2012 Hyundai Elantra Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 124 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2012 Hyundai Elantra, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 89,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (32% of reports).
- 124air bags complaints
- 89,000median miles at failure
- 25mention a crash
- 18mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,950typical repair cost reported by owners
- 15%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 40 of 124 complaints (32%)
- Clock spring: mentioned in 13 of 124 complaints (10%)
- Airbags deploy: mentioned in 8 of 124 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the 2012 Hyundai Elantra at $1,950, and half of them between $1,200 and $3,450.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2016–2022), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 79 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 124 complaints, 25 mention a crash, 18 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)
Structure; air bags:side/window
Problem: Hyundai Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Elantra vehicles manufactured from November 12, 2010, through March 5, 2013. A support bracket attached to the headliner may become displaced during a side curtain airbag deployment.
Risk: If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The safety recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 109.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was going down the bridge on settlers landing road the yellow school bus was in the right turning lane with right turning signal on .as I approached the light in the middle straight lane to keep toward the landing (hotel) on settlers landing Hampton va the bus some what merged back towards the…
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired…
Car accident. My car was T-boned on the passenger side, the side airbag did deploy. The impact from the accident pushed my car into on coming traffic and I hit 2 other cars. One in the front grill and the other in the left rear quarter panel. The front airbag did not deploy and my chest hit the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Hyundai Elantras have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 124 owner complaints about air bags for the 2012 Hyundai Elantra (19% of the 653 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 2012 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 89,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2012 Hyundai Elantra?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,950 (half paid between $1,200 and $3,450), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2012 Hyundai Elantra?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 40 of 124 complaints, followed by “clock spring” (13).
Other 2012 Hyundai Elantra problems
- Engine problems (139)
- Electrical System problems (126)
- Steering problems (88)
- Service Brakes problems (60)
See all 2012 Hyundai Elantra problems or air bags problems across all Elantra years.