2004 Hyundai Santa Fe

GAS TANK LEAK NEAR THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. CAUSE BELIEVED TO BE DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. THE BOTTOM OF TANK WAS COVERED BY A POLY SHELL. THE SHELL TRAPPED MOISTURE AND SALT, ETC. BETWEEN BOTTOM OF METAL TANK AND POLY SHELL. THIS SET UP A CORROSION ENVIRONMENT AND RESULTED IN LEAK. NEW REPLACEMENT TANK FROM HYUNDAI DOES NOT HAVE THE POLY SHELL. NOTE: THE VEHICLE HAS NO RUST AND IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. *TR

MY OIL CHANGING PLACE THOUGHT I HAD A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK, SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK. THE REAL PROBLEM WAS THE FRONT RIGHT AXLE BOOT WAS LEAKING BADLY (COVERED BY THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY), BUT THEY FOUND THAT THE RIGHT AND LEFT CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS HAD COLLAPSED AND THE SENSORS WERE FROZEN IN PLACE. AFTER THEY FIXED THESE, THE MECHANIC TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, AND DURING THE TEST DRIVE, THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SNAPPED. I AM TOLD THAT I MUST NOW REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT COILS AND HAVE THE CAR RE-ALIGNED. THE COILS SHOULD BE ON RECALL, AS OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING. *TR

WHENEVER I GET GAS AND WHICH I DREAD , ONCE I FILL UP THE TANK OR JUST PUT A FEW GALLONS AND I TURN THE IGNITION IT GRINDS LIKE IT IS TRYING TO START . EVENTUALLY IT WILL TURN OVER OR I WILL HEAR A POP. I AM AFRAID AT SOME POINT WITH THAT POP THAT IT WILL CATCH ON FIRE. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I FILL THE VEHICLE WITH GAS. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT THE RESOLUTION IS. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH OVER RAILROAD TRACKS, HE HEARD A POPPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S COIL SPRING HAD FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000. UPDATED 06/17/14 MA UPDATED 8/17/17*CN

DEAR NHTSA - MY SANTA FE HAD A MALFUNCTION AT 65 MPH THAT CAUSES THE CAR TO ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN AND RUN IN ONLY THIRD GEAR. THIS IS A HUGE DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER AND COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE CODES ARE P0121 AND P0733 WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH A THROTTLE/ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR AND A THIRD GEAR RATIO MISMATCH. I BELIEVE THE WAY THIS WORKS IS THE ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM MODULE WHICH ACTIVATES AN ETS MOTOR ON THE THROTTLE BODY WHICH OPENS/CLOSES THE THROTTLE BUTTERFLY DAMPER BASED ON A COMPUTED ERROR SIGNAL. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ON HYUNDAI FORUMS IT WAS VERY APPARENT THAT THIS MALFUNCTION IS VERY COMMON AND VERY DANGEROUS. I SEARCHED THE CURRENT RECALLS AND THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE TWO RECALLS I COULD FIND FOR THIS VEHICLE. BUT IN 50% OF THE CASES I READ ABOUT IT APPEARED THAT EITHER THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR OR THROTTLE SENSOR IS A COMMON FAILURE. I REALLY THINK THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THERE ARE ALSO SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT CAN CAUSE THESE SENSORS TO SEE THIS MISMATCH AND GIVE THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION THE FAULT CODE WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO EITHER GO INTO "LIMP" MODE OR SINGLE GEAR MODE. ALTHOUGH BOTH ARE AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS IT BASICALLY LIMITS THE CAR TO A MAXIMUM RPM AND CAUSES IT TO EITHER RUN IN ONE GEAR OR NOT SHIFT ABOVE A GEAR, FOR EXAMPLE 3RD GEAR INTO OVERDRIVE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAULT THAT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN RUNNING AT OR NEAR HIGHWAY SPEEDS DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED NATURE OF THE EVENT AND THE SPEED CHANGE AND NOISE IT CAN CAUSE THUS SURPRISING THE DRIVER WHICH MAY CAUSE THEM TO STOP OR PULL OVER UNEXPECTEDLY. OTHER MALFUNCTIONS THAT CAN CAUSE THIS ARE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, FUEL INJECTOR O-RING FAULTY AND LEAKY INTAKE MANIFOLDS AMONG OTHERS. THIS SERIOUS ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND REDESIGNED OR REPAIRED ON THESE VEHICLES. *TR

I HAD MY 2004 HYUNDAI SANTE FE AT THE DEALER'S FOR THE SMELL OF GASOLINE IN THE VEHICLE AND WHEN WALKING BEHIND THE CAR. IT WAS TOLD THERE WAS A SMALL LEAK IN THE GAS TANK DUE TO RUST. THE VEHICLE IS NOT 9.5 YEARS OLD HAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000 MILES ON IT - HAVE REGULAR SERVICE DONE ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE UNDERCARRIAGE OF CAR WASHED AFTER SNOW STORMS AS I LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND AND KNOW THE SALT FROM THE ROADS CAN RUST THE CAR. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,500 OR MORE - "CAN'T TELL UNTIL WE START TAKING THINGS APART HOW MUCH JOB WILL BE". THIS EVENING WENT TO GO TO THE STORE FOR MILK CAR STARTED RIGHT UP DROVE DOWN HILL AND CAR STARTED TO BUCK AND STOPPED. THANK GOD FOR AAA - CALLED FOR A TOW AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO START CAR - CAR STARTS BUT THEN STALLS SAID THERE MAY BE AN AIR BUBBLE IN FUEL LINE - COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED WHEN DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED FOR THE LEAK. (I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE A GAS TANK WHEN I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THE COST WILL BE). HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE PERSON INFORMED ME MY CAR WAS "OLD" I DON'T THINK 9.5 YEARS WITH 81,000 MILES A GAS TANK SHOULD RUST???????? ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS TAKEN CARE OF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED A GASOLINE FUEL ODOR WHILE STANDING NEAR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.