2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT LOSS IN THE STEERING CONTROL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL AND MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 06/01/11*LJ THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE HYUNDAI CORROSION CLASS ACTION AT A COST OF $ 2100. UPDATED 08/04/11

PURCHASED AS A USED VEHICLE WITH 30,000 MI. IN 2008 FROM A DEALERSHIP WITH OWNERS MANUAL MISSING. ON 8-1-2010 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, THE VEHICLE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING ON A BRIDGE ON A BUSY ROADWAY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. OTHER VEHICLES IN THE AREA HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION CAUSING A IMMEDIATE HAZARDOUS CONDITION. UPON HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR GARAGE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE TIMING BELT THAT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL AND MAKE OF VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED CHANGING OF THE TIMING BELT WAS TO BE 60,000 MILES, THUS TELLING ME THE BELT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED IN 2007 AT THE 60,000 MILE MARK. AS YOU CAN SEE, I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2008 WILL 30,000 MILES ON IT (NO OWNERS MANUAL). I WAS TOLD I WAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT MOTOR, WHICH OF COURSE WAS A USED MOTOR BECAUSE THEY REDESIGNED THE 3.5 LITER ENGINE IN 2005 WHEN THIS PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT AND THOSE ENGINES WOULD NOT FIT MY 2003. WHY WAS THERE NOT A RECALL THEN ON THIS FOR ENGINE FAILURE AT THAT TIME? THEY HAD REPLACED THE BELT WITH A NEW DESIGN TIMING CHAIN FOR THE NEWER VEHICLES. WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER REPAIR, ANOTHER 2003 SANTA FE WAS ALSO IN FOR THE SAME ISSUE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THE POSSIBILITY WAS THERE. A MINUTE EARLIER, I WAS TRAVELING DOWN A STEEP GRADE PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS LOOKS LIKE AN INHERENT PROBLEM FOR THE HYUNDAI 3.5 LITER ENGINE, THEY HAD TO GET MY REPLACEMENT ENGINE FROM TEXAS. WERE USED CAR BUYERS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE HYUNDAI 3.5 LITER ENGINE MODELS PRIOR TO 2006? THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY VIOLATION. THE VEHICLE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING! HOW ABOUT HYUNDAI REIMBURSING ME $4000.00?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK WAS RUSTED AND LEAKING FUEL. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THERE WAS FUEL ON THE GROUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE TYPE OF FAILURE AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. . THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHEN STOPPED WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DIAGNOSE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000. UPDATED 03/08/11 *BF UPDATED 1/4/11 *CN

FROM TIME TO TIME, MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JERKS VIOLENTLY WHILE UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. SOMETIMES THIS OCCURS WHILE TRAVELING AT A STEADY SPEED (AROUND 40 MPH) AND SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS JUST AFTER I RESUME ACCELERATION AFTER LIFTING OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR (COASTING). I REALLY HAVE TO 'BABY' THE ACCELERATOR ALL OF THE TIME OR THIS WOULD HAPPEN MUCH MORE OFTEN. THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM HERE, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE HARM TO MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. UNFORTUNATELY, I KNOW THAT NOTHING WILL EVER BE DONE TO CORRECT OR ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *LN

IN MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, THE DOOR LATCH CHROME PLATING IS SO THIN THAT IT WORE OUT AND CUT MY WIFE'S HAND AND MY HAND. THIS IS A DEFECT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE DEFECT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS NOT THE MOST SERIOUS DEFECT BUT, QUOTED FROM CARS.COM "HYUNDAI HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR 91,202 SONATA VEHICLES FROM THE 2002-03 MODEL YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. THE RECALL IS DUE TO A THIN CHROME PLATE ON THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE." WHEN WILL THE FIX MINE. *TR

IN MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RECEIVER, FEMALE PART, HAS WORN OUT TWICE IN 99,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND TIME I HAD TO PAY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A SEAT BELT RECEIVER WARE OUT BEFORE. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT NHTSA SHOULD ADDRESS. *TR

MY EMERGENCY BRAKES WENT OUT WHILE ME AND MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON FOR NO REASON IT HAS BEEN ON FOR 8MONTHS NOW AND NO FUSES ARE BLOWN AND NOW MY BRIGHT LIGHTS WONT WORK WHEN I FLIP THEM ON THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTE FE AND I HAVE HAD CONTINUAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2004. MY FIRST ENCOUNTER STARTED AROUND 37,000 MILES,THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIP/HESITATE WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THE DEALER COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM THREE SEPARATE TIMES. I TOLERATED THE NUISANCE FOR ABOUT A YR UNTIL ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AND THE TRANSMISSION 'GOT STUCK'! I HAD TO DRIVE HOME IN FIRST GEAR FOR 15 MILES! THE DEALER COULDN'T RE-ENACT IT, BUT DEFINITELY CHARGED ME $1800 TO FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION, AMONGST VARIOUS OTHER 'PART REPLACEMENTS'. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO 'DISAPPEAR' FOR ABOUT 4 MTHS AND IT STARTED AGAIN! TRANSMISSION WOULD JERK, SKIP AND MISS NO MATTER WHAT SPEED I WAS GOING, BUT THEN DISAPPEAR.. IT WAS MOODY AND INTERMITTENT, NOT CONSTANT AND DANGEROUS. THE DEALER STILL COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM! THEN ONE DAY I PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND IT JERKED BACK HARD!! MY HEAD WAS CLOSE TO HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, BUT SOON REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT BEGAN TO SQUEAL AND WHINE! THE SERPENTINE BELT AND THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY WERE REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE CORRECTED. JUST TWO MONTHS LATER, I WAS STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY, AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY FOREWARNING! I WAS DRIVING MY SON TO SCHOOL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE TRANNY DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO GEAR, AGAIN, AND IT JERKED A FEW SECONDS AFTER IT SLIPPED. I HAD TO CREEP MY WAY HOME BY DRIVING ABOUT 500-750 FT AND THEN THE TRANNY SLIPPED AND VIOLENTLY JERKED, PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE A FEW TIMES AND THEN TRIED AGAIN. EVER SINCE I BEGAN TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING ONLINE AND FOLLOWING THE LARGE AMOUNT OF SIMILAR AND WORSE COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I AM SURPRISED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AND FURTHER LOOKED INTO. PLEASE, RESEARCH THIS.. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM, PLEASE. *TR