2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE IDLING WHEN A FIRE OCCURRED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FIRE COMPLETELY ENGULFED FRONT OF VEHICLE BEFORE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE BLAZE. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. CAUSE OF THE FIRE NOT DETERMINED. VEHICLE RECEIVED PERIODIC SERVICE ONE MONTH EARLIER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED MORE RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES MULTIPLE TIMES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. THE FAILURE BEGAN WHEN THE HEAT OR THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS TURNED ON. THE DEALER REPLACED ONE OF THE SENSORS; HOWEVER, THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO WAS ALSO UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 05/10/10 *BF UPDATED 05/12/10.*JB

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) PASSENGER WENT TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND GOT THEIR HAND CUT BY A SHARP EDGE ON THE DOOR HANDLE. IT APPEARS THAT THE CHROME-PLATING HAS TURNED INTO A SHARP EDGE, SIMILAR TO A RAZOR-BLADE (IDENTICAL TO WHAT OCCURRED IN NHTSA ACTION # PE08071 ON THE HYUNDAI SONATA). I HAVE TEMPORARILY TAPED THE SHARP AREA, SINCE BOTH THE DEALER AND HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DANGER OF THIS PROBLEM, AND REFUSE TO REPLACE THE HANDLE AT NO CHARGE. THEY TELL ME THAT SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL AND THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WILL NOT CHANGE THE DEFECTIVE (UNSAFE) HANDLE EVEN THOUGH MY OTHER THREE HANDLES ARE PERFECTLY FINE. HYUNDAI COMPLAINT FILED (TWICE), LATEST DATE WAS 3/10/2010 CASE #[XXX]. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED AND RUNNING. ALSO, THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT EVERY TIME WHEN I EXIT THE SUV. I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENT OR ANYTHING I KNOW OF THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A PROBLEM WITH IT. AS I CALLED THEM ABOUT IT HOWEVER, THEY SAY I MUST PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAS 82,000 MILES ON IT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER HAVING PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 45,000 MILES ON IT ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. I HAVE BEEN ON LINE AND NOTICED THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

EVERYTIME I REFUEL MY 04 HYUNDAI SANTE IT WILL NOT START. IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL STAY RUNNING AND I NEED TO CONSTANTLY GIVE IT GAS. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF I LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING OR NOT, IF ITS RUNNING IT SHUTS DOWN. ALSO TRIED USING DIFFERENT GAS BUT SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM AND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE STATED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE EXACT SAME MAKE, MODEL, YEAR. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THEY SHOULD RECALL IT TO FIX IT. *TR

WE OWN A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTE FE AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SUN VISORS. THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR HAS BROKEN TWICE. IT NO LONGER HAS ENOUGH FRICTION TO HOLD IT UP AND HANGS DOWN IN THE DRIVERS LINE OF SITE. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD, 70,000 MILES, AND REPLACEMENT PART IS A $170. THE DRIVERS VISOR BLOCKING THE DRIVERS VIEW IS SAFETY ISSUE. I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A COMMON PROBLEM AFTER IT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR VEHICLE TWICE. AVAILABILITY OF USED PARTS IS SCARCE DUE TO SO MANY PROBLEMS AND I HAVE FOUND OTHER REMARKS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEMS. THESE VISORS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED BY HYUNDAI. *TR

MY 2004 SANTA FE HAS SERIOUS RUSTING ON THE UNDER FRAME. RUST IS ON THE WELD POINTS AND THE FUEL AND ENGINE COVERS ARE COMPLETELY COVERED WITH RUST AND HAVE CHUNKS MISSING. A RECALL OF 2001 THROUGH 2003 SANTE FE VEHICLES DOES NOT INCLUDE OURS. WE HAVE 64,000 MILES ON IT AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND WE OUR VERY CONCERNED THAT FURTHER RUSTING WILL CAUSE IMPORTANT PARTS TO GIVE WAY. I WAS TOLD BY HYUNDAI THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BUT I COULD WRITE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO HYUNDAI OF AMERICA. THIS I DID AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY RESPONSE AS OF 10/26/2009. MY VEHICLE '!@#$%. I AM SURE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED VEHICLE AND PROBABLY PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THERE IS AN ISSUE BECAUSE LIKE OUR CAR, IT LOOKS GREAT UNTIL YOU PUT IT ON A HOIST. *TR

I'VE OWNED 2 SANTA FE'S IN A ROW (2001 & 2004). BOTH HAD ENGINE FAILURES AROUND 60,000 MILES (BOTH ON FREEWAY). THE 2004 FAILED AT NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ARIZONA DESERT- THESE BOTH PRESENTED ME WITH A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I WAS DRIVING AT 70 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND MADE A TERRIBLE NOISE. I END UP GETTING TOWED OVER 150 MILES TO HYUNDAI DEALER. SMALL BLOCK FAILED AND WAS REPLACED IN BOTH- HYUNDAI COVERED THE 2001 BUT ONLY COVERED 35% OF THE 2004 (86 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY). NEVER BUY HYUNDAI'S AGAIN!!! *TR

THE AIRBAG SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT EVER HAVING BEEN USED IN A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY NOT FUNCTIONING IN THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE PROVIDER STATED THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IF WE ARE IN AN ACCIDENT AND TOLD US IT WOULD COST $1800.00 TO FIX IT. *TR

THE CHROME PLATE ON THE DRIVERS DOOR HANDLE ON MY 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS CRACKED AND SPLIT. EVERYTIME I OPEN THE DOOR TO LEAVE THE CAR THE HANDLE SLICES MY HAND. IT'S AS SHARP AS A RAZOR BLADE. I HAVE PUT TAPE AROUND IT BUT THIS IS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX. MY WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT OPTIONS I MAY HAVE. *TR