2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 SANTA FE W/A 3.5L ENGINE. I'VE RECENTLY TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN TO HAVE SOME WARRANTY ITEMS TAKEN CARE OF. I ASKED THAT MY CAR ALSO BE FIXED IN REGARDS TO AN ACCELERATION CONCERN. FOR EXAMPLE: 1. WHILE DEPARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE CAR WILL VIOLENTLY JERK YOUR HEAD BACK. THIS OCCURS WHILE BARELY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. 2. WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION I CAN FEEL IT SURGING FORWARD AND BACK. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE DRIVE THE CAR TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T ME, AND THEY ALL EXPERIENCED THE SAME RESULTS. WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER AT A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP DROVE THE CAR, HE AT FIRST SAID HE DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING. THEN, AFTER FURTHER COMPLAINT BY ME, HE ADMITTED THAT, "WELL, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF SURGE, BUT THAT'S JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE TYPE OF ENGINE". I ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT AND HE TOLD ME, "NOTHING, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. THEY'VE HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND NOW THEY DON'T USE THAT ENGINE ANYMORE." I SAID IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GETTING WORSE OVER TIME AND HE SAID, "IT PROBABLY IS, BUT THERE IS STILL NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT". HYUNDAI WAS APPARENTLY AWARE THAT THERE IS A CONCERN OF SAFETY WITH THIS ENGINE SINCE THEY NO LONGER USE THE ENGINE AND ARE MANUFACTURING THEIR SANTA FE'S WITH AN IMPROVED, SAFER ENGINE. I AM AT THE POINT WHERE I NO LONGER FEEL AS IF I AM DRIVING A SAFE VEHICLE AND I AM GETTING TIRED OF PEOPLE ASKING ME WHY MY CAR JERKS FORWARD. (THE CAR SNAPS YOUR HEAD BACK AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF SOMEONE GETS HURT.) THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE KILLED OR KILL SOMEONE ON THE ROAD BECAUSE MY CAR CONCERNS WERE NOT ADDRESSED BY THE APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATION OF HYUNDAI. IF THE NHTSA HAS YET TO FORMALLY FORCE HYUNDAI INTO FIXING THIS ISSUE, I AM REQUESTING THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO. HYUNDAI'S LACK OF INTEREST IN THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS UNACCEPTABLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE ECU WAS REPLACED, AND THE FLOAT IN THE GAS TANK WAS REPLACED TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE STOPPED AFTER APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE, PLACING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT SUGGESTED THAT THE CONTACT SHOULD NOT USE FLOOR GEAR SHIFT OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AS THOUGH IT WERE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

I AM EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM THAT THREATENS MY SAFETY EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH DELAYED ACCELERATION WHEN APPLYING THE GAS PEDAL, WHICH CAUSES FEAR WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC OR MAKING A TURN AS OPPOSING TRAFFIC APPROACHES. THE DELAYED ACCELERATION IS THEN FOLLOWED BY A LUNGING ACCELERATION WHICH REDUCES THE FEELING OF CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER IN ELGIN, IL A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY BRUSHED IT OFF AS A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES WITH THE 3.5 LITER ENGINE. THEY CLAIMED THAT AFTER SOME TIME THE VEHICLE WOULD ''ADJUST'' TO MY DRIVING HABITS AND THE SYMPTOMS WOULD GO AWAY. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A MONTH, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE VEHICLE OVER. THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAD DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY HAD NOT SUBSIDED AT ALL. THE SERVICE MANAGER AND I TOOK A RIDE AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE SYMPTOMS AS THEY OCCURRED AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD DO A VERY THOROUGH CHECK OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WITH THE VEHICLE. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP'S NEW SERVICE MANAGER AND FROM A SALES PERSON WHO REPLACED THE SALES PERSON THAT I HAD BOUGHT THE VEHCLE FROM (HE WAS FIRED). I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THEY HAD ME BRING IT IN. THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE ACCELERATION WAS SWAPPED WITH ONE FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM LESSENED IN SEVERITY, BUT CONTINUED TO BE QUITE NOTICEABLE. I NEVER DID GET A RESPONSE FROM HYUNDAI CORPORATION TO A MARCH 17, 2006 LETTER COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. TO THIS DAY, THE ACCELERATION WAS STILL ERRATIC AND MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR EVEN WHEN ACCELERATING ON THE EXPRESSWAY.THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO, BECAUSE NO OFFICIAL RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.

2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE RESURFACED ROTORS, VIBRATING STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKE PEDAL. *KB THE LEFT FRONT SPEAKER MADE A NOISE. *JB

2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE BRAKE PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. ROTORS HAD ALREADY BEEN RESURFACED. *KB THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CANISTER PURGE VALVE. THE LEFT SPEAKER WAS MAKING AN NOISE. *JB

DRIVING ON A DIRT ROAD, VEHICLE STARTED TO WOBBLE, VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND WENT OVER DITCH, ROLLED AND HIT TREE. PASSENGER WAS THROWN FROM VEHICLE. DRIVER SUSTAINED SPINAL CORD INJURY. VEHICLE HAD FRONT END, RIGHT SIDE, AND TOP DAMAGE. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JB

2005 SANTA FE WHEELS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ROTATE THE TIRES. *TS THE DEALER SUGGESTED BEARING GREASE BE APPLIED EACH TIME THE TIRE ARE ROTATED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY ADVISED THE CONSUMER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER EACH TIME FOR SERVICE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THERE IS A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, UPON INSPECTION THE VIBRATION WAS NOTICED HOWEVER A REPAIR COULD NOT BE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE STATED THE HARMONIC BALANCER CAUSED THE PROBLEM.

MY WIFE AND I ARE EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM THAT THREATENS OUR SAFETY EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH DELAYED ACCELERATION WHEN APPLYING THE GAS PEDAL, WHICH CAUSES FEAR WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC OR MAKING A TURN AS OPPOSING TRAFFIC APPROACHES. THE DELAYED ACCELERATION IS THEN FOLLOWED BY A LUNGING ACCELERATION WHICH REDUCES THE FEELING OF CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER IN ELGIN, IL A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY BRUSHED IT OFF AS A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES WITH THE 3.5 LITER ENGINE. THEY CLAIMED THAT AFTER SOME TIME THE VEHICLE WOULD ??ADJUST?? TO MY DRIVING HABITS AND THE SYMPTOMS WOULD GO AWAY. THEIR CAVALIER ATTITUDE DID NOT SIT WELL WITH ME. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A MONTH, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE VEHICLE OVER. THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAD DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY HAD NOT SUBSIDED AT ALL. THE SERVICE MANAGER AND I TOOK A RIDE SO THAT I COULD DEMONSTRATE THE ACCELERATION AND OTHER PROBLEMS THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING WITH THE VEHICLE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE SYMPTOMS AS THEY OCCURRED AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD DO A VERY THOROUGH CHECK OF THE VEHICLE. TO MY CHAGRIN, WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WITH THE VEHICLE. I WAS ASSURED THAT THE ACCELERATION CHARACTERISTICS THAT I COMPLAINED ABOUT WERE NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO GET USED TO IT. I HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE FOR ALMOST THREE ADDITIONAL MONTHS, BUT THE ACCELERATION IS STILL ERRATIC AND MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR EVEN WHEN ACCELERATING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. THIS VEHICLE IS COMPROMISING MY SAFETY, AND I CANNOT ACCEPT THE EXPLANATION THAT THIS IS NORMAL. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE MY WIFE OR I GET INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO THE PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS OF THIS VEHICLE. *NM