The seat-belt warning chime on this vehicle activates the moment the driver's belt is unbuckled even if the car is at rest, the automatic transaxle is in park, and the parking brake is set. This loud, grating chime repeats every 6 secs. Although I assume the system meets current NHTSA rules per SE, there is a safety threat because I have seen many posts on internet forums from people wanting to know how to deactivate the system because they, like most drivers, have occasion to be in the vehicle not in traffic with the engine running. Examples include drive-up bank teller and atm's, drive-thru food service lanes, and in parking lots with the vehicle idling to make cell phone sales calls. Safety is threatened because if the chime is disconnected then it can't warn if the driver truly forgets once the vehicle is moved from rest or if the driver forgets the key, which would increase the risk of joy-riders stealing the vehicle. Also, shade-tree mechanics could damage the seat-belt pretensioner system wiring trying to "hot-wire" the buckle switch. I call on the NHTSA to call on Hyundai to modify the system and the promulgate new rules that would require that additional warning chimes after the first timed cycle be allowed only after there are signs that the vehicle is moving, such as speedometer input, the vehicle's being removed from park or shifted into gear, or the parking brake being released (for example, similar to the system for the warning light on the 1997 Chevrolet cavalier that I drive at work).

- Greenville, SC, USA