2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

SINCE THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2003 HAD 1500 MILES ON IT WE WERE TOLD THE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF RUST. SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES.TRANSMISSION LOST FLUID BECAUSE OF RUSTED COOLING LINE. JUST REPLACED POWER STEERING LINES BECAUSE LOST FLUID DUE TO RUSTED LINES. NOW WE ARE LOSING BRAKE FLUID DUE TO RUST. VEHICLE HAS 42500 MILES..CAR PURCHASED NEW IN AUG. 2003. *TR

I HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE STEERING OF MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR DURING A SNOW STORM I ACTUALLY RAN OFF THE HIGHWAY AND DOWN A SLIGHT SLOPE. I THEN TOOK MY CAR TO MY REPAIR SHOP WHERE A CORRODED AND BENT TRAINING ARM WAS DISCOVERED AND REPLACED. I AM NOW IN THE MIDST OF A REBATE FROM THE COMPANY AS THE CAR WAS RECALLED FOR THAT PARTICULAR PART. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO HAVE IT CHECKED FOR THIS DEFECT I WAS TOLD THAT THE OTHER TRAILING ARM WAS NOT CORRODED ENOUGH TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WOULD BE SPRAYED TO PROTECT IT FROM FURTHER DAMAGE. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE AT ALL WITH THIS REMEDY AS I AM NOW HEARING THE SAME NOISE FROM THE LEFT SIDE AS I HEARD FROM THE RIGHT SIDE WHEN THE PROBLEM BEGAN. WHY CAN'T THE COMPANY DO THE RIGHT THING FIX THESE PROBLEMS SO THAT THOSE OF US WHO DRIVE HYUNDAI PRODUCTS CAN FEEL SAFE. YOURS TRULY, MARIE E. ENWRIGHT *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON. THIS HAPPENED 18 MONTHS AGO AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER WANTS $70 JUST TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM PLUS REPAIR COSTS SINCE IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. NO THANKS. *TR

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS WOULD ONLY WORK OCCASIONALLY. THEN, THE BACK WINDOWS FOLLOWED SUIT. THEN, THEY ALL STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY EXCEPT THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL WOULD STILL WORK.. THEN IT COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. NOTHING WORKED AT ALL. MY HUSBAND CHANGED THE WHOLE DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL PANEL AND THAT FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. NOW, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW IS WORKING ONLY WHEN IT WANTS TO AGAIN. *TR

ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO, MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS NOT GONE OFF SINCE. I WONDERED IF THIS MEANT I HAD NO AIRBAG FUNCTION, BUT NOW AFTER READING THESE COMPLAINTS I KNOW IT IS NOT WORKING. THIS PROBLEM COMBINED WITH THE ENGINE THAT MYSTERIOUSLY AND SUDDENLY SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IS NOT A GOOD COMBINATION. I SMELL TROUBLE. *TR

ONE DAY IN 2003 WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, MY 2003 SANTA FE DIED AND THEN IMMEDIATELY STARTED AGAIN, ALL BY ITSELF. IT WOULD HAPPEN ABOUT ONCE A MONTH, SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING. NOW IT OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. IT ALSO HAS OCCURRED AT SLOWER SPEEDS. ONCE AT A STOPLIGHT, IT DIED BUT DID NOT START AGAIN. EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN, EVEN STEERING. DEALER SAYS THEY CAN NOT FIX IT WITHOUT SEEING IT HAPPEN. OF COURSE, IT NEVER OCCURS FOR THEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL WHEN THE SEAT WAS RECLINED. THE ERROR CODE HAS BEEN RESET OVER 15 TIMES. ALSO THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT AND AIR BAGS WERE REPLACED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE HORN. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

I PURCHASED A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 09/2007 WITH 78K MI. IN MAY 2009 I TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE & ASKED THEM TO CHECK IT OUT BEFORE I WENT ON A ROAD TRIP. I WASN'T HAVING ANY PROBLEMS, JUST WANTED TO BE SURE EVERYTHING WAS OK. SERVICE TECH RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION FLUSH, REPLACEMENT OF TIMING BELT, & REPLACEMENT OF CRANK SENSOR. I AGREED TO RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE I WANT TO DRIVE A SAFE & RELIABLE VEHICLE. SINCE MAY I HAVE RETURNED TO SERVICE DEPT. AT LEAST 4 TIMES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE NOW STALLS WHILE I'M DRIVING, NO WARNING, JUST QUITS. IT STARTS BACK UP AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THESE EVENTS ARE INTERMITTENT. THE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15 & 55 MPH, WHILE A/C ON, OUTDOOR TEMP 80+ & HUMID. SOMETIMES FAILURE OCCURS WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, OTHER TIMES AT HIGHER SPEED ON HWY. SERVICE TECH HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR GET A READ ON THE PROBLEM. HE HAS EVEN DRIVEN THE VEHICLE HOME & BACK (60 MI) AT LEAST TWICE, STATING HE HAD NO PROBLEMS. EACH VISIT I AM TOLD "NO PROBLEM FOUND" YET FAILURES PERSIST. HYUNDAI USA HAS ADVISED ME IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP SO THEY MAY DIAGNOSE/DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE PERSON I SPOKE TO AT HYUNDAI USA SEEMED VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE. TO ME, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. SO FAR I'VE BEEN LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. DO SANTA FE DRIVERS HAVE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE HYUNDAI MAKES THIS ISSUE A PRIORITY? I HAVE READ MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE, SOME DATING BACK TO LATE 2003. ALMOST ALL MENTION BEING TOLD ITS A PROBLEM WITH CRANK SENSOR OR RELATED COMPONENTS. ALSO, HYUNDAI APPARENTLY DID RECALL 2001 & 2002 MODELS WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. MY VEHICLE DIDN'T STALL UNTIL THE CRANK SENSOR WAS REPLACED, COULD BE A COINCIDENCE, BUT I DON'T THINK SO. BESIDES THE SAFETY ISSUE, THIS IS A FINANCIAL RIP-OFF. $90/HR LABOR ADDS UP QUICKLY. HYUNDAI KEEPS PROFITING FROM A DEFECT THEY SEEM TO BE AWARE OF, YET REFUSE TO CORRECT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK. SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FAILED, WHICH WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON A SEPARATE OCCASION FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,112 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,496. UPDATED 08/27/09 *BF UPDATED 08/31/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON A SEPARATE OCCASION FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AND THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED PROPERLY AND THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,112 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,496.