle. Yet, the recall list for fixing the air bag system lists 2002 hyundai.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Hyundai Elantras have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 70 owner complaints about air bags for the 2002 Hyundai Elantra (20% of the 342 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Hyundai Elantra air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 71,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2002 Hyundai Elantra?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 32 of 70 complaints, followed by “bags deploy” (8).
Other 2002 Hyundai Elantra problems
- Suspension problems (95)
See all 2002 Hyundai Elantra problems or air bags problems across all Elantra years.