2001 Hyundai Santa Fe

FOR A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, I THOUGHT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE. EVERYTIME I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD SWERVE A LITTLE; THEN THERE WOULD BE A "THUMP" AT THE REAR OF THE CAR. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NOISE AT THE REAR OF THE CAR, SO I LOOKED IN THE BACK STORAGE AREA THINKING SOMETHING WAS ROLLING AROUND-FOUND NOTHING. I CONTINUED DRIVING A FEW MILES, HEARING THE THUMPING NOISE AGAIN, I STOPPED AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE THINKING THE SPARE TIRE BRACKET WAS BROKEN--SAW NOTHING. LATER IN THE DAY, AS I TURNED RIGHT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AT THE REAR. I TOLD MYSELF TO DRIVE SLOWLY--AND THEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BROKE CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. FORTUNATELY FOR MYSELF, OTHER DRIVERS AND HYUNDAI I WAS DRIVING SLOW. THE CAR WAS FLATBEDDED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER, WHO TOLD ME THAT THE REAR TRAILERING ARM "SNAPPED" OFF DUE TO AN IMPACT. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND WANTED TO WAIT FOR THE COMPANY REP BEFORE DECIDING WHAT TO DO. THE REP INSISTED THAT RUST HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PART BREAKING AND THAT I NEEDED TO PAY 1100.00 FOR THE REPAIR (WHICH INCLUDED A NEW BRAKE LINE AND SHOCK DUE TO THE FAULTY PART) THE DEALERSHIP THEN DID NOT WANT TO GIVE ME THE PART BECAUSE IT WAS "TOO RUSTY" TO PUT IN THE CAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE 4TH VEHICLE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. I DO HAVE THE PART AND WILL BE GOING TO THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY THE COMPANY. *TR

I WAS COMING TO A RED LIGHT AND LET OFF THE GAS TO COAST BEFORE PUTTING ON MY BRAKES(MY DAD TAUGHT ME WELL TO DO THIS INSTEAD OF BEING A QUICK BRAKER TO MAKE MY BRAKES LAST LONGER). AT ABOUT 25MPH MY CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE BACK UP TO 30, THEN 35, THEN 40. I PANICKED. I PRESSED THE BRAKES VERY HARD BUT THE RPM'S WERE STILL RISING AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE STILL ACCELERATING. I TRIED PUTTING IT INTO PARK, NO LUCK. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF WHILE IN PARK. SCARY!!!! MY KIDS WERE WITH ME. HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO STOP WE'D HAVE BEEN KILLED WHILE PLOWING INTO CROSS TRAFFIC TRAVELING AT 55MPH OR MORE! AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, IT SEEMED BETTER. THEN 5 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT DID IT AGAIN. I DROVE IT BACK HOME (8MILES) WITH NO INCIDENT. 2 DAYS LATER WHILE DRIVING MY SON HOME FROM SCHOOL, THIS EPISODE REPEATED 4 TIMES. WITH EACH "RESTART" IT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO START THE CAR AND I HAD TO WAIT (YES, IN TRAFFIC) 5 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING THE CAR AGAIN. I NEEDED TRANSMISSION WORK, TOOK IT IN, $2000 REBUILD. TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING BUT HOT MAYBE AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WORK WAS DONE IT WOULD RESOLVE. NOT A CHANCE. THEY ARE STUMPED AS TO WHAT'S WRONG. THEY'VE CHECKED THE THROTTLE BODY AND PARTS. NO CODES COME UP. THEY'VE UNHOOKED THE CRUISE CONTROL. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT HOME THIS PAST WEEKEND SO A FRIEND COULD LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT HE THOUGHT AND MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON A LONG STRETCH OF ROAD WITH NO STOPS AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING AT 50MPH WITH HIM NOT PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. HELP!!! THIS IS GOING TO HURT OR KILL SOMEBODY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 HYUNDAI SANTE FE EASTBOUND ON INTERSTATE 275 IN WILDER KENTUCKY AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES PER HOUR AT APPROXIMATELY 10PM , WHEN I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN AGES 8 AND 11 WERE IN OUR SUV WITH ME. THE CAR SWERVED OVER THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC AND THE MEDIAN STRIP VEERING WILDLY FROM LANE TO LANE. THE VEHICLE ALMOST TIPPED OVER SEVERAL TIMES. FORTUNATELY, NO OTHER CARS WERE NEARBY AND I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEWPORT FIRESTONE STORE ON CAROTHERS ROAD. 859-491-1400. THE WHEEL WAS TURNED OUT APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES. THE SHOP FOUND THAT THE SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND HAD ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED INTO TWO PIECES. WE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. I SAVED THE PART. THE WHEEL WAS LITERALLY HANGING ON BY A THREAD. THE REPAIRS COSTS APPROXIMATELY $800. I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE. THIS IS NOT WHAT A CONSUMER WOULD EXPECT FROM A SIX YEAR OLD VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHER CARS OUT THERE ARE TICKING TIME BOMBS. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CRACKING SOUND COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND BECAME WORSE WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL, BUT GRADUALLY DECELERATED TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL LOOKED AS IF IT WERE TURNED AT A 15 DEGREE ANGLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM WAS RUSTED AND CRACKED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 103,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTE FE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND SHIFTING GEARS,THE GEAR STUCK FROM FOURTH TO THIRD GEAR. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY ONCE IT WAS RESTARTED. THE FAILURE USUALLY OCCURRED DURING RAINY OR DAMP CONDITIONS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A CRACKED CRANKSHAFT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, AND THE CRANKSHAFT WAS REPLACED ON MARCH 30, 2004. AFTER THE CRANKSHAFT WAS REPLACED THERE WERE NO OCCURRENCES UNTIL MAY 2005 AND AUGUST 2005, WHEN THE COIL WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY UNTIL NOVEMBER 2006. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.*AK THE CONSUMER HAS PROVIDED A RECALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PERTAINING TO THE CRANKSHAFT POSITIONER AND INVOICES FOR THE REPAIRS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SPEED SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED. UPDATE 5/3/07*TR

TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY TURN TO THE RIGHT AND LUNGED DOWNWARD TO A POINT THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO FLIP OVER. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND THE RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE PART IF NEEDED. WHEN THE REPAIR SHOP CALLED THE HYUNDAI PARTS DEPARTMENT THE PERSON ANSWERING THE PHONE SAID THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WAS COMMON PROBLEM WITH SANTA FE SUVS. THAT NEXT THING THAT MADE ME THINK THIS WAS A PROBLEM THAT HYUNDAI WAS AWARE OF, WAS THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART HAD BE REDESIGNED AND NOW HAS WEEP HOLES SO NOT TO RETAIN WATER OR MOISTURE. THE REPAIR SHOP TESTED THE REMAINING CONTROL ARMS ON THE VEHICLE TO FIND THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME DEGREE OF RUST ON THESE PARTS THAT A TEN YEAR OLD CAR WOULD HAVE. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN GARAGED DURING THIS TIME. HYUNDAI SEEMS TO BE AWARE OF THE DEFECT DUE TO THE REDESIGN OF THE PART IN QUESTION AND THAT HYUNDAI PARTS DEPARTMENT IS AWARE OF THE NUMBER OF FAILURES. IS HYUNDAI WAITING UNTIL THERE IS A SERIOUS INJURY OR A DEATH? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V030000, REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; STARTER ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

SUSPENSION /CHECK ENGINE LIGHT /LOWER BALL JOINT: DEALER REPLACE @54,353 MILES, LOWER ARM IN 2004 AND 8/2006 REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED I HAVE TAKEN MY 2001 SANTA FE TO DEALER 8 PLUS TIMES FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WAS TOLD FOUND TETHER ON GAS CAP NOT LETTING CAP CLOSE TIGHT ENOUGH /MOVED TETHER AND RAN EVAP TEST AND CHECK OUT OK . I WAS TOLD CAP LOOSE 8 PLUS TIMES THIS PROBLEM IS ON GOING. RETURN TO DEALER FOR JERK TRANSMISSION ISSUES I HAVE TO PUSH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT TAKES OFF SLOW AND ONCE GETS POWER THE CAR JERKS STARTS AS IF THE GEARS OR NOT SWITCHING OVER. DEALER SAID DO THE PRESSURE IN GAS CAP AND GAS CAP NOT CLOSED TIGHT ENOUGH EVAL TEST WAS DONE. BACK AT DEALER AFTER ROAD TRIP MY CAR WAS RUNNING AFTER BEGIN PARKED WITH A/C RUNNING AND I TURN CAR OFF AND CAR WOULD NOT START THOUGHT MAY BATTERY CHECK AND NO WATER WAS IN BATTERY I PUT WATER IN BATTERY AND LET CAR SIT FOR ABOUT HOUR AND CAR RESTARTED BACK AT DEALER EXPLAIN THIS ISSUE MY BATTERY WAS REPLACE I WAS TOLD FACTORY BATTERY WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH WAS FOR SANTA FE THIS IS 3RD BATTERY WITH IN FIVE YEARS. *NM

VEHICLE- HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2001 2.4L 58000 MILES SUDDEN CLUTCH FAILURE DUE TO EXCESSIVE SLIPPAGE CAUSED BY HYDRAULIC PROBLEM IN THE CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER. INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A PERVASIVE PROBLEM WITH HYUNDAI CLUTCHES IN GENERAL. MANUFACTURER APPARENTLY IS IGNORING THE PROBLEM. IN EXCESS OF $2000 IN QUOTED REPAIRS. *JB