YearToAvoid

2005 Hyundai Santa Fe Airbags Problems

NHTSA has 74 owner complaints about airbag problems in the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe, 34% of all 216 complaints for this model year. That is #2 highest airbag complaint count among 21 Santa Fe model years. These complaints report 7 crashes and 10 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 93,500 miles.

Airbags complaints
74
34% of 216
Crashes reported
7
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
10
Median mileage
93,500 mi
Related recalls
2

When 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 16, 2005, latest Mar 13, 2023.

2005 Hyundai Santa Fe airbags complaints: complaints filed per quarter72005 Q42011 Q42013 Q32014 Q42016 Q12017 Q32018 Q42020 Q2
74 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2005 Q4 to 2023 Q1; peak 2015 Q1 (7).

Airbags recalls for the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe

  1. NHTSA 05V527000Nov 17, 2005Airbags134 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an occupant classification system (ocs) the right front seat of the vehicle may misclassify certain small children seated on the front edge of the seat as an adult.

    Risk: The possibility of misclassification of certain small children as an adult may allow the right front airbag to deploy in a frontal collision crash or the side impact airbag to deploy in a side collision crash; severe injury or death could occur.

    Remedy: Dealers will ensure that the vehicle's ocs will properly classify certain small children when seated on the front edge of the seat and will disable the right front airbags. Dealers will reprogram the vehicle's ocs electronic control unit to provide an increased margin for recognition of certain small children. The recall began on december 6, 2005. Owners may contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188.

  2. NHTSA 05V450000Oct 4, 2005Airbags12,000 vehicles

    Air bags

    On certain vehicles equipped with an occupant classification system (ocs) the right front seat of the vehicle may misclassify certain small children seated on the front edge of the seat as an adult.

    Risk: The possibility of misclassification of certain small children as an adult may allow the right front airbag to deploy in a frontal collision crash or the side impact airbag to deploy in a side collision crash; severe injury or death could occur.

    Remedy: Dealers will ensure that the vehicle's ocs will properly classify certain small children when seated on the front edge of the seat and will disable the right front airbags. Dealers will reprogram the vehicle's ocs electronic control unit to provide an increased margin for recognition of certain small children. The recall began on december 21, 2005. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

Airbags complaints by Santa Fe model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200574 (34%)
  2. 200628 (26%)
  3. 2007102 (15%)
  4. 200870 (13%)
  5. 200929 (8%)
  6. 20109 (3%)
  7. 20117 (4%)
  8. 20126 (2%)
  9. 20135 (1%)
  10. 201413 (3%)
  11. 20159 (4%)
  12. 20169 (4%)
  13. 201720 (2%)
  14. 20186 (6%)
  15. 20197 (4%)
  16. 20207 (3%)
  17. 20212 (1%)
  18. 20225 (3%)
  19. 20232 (1%)
  20. 20241 (1%)
  21. 20252 (2%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe have airbag problems?
NHTSA has 74 owner complaints about the airbag in the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe, 34% of all complaints for this model year, including 7 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 93,500 miles.
Which Hyundai Santa Fe year has the most airbag complaints?
The 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe has the most airbag complaints (102), compared with 74 for the 2005.
Is there a airbag recall for the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns for the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe concern the airbag: 05V527000 and 05V450000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.