2005 Hyundai Elantra

Tested vehicle: 2004 Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-door
Rating applies to 2004-06 models

The Hyundai Elantra was redesigned for the 2001 model year. The Institute evaluated the 2001 Elantra and identified a problem with the airbag system. The driver frontal airbag fired late in two crashes resulting in high head injury measures.

All 2004 and later Elantra models have redesigned driver frontal airbags and all 2004 and later Elantras manufactured after August 2003 also include redesigned passenger frontal airbags. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.) At the request of Hyundai, the Institute agreed to test the 2004 Elantra with the redesigned airbag system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of the 2004 Elantra with the redesigned driver and passenger airbags in three 40 mph moderate overlap frontal crash tests into deformable barriers. A fuel leak occurred in the first test. Hyundai identified a fuel hose clamp that was improperly positioned, which led to puncturing of the fuel tank during the crash. Hyundai has recalled the affected models to reposition the hose clamp. A second test was conducted to assess the effect of the fix.

In the second test, no fuel leakage occurred, but the driver frontal airbag failed to deploy. This led Hyundai to modify the frontal airbag deployment characteristics beginning with 2005 models produced after December, 2004. Also, Hyundai initiated a recall to modify at its cost 2004-05 models produced earlier. The Institute tested a third Elantra with the modified airbags, and the driver airbag inflated properly.

The evaluation of the Elantra below is based on the first and third tests, except for the structural rating, which is based on all three tests.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0410	CEF0416	CEF0421
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	12	10	12
Left (cm)	16	14	18
Center (cm)	12	12	15
Right (cm)	9	11	13
Brake pedal (cm)	6	7	8
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	4	5	6
Right (cm)	3	5	6
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	-3	-3	-1
Rearward (cm)	0	4	4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	2	3	4

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0410	CEF0421
Head
HIC-15	288	302
Peak gs at hard contact	117	74
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2	1.4
Extension bending moment (Nm)	26	18
Maximum Nij	0.26	0.26
Chest maximum compression (mm)	28	23
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	1.1	2.6
Femur force - right (kN)	5.5	6.7
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	6	12
Maximum tibia index - left	0.55	0.71
Maximum tibia index - right	0.68	1.00
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.7	1.7
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.9	6.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	72	52
Right	92	99

About the original moderate overlap front test

Tested vehicle: 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-door with standard front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags
Rating applies to 2001-06 models

The Hyundai Elantra was redesigned for the 2001 model year.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID	CES0503
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-2.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0503
Head HIC-15	301
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.0
Compression (kN)	0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	44
Lateral force (kN)	1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	55
Average deflection (mm)	44
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	7.22
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	1.70
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	2.7
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.4
Combined force (kN)	5.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.4
L-M moment (Nm)	255
A-P moment (Nm)	38

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0503
Head HIC-15	662
Neck
Tension (kN)	2.1
Compression (kN)	0.6
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	43
Lateral force (kN)	1.9
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	45
Average deflection (mm)	42
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.02
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.91
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	1.1
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.9
Combined force (kN)	3.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	1.2
L-M moment (Nm)	169
A-P moment (Nm)	-57

About the original side crash test

Seat type: All seats

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	All seats
Geometry
Backset (mm)	82
Distance below top of head (mm)	62
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g)	14.3
Head contact time (ms)	110
Force rating	3
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	427
Max neck tension (N)	1,490

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.