2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: WE ARE WRITING TO YOU CONCERNING A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH OUR HYUNDAI SANTA FE SUV THAT WE PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER 2005. WE HAVE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AS WELL AS CONTACTED THE HYUNDAI CORPORATE USA HEADQUARTERS, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM RELATES TO THE GAS PEDAL AND ITS ACCELERATION. WHEN THE CAR IS AT A STOP AND YOU APPLY YOUR FOOT TO THE GAS PEDAL, IT HESITATES AND THEN LURCHES FORWARD. THIS IN ITSELF IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH, BUT IF THE ROADS ARE WET OR SNOW COVERED, THE CAR TENDS TO SLIP AND SKID. BY WAY OF EXPLANATION, THE DEALER CLAIMS THIS DELAY IN ACCELERATION IS DUE TO THE FLY-BY WIRE ACCELERATION SYSTEM. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE DEALERSHIP AND THE HEAD QUARTERS ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, BUT STATE THAT IT IS MERELY A FUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURS AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONCERN AND HELP. SINCERELY, BRUCE AND LYNNE BLATT. *JB *NM

WHEN 2005 SANTA FE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED IT HAS A DELAYED REACTION. *TS ***NAR*** THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE DELAYED ACCELERATION OCCURRED IT CAUSED THE TIRES TO SPIN ON WET OR SNOW COVERED PAVEMENT. THE STARTER HAD TO TURN OVER MUCH LONGER THAN IT SHOULD BEFORE THE ENGINE STARTS. THE BRAKES WOULD CATCH AS IF SOMETHING IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS LOOSE, THERE WAS A GRINDING/RUBBING SOUND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE PARTIALLY APPLIED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 15 MPH, THE ABS ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL NUMEROUS TIMES IT FINALLY STOPPED. THIS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF WARPING, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. THE DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. UPDATED 4/11/2006 - THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT SHE DIDNT HAVE A PROBLEM WITHTHE BRAKES UNTIL THE ROTORS AND LEFT WHEEL SENSOR WERE REPLACED. *NM

2005 HYUNDAI SANTE FE INVOLVED IN A SEVERE ROLLOVER AND ALL AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER 6X WITH 3 PASSENGERS IN IT. ONE WAS EJECTED FROM THE BACK AND THE FRONT TWO SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE AIR BAGS HAD DEPLOYED. *NM

2005 SANTA FE 3.5 BUCKS WHEN CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER ORDERED PARTS CORRECTED PROBLEM AT SPEEDS UNDER 60 BY REPLACING BODY ASSEMBLY THROTTLE AND GASKET THROTTLE B. STILL BUCKS AT SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH WHETHER HITTING BRAKE OR CANCEL BUTTON TO DISENGAGE CRUISE. DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER SAYS ALL SANTA FE 3.5'S DO THIS THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL THROTTLE. BUCKING OF CAR IS SO PRONOUNCED EVERY ONE IN THE CAR FEELS IT. I WILL NEVER FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE USING THE CRUISE OVER 60 AND WILL NEVER USE IT WHEN OTHER PEOPLE ARE IN THE VEHICLE. JUST BECAUSE IT WAS DESIGNED THIS WAY AND THEY ALL DO IT DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT. I FEEL THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. I WAS TOLD ONLY THE 3.5'S BUCK WHEN THE CRUISE IS DISENGAGED. *NM

I PURCHASE A NEW 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE EQUIPPED WITH THE 3.5 ENGINE AND 4 WHEEL DRIVE IN JULY OF 2005. AS I NOW FOUND OUT, THIS OPTIONAL 3.5 ENGINE IS EQUIPPED WITH A COMPUTER OPERATED ACCELERATION THROTTLE ENGINE. THIS NEW SET UP IS VERY POORLY DESIGNED, HAS A FEW SECOND DELAY AND THEN THE CAR DARTS OFF FAST, SOMETIMES SPINNING ALL DRIVE WHEELS ON DRY PAVEMENT. I BOUGHT A 4 WHEEL DRIVE UNIT FOR OUR RAIN, SNOW COVERED ROADS IN OREGON, HOWEVER IT'S MUCH WORST ON THIS TYPE OF CONDITIONS. I'VE ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR AHEAD OF ME SEVERAL TIMES AND ALSO HAVE TO HAVE ONE FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR WHERE I HAVE TO STOP FOR PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET. THIS I KNOW IS A VERY DANGEROUS WITH PEDESTRIANS AND HEAVY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC IN EVERY DAY SITUATIONS. I'VE QUIT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IN THOSE SITUATIONS AS I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE OR LOST OF LIFE, SINCE I'VE HAD A STROKE AND SLOWER NOW. I CALLED MY LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER AND THEY SUGGESTED I HAVE IT TOW 55 MILES TO THEM, WHICH I DID. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS THERE, THEY SAID THEY RE PROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER AND IT WAS SOMEWHAT BETTER. I PICKED IT UP AND WITHIN A FEW CITY BLOCKS I NEW IT WAS JUST THE SAME AS BEFORE. I WAS PLANNING A TRIP TO LAS VEGAS, NV. AND DECIDED I WOULD TAKE IT THERE AND THEN TO A DEALER IN THAT TOWN, WHICH I DID. WHAT A SURPRISE, THAT DEALERSHIP WAS VERY WELL A WHERE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAD HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE EXACT PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC CAME OUT TO TELL ME THAT THERE WAS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE 3.5 ENGINE AND THAT THERE WAS NO FIX FOR IT AT THAT TIME, MY BEST CURE WOULD BE TO TRADE IT IN FOR A ANOTHER CAR !!. THEY WOULD NOT EVEN TRY TO FIX IT. I PAID 25,000.00 DOLLARS FOR IT AND CAN'T EVEN KNOW DRIVE IT SAFELY. *JB

THE THROTTLE HANGS UP WHEN GOING FROM A DEAD STOP. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO LURCH AHEAD SO FAST IT SPINS THE TIRES. THIS WILL CAUSE YOU TO REAREND A CAR IN TRAFFIC , OR TO PULL OUT IN TRAFFIC TO LATE WHICH COULD ALSO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO APPLY EXTENSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO CLAIMED BRAKES WERE OKAY. THE SECOND PROBLEM INVOLVED REAR DOOR MISALIGNMENT. THE THIRD FAILURE WAS PAINT PEELING OFF UNDER THE HOOD. *AK

DT: WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE THE VEHICLE SURGED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO REV ABOVE 6500 RPMS. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN. HE REPORTED HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE ABOVE INCIDENT. HE HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT SEVERAL PROBLEMS. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS THE TRACTION CONTROL, WHICH ALLOWED THE FRONT WHEELS TO SLIP IN THE SNOW. THE ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR CUT IN AND OUT WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS ON. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THEY SUGGESTED TURNING THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF. THE CONTACT TRIED THE DEALER'S SUGGESTION. AND NOW, ONLY ONE WHEEL WILL TURN IN THE SNOW, THE ENGINE IDLED LOW, AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE SECOND PROBLEM OCCURRED ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD AFTER A COMPLETE STOP. THE LAST PROBLEM WAS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WHICH INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DPS VALVE SENSOR AND REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE. THE CONTACT HAD ONLY DRIVEN THE VEHICLE ONCE SINCE THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. *AK