2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

THE VEHICLE FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS WAS NOT GETTING THE GAS MILEAGE SUGGESTED BY MANUFACTURER. IT WAS TAKEN REPEATEDLY TO DEALER WHERE WE WERE TOLD, "EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT JUST FINE". ALL MAINTENANCE WAS DONE AS REQUIRED BY DEALER". AS CAR BECAME MORE SLUGGISH AND FINALLY QUIT RUNNING ALTOGETHER- WE TOOK IT TO AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC AND LEARNED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD GONE BAD. I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH THIS VEHICLE- DEALERS ARE REPAIRING TRANSMISSIONS AND EMISSION CONTROLS AND CUSTOMERS ARE STILL COMPLAINING ABOUT BAD GAS MILEAGE, SLUGGISH VEHICLES. NOW THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN REPLACED- THE CAR IS GETTING THE CORRECT GAS MILEAGE AND RUNNING BETTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL ON THE GROUND AND THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS CORRODED AND RUSTED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,060.

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR IS DEFECTIVE. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASE THE SUN VISOR WOULD NOT STAY UP IN THE UNUSED POSITION. FOR SEVERAL YEARS I HELD IT IN PLACE WITH VELCRO. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SWING IT OVER TO COVER THE SIDE WINDOW. RECENTLY THE ENTIRE PLASTIC CONNECTOR BROKE AND THE SUN VISOR DANGLED FROM THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER.THIS OCCURRED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. WE USED VELCRO AND DUCT TAPE IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE SUN VISOR FROM DANGLING. IT WAS NOT USABLE. WE HAVE NOW DISCONNECTED THE SUN VISOR FROM THE ELECTRICAL SOURCE AND REMOVED IT COMPLETELY. IT WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE DANGLING IN FRONT OF THE DRIVE. IT IS STILL A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I DO NOT A MEANS TO BLOCK THE SUN FROM THE DRIVER. I NOTICED ON THE INTERNET THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SAME HYUNDAI DEFECT. *TR

2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE GS, FWD, 2.7L AUTOMATIC - BATTERY LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON IN WET WEATHER AND POWER STEERING IS LOST. ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWS OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE HAVE TAKEN THEIR VEHICLES TO THE DEALER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE RECEIVED NO FIXES. LOSING POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING IS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. THE CONTACT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE CONTACT THEN DECIDED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAD ONLY OCCURRED ONE TIME. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,002.

I HAVE EXPERIENCED MY 4TH INCIDENT OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ON MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO YOU THREE TIMES BEFORE. I AM CONCERNED THAT I MAY INJURE MYSELF OR ANOTHER PERSON WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I NOW DRIVE WITH MY HAND ON THE SHIFT LEVER AND PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL WHEN NEARING ANY POSSIBLE SITUATION WHERE I COULD HIT ANOTHER CAR OR A PEDESTRIAN. I AM BECOMING SO ADEPT AT THIS MANEUVER THAT LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AUTOMATICALLY. I WAS BADLY SHAKEN, BUT NOTHING SERIOUS HAPPENED. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO HYUNDAI AMERICA AND THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED. THEY HAVE INSPECTED THE PROBLEM AND CLAIM THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAD ALREADY BEEN DRIVING FOR A FEW HOURS, SO THE ENGINE WAS WARM. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND SHE WAS HEADED UP A MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY, WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD, INCREASING IN SPEED AS SHE WAS CRESTING THE HILL. AS SHE HEADED DOWN, BRAKING, THE TACHOMETER CONTINUED TO WIDELY GO UP AND DOWN AND THE ENGINE WAS REVVING UP . ONCE SHE PULLED OVER, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY DOWNLOADED A COMPUTER UPGRADE AND OVER THE NEXT 4-5 WEEKS ON OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT LOW SPEEDS. ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED IVOQ 11/03/10 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC ANTI-LOCKING BRAKE SYSTEM SHUTS ON AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WOULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V131000, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK: CONTROL UNIT/MODULE WHICH WAS RELATED TO THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 61000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE ENGINE REVVED WHICH CAUSED THE RPMS TO INCREASE EXCESSIVELY HIGH. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO THE PARK POSITION TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS DRIVEN TO A PARKING LOT, AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT WAITED FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE RESUMING TO OPERATION WITH EXTREME CAUTION. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DIAGNOSED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE HORN AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CLOCK SPRING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT WITH THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I'VE OWNED MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SINCE JULY 2003 AND I HAVE BEEN MOSTLY PLEASED WITH THE VEHICLE. ON 4/30/10, I LEFT HOME FOR A TRIP TO ANOTHER TOWN APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES FROM HOME. THE TRIP WAS MOSTLY ON AN EXPRESSWAY TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 60 - 70 MILES PER HOUR. AS I NEARED MY DESTINATION, I GOT OFF THE EXPRESSWAY, ONTO A SURFACE ROAD. WITHIN 1 MILE OF BEING ON THE ROAD, I WAS CHANGING LANES AND SENSED MY CAR "PULLING" ME, WHILE I WAS LIGHTLY BREAKING. I LOOKED DOWN TO ENSURE THAT NEITHER MY FOOT, FLOORMAT OR ANYTHING ELSE WAS TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THERE WAS NO EXPLAINABLE REASON FOR THE ACCELERATION. HOWEVER, BY KEEPING MORE FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR ENOUGH TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. I STOPPED THE CAR, AND PUT IN PARK. THE ENGINE WHINED LOUDLY. BUT I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT OFF. OVER THE NEXT 30 MINUTES I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO START THE CAR AND SEE OF THE THROTTLE WOULD SOMEHOW RESET ITSELF. BUT EACH TIME, THE ENGINE RACED LOUDLY. I CHOSE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. THEY DETERMINED THAT A THROTTLE SENSOR HAD SHORTED OUT. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND I WAS GIVEN BACK THE VEHICLE ON 5/8/10. THE VEHICLE HA SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY SINCE THEN. *TR