2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY DECELERATED TO 5 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER UPDATED THE COMPUTER SYSTEM HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THE ACCELERATOR BLOCK WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED HOWEVER, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V113000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE AND THEY STATED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE V6 LIMITED TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A STALL CONDITION. IMMEDIATELY LOST THE ABILITY TO SAFELY CONTROL THE VEHICLE, COMPLETE LOSS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND POWER STEERING. ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. ONCE THE VEHICLE HAD COASTED TO A STOP, SHIFTED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DRIVE POSITION TO THE PARK POSITION. TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION. IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE START POSITION AND ENGINE RESTARTED. ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR IN DASH PANEL WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM LOCATE THE ROOT CAUSE. DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE. FILED AN INCIDENT REPORT WITH HYUNDAI USA. *TR

WAS NEGOTIATING A LEFT SIDED CURVE ON THE DOWNHILL SIDE OF A STEEP, WINDY ROAD IN A REMOTE AREA BETWEEN OAKLAND AND MORAGA, CA WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST STEERING POWER. I WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES AND FOUND THAT MY BRAKES ALSO HAD NO POWER. I PUSHED VERY HARD ON THE BRAKES AND MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. HAD I BEEN UNABLE TO STOP, MY CAR WOULD'VE GONE DIRECTLY OVER A VERY STEEP HILLSIDE THAT BORDERS A RESERVOIR. AS IT WAS, THE REAR END OF MY CAR WAS JUTTED OUT HALFWAY ONTO THE ROADWAY AND ONLY A FEW YARDS FROM A BLIND CURVE. THIS PARTICULAR SPOT ALSO HAS NO CELL PHONE COVERAGE. AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK, I NOTED THAT MY IGNITION WAS STILL IN THE "ON" POSITION AND THAT ALL THE APPROPRIATE DASH LIGHTS WERE ON, BUT THE ENGINE SOUND WAS ABSENT AND THE TACH READ ZERO. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY ERROR MESSAGES ON MY DASH. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN TURNED THE IGNITION BACK ON. THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP WITH NO HESITATION. I HEARD NO UNUSUAL ENGINE NOISES OR EXPERIENCED ANY DIFFICULTIES WITH DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I DROVE TO THE CLOSEST SERVICE STATION APPROX. 3-4 MILES FROM THE INCIDENT LOCATION. THE MECHANIC DID A QUICK CHECK UNDER THE HOOD, FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL AND SUGGESTED I GO DIRECTLY TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. I TOOK MY CAR TO FUTURE HYUNDAI IN CONCORD, CA. THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS THE NEXT DAY, THEN REPORTED THAT THEY "COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR." I EXPRESSED MY FEAR OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE BASED ON VERY RATIONAL SAFETY CONCERNS AND WHAT I FELT HAD BEEN A CLOSE CALL ON MY LIFE THE DAY PRIOR. I ALSO TOLD THE SERVICE PERSON THAT A QUICK LOOK ONLINE LEAD ME TO FIND SEVERAL STORIES SIMILAR TO MINE. I WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO TALK WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER THE NEXT DAY AS HE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I THEN CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THIS ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED CASE # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS SIMILAR TO A COMPLAINT I ALREADY FILED IN DECEMBER 2012 AND IS A RECURRING ISSUE. ON 3/18/13, WAS TRAVELING APPROX 55 MPH UP A STEEP HILL WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IMMEDIATELY THE GAS PEDAL CEASED FUNCTIONING AS WELL. THE ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING, HOWEVER PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DID NOTHING. THIS CREATED AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME WAS NOT AWARE MY VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN AND I HAD NO ABILITY TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED A MINUTE, AND RESTARTED IT. AT THIS POINT THE GAS PEDAL WAS FUNCTIONING AS EXPECTED, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. WENT TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER THEY INDICATED THE FIX FOR THE ISSUE (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, #12-FL-004) HAD BEEN APPLIED AFTER THE 12/2012 INCIDENT AND THEY FOUND NOTHING NEW WRONG THIS TIME. ON 3/22/13, THE EXACT SAME ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE DURING ONE COMMUTE TO WORK. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER WHO HAS NO IDEA WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND FROM OTHER REPORTS SEEN ONLINE, A RECALL SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

I BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND MADE CONTACT WITH SOMETHING WHICH I COULD NOT SEE FROM MY REAR VIEW OR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS. LATER, WHEN THE EMERGENCY WORKERS WERE LOADING ME INTO THE AMBULANCE, I WOULD SEE THAT THE OBJECT WAS A LOW, CEMENT POLE, WHICH PROTECTED A FIRE HYDRANT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PARKING SPOT I PULLED OUT OF. AS I PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR (DRIVE) WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, TO PULL AWAY FROM WHATEVER I BACKED IN TO, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD (THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IS THE WAY A PINBALL BOUNCES OFF OF A BUMPER ON A PINBALL MACHINE) AND CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE DROVE FORWARD INTO THE PARKING SPOT I HAD STARTED FROM, OVER A CURB AT THE FRONT OF THE PARKING SPOT, THROUGH A PATCH OF LOW LYING PLANTS AND OVER A WALL WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE FEET IN HEIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS AIRBORNE AND CAME TO REST IN THE LOWER LEVEL PARKING LOT, STRIKING A PARKED VEHICLE. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED ITS FORWARD MOTION. MY ARMS HAD BEEN LOCKED ON THE STEERING WHEEL, MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY LEFT LEG ABSORBED THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH INTO THE LOWER LEVEL PARKING LOT. I WAS TAKEN AWAY IN AN AMBULANCE WITH A BROKEN LEG AND SEVERELY DISLOCATED ANKLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE CARRIER. I WAS ADVISED THAT A CLAIMS INVESTIGATOR WAS SENT TO THE INSURANCE-COMPANY-AUTHORIZED COLLISION SHOP TO WHERE MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED. EVEN THOUGH THE EMERGENCY WORKERS ADVISED ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT THAT THE CAR WAS NOT IN A DRIVABLE CONDITION, I WAS ADVISED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY THAT THE INVESTIGATOR DROVE THE VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE COLLISION SHOP AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AFTER HEAVY SNOW I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES OVER A SNOW PILE. WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT OVER THE SNOW, THE SOFTWARE TOOK CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND TURNED TO VEHICLE 270 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED IN THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE MODE. I HAVE OVER 500,000 MILES DRIVING 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES IN OVER 50 YEARS AND HAVE LIVED AND WORKED IN HEAVY SNOW STATES. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY USED THE SAME TECHNIQUE TO GO OVER SNOW WITH NO PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SOFTWARE IS TO AGGRESSIVE. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS REPORTED AFTER THE SNOW STORM WHERE VEHICLES WERE REPORTED TO HAVE SPUN OUT. I WINDER HOW MANY WERE CAUSED BY THE SOFTWARE. I NOW TURN THE STABILITY CONTROL OFF DURING SNOW. *TR

STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE IN THE STEERING COLUMN, MOVES AS IF IT LOOSE. I HAVE OWNED A TOTAL OF FOUR SANTA FE'S. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT HAS A LOOSE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER TWICE. THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG. I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS THE STEERING SHAFT, OR A WORN OUT BEARING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING IN PARK ON AN INCLINE, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING IT TO ROLL AWAY. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING WHEN ATTEMPTING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE TRAVELING APPROX 55 MPH, I HIT A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT POTHOLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IMMEDIATELY CAME ON AND, AT THE VERY SAME INSTANT, THE GAS PEDAL CEASED TO FUNCTION. THE ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING, HOWEVER THE GAS PEDAL HAD NO AFFECT - E.G. PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DID NOTHING. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO IDLE AND, AFTER LETTING UP ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD ON ITS OWN AT APPROX 20 MPH, MORE THAN EXPECTED UNDER NORMAL IDLE CONDITIONS. THIS CONDITION LASTED FOR APPROX 5 MIN UNTIL I COULD PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, WAITED A MOMENT, THEN RESTARTED IT. AT THIS POINT THE GAS PEDAL WAS FUNCTIONING AS EXPECTED, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE DEALER WHO NOTIFIED ME OF AN EXISTING TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, #12-FL-004, FROM HYUNDAI. THEY ALSO INDICATED THIS WAS A "KNOWN ISSUE" RELATING TO THE "ECM SOFTWARE." *TR