2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

I HAD A PROBLEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME WITH HEARING A CLICKING SOUND WHEN I WOULD TURN MY STEERING WHEEL, BUT IT HAD RECENTLY GOT WORSE. ON AUGUST 9, 2006 I TOOK IT IN TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. I WAS SUPPOSE TO PICK MY SANTE FE UP ON AUGUST 11TH BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. ONE WEEK LATER I STILL HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE DEALERSHIP SO I CALLED TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. AT THIS TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS AN R&R MOTOR MOUNT ,SO THEY WOULD BE REPLACING IT, BUT THEY HAD TO WAIT FOR THE PART TO COME IN. ANOTHER WEEK PASSED AND I CALLED TO SEE IF MY SANTE FE WAS DONE. THEY TOLD ME THE MOTOR MOUNT HAD NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO CALL IN A SPECIALTY TECHNICIAN. THE SPECIALTY TECHNICIAN COULD HEAR THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. THE DEALERSHIP THEN TOLD ME I SHOULD JUST COME AND GET MY SANTE FE AND WAIT UNTIL IT GOT WORSE AND THEN MAYBE THEY COULD FIGURE OUT WHERE THE SOUND WAS COMING FROM. I TOLD THEM I WAS CONCERNED THAT IT COULD CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, THEY ASSURED ME THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN, BUT WHEN I ASKED HOW THEY COULD BE SURE IF THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM THEY TOLD ME TO CALL THE MANUFACTURE AND SEE WHAT THEY SUGGESTED. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD HELP US FIND THE PROBLEM. THREE DAYS LATER I GOT A CALL FROM THE MANUFACTURE AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD DONE EVERYTHING THEY KNEW TO DO AND I NEEDED TO GO AND GET MY SANTE FE AND WAIT UNTIL THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE SO THEY COULD PINPOINT WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS COMING FROM. AGAIN I VOICED MY CONCERN ABOUT MY SAFETY. THE MANUFACTURE ASSURED ME IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, BUT I HAVE MY DOUBTS IF NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THE CLICKING SOUND. ON AUGUST 29 I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND PICKED UP MY SANTE FE, THEY TOLD ME IF IT GOT WORSE TO BRING IT BACK IN. *NM

THE CLUTCH ON MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE (58,000 MILES)WENT OUT ON THE NJ TURNPIKE AT THE START OF A WEEK LONG FAMILY VACATION. MAXON HYUNDAI IN UNION, NJ CLAIMED THAT MY DRIVING HAD BURNED THE CLUTCH OUT (I HAVE BEEN DRIVING STICK FOR 12 YEARS AND MY PREVIOUS CAR- A SATURN- HAD OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH WHEN I SOLD IT) AND WHEN THE CLUTCH WENT IT DAMAGED THE FLY WHEEL. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE FLY WHEEL, THOUGH PART OF THE POWER TRAIN SUPPOSEDLY COVERED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY, WAS NOT COVERED SINCE IT WAS MY FAULT THAT IT WAS DAMAGED. THEY FURTHER INDICATED THAT REPLACING THE CLUTCH AND PUTTING THE OLD FLY WHEEL ON WOULD JUST CAUSE ME TO BURN OUT ANOTHER CLUTCH LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE FLY WHEEL IS WHAT CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO GO IN THE FIRST PLACE. ANYWAY, I DID PAY FOR THE CLUTCH TO BE REPLACED BUT NOT THE FLYWHEEL AND THEN I TRADED IT IN ON A NEW SATURN VUE. I WAS OUTRAGED AT THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY BOTH THE DEALER AND BY HYUNDAI CORPORATE WHEN I CALLED THEM. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE ME AS I GOT A WHOLE $4,500 FOR THE VEHICLE THAT I PAID $17,000 FOR JUST 3 YEARS AGO AND THIS WAS AFTER I HAD TO PAY A REPAIR BILL OF $1600 AND PAY $500 FOR A RENTAL CAR SO THAT OUR VACATION WAS NOT RUINED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS HESITATION AND SURGING OF THE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS, EXTREMELY POOR GAS MILEAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A SERVICE DEALER, THE HESITATION AND SURGE COULD NOT BE RECREATED AND NO PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED. WHEN INSPECTED AGAIN BY THE SAME SERVICE DEALER, A DETACHED CABLE WAS FOUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS ALSO A SPRING UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FOUND TO BE DISCONNECTED. ONCE THE ITEMS WERE REPAIRED, THE MILEAGE IMPROVED, BUT THE HESITATION AND SURGING CONTINUED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THERE WAS IN FACT A HESITATION AND A SURGING. ON THE NEXT VISIT TO THE SERVICE DEALER, A KNOCK SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED WHO RECOMMENDED THE CONTACT TRY ANOTHER SERVICE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION BY ANOTHER SERVICE DEALER, THE KNOCK SENSOR WAS OBSERVE TO BE LOOSE AND IT WAS CRIMPED TO TIGHTEN IT. HOWEVER, THE HESITATION AND SURGING CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. UPDATED 08/25/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING LESS THAN 20 MPH. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE PICTURES HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WHILE AT A STOP. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS NOTICED THE UNDERCARRIAGE HAD CORROSION, THE WINDSHIELD WAS ETCHED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ABOVE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER, AND THE VEHICLE VIBRATED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

I OWN A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. IT BROKE DOWN ON APRIL 29TH, 2006. MY CAR WAS BROUGHT TO FUCILLO HYUNDAI IN SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK. MY CAR IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED HERE AS HAVING A WORN CLUTCH. WHEN I DECLINED TO HAVE MY CAR FIXED AT THIS LOCATION AND TOOK IT TO OPITZ TRANSMISSION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FLYWHEEL WAS BROKEN AS WELL. I CONTACTED FUCCILLO, WHO DECLINED TO HAVE THE FLYWHEEL FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY AGREEMENT THAT CAME WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR. THIS WARRANTY AGREEMENT DOES NOT STATE THAT THE FLYWHEEL IS NOT COVERED. I ALSO CONTACTED HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA AND SPOKE WITH TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. ONE TOLD ME THE PART WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND SHOULD BE FIXED, ANOTHER TOLD ME THE PART WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THE COST OF THE FLYWHEEL WAS $1276 PLUS TAX AND COULD ONLY BE ORDERED THROUGH A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. I HAD MY CAR FIXED BY OPITZ TRANSMISSION IN SCHENECTADY, NY. OPITZ TRANSMISSION AGREES THAT THE FLYWHEEL WAS POORLY MADE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I HAVE CONTACTED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, THEY FORWARDED MY LETTER AND INFORMATION TO THE NYS MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY DIVISION, WHO IN TURN TOLD ME TO CONTACT THIS WEB SITE. I HAVE LETTERS, RECEIPTS, AND INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FORWARD TO SOMEONE IN THIS DIVISION. *JB

AFTER THE HEAVY RAINS HAD OCCURRED HERE IN MIAMI ON MAY 16TH, 2006, THERE WERE UNKNOWN VIBRATIONS IN MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, I WAS OUT WITH A FRIEND. WHILE TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT, WE NOTICED A LOAD POPPING SOUND. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE LOCATION TO PICKUP HIS VEHICLE. HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO INFORM ME THAT I WAS MISSING THREE LUGS FROM MY RIM. THE NEXT DAY I WENT BACK TO THE PARKING LOT AND FOUND THE BROKEN LUGS FROM MY CAR. I ALSO TRIED TO REMOVE ANOTHER LUG FROM THE RIM TO ENSURE ITS' INTEGRITY AND IT BROKE OFF AS WELL. WHEN I CALLED ONE OF THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALERS, I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY KNOW HOW TIGHT TO TIGHTEN THE LUGS AND THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN MY ERROR. *JB

CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT ALWAYS RESPOND WHEN ACCELERATING. AT TIMES THE CAR SLOWS DOWN TO POINT THAT IT IS A HAZARD FOR US AND ANY CAR NEAR TO US. THERE HAS BEEN THREE OCCASIONS THAT ACCIDENTS ALMOST HAPPENED. IN ORDER TO GET IT UNDER CONTROL, THE CAR HAS TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND SET FOR A SHORT PERIOD BEFORE I CAN CONTINUE. I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEAR OF SUCH A THING AND THEY WOULD CALL THE FACTORY. WHEN I HADN'T HEARD FROM THEM FOR QUITE A LONG TIME I RETURNED TO THE SAME PLACE. THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAD EVER BEEN IN WITH A COMPLAINT. *NM

I DRIVE A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 3.5L V6. ON THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2006, I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY DOWN A STEEP, SNOWY HILL IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE CAR IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CONTROL IN THE SNOW, THE BRAKE PEDAL KICKED BACK AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE COMPLETELY. THEY FELT AS THOUGH THERE WAS A MASS OF SOMETHING SOLID BLOCKING THE PEDAL FROM DEPRESSING ALL THE WAY. I PRESSED HARDER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, RELEASED THE PEDAL, PRESSED IT AGAIN, BUT NOTHING I DID KEPT MY CAR FROM CONTINUING TO PROPEL ITSELF DOWNHILL. I NEARLY SIDES WIPED A PARKED CAR BECAUSE, AS MY SPEED INCREASED, THE SANTA FE SLID OUT OF CONTROL ON THE SNOW. ONLY BY SOME MIRACLE WAS THE REST OF THIS BUSY NEIGHBORHOOD STREET EMPTY. I FINALLY REGAINED CONTROL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. AFTER THAT INCIDENT, THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. BUT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS DANGEROUS FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE PATTERN OF THIS PROBLEM: ONE OR MORE INCIDENTS ON A WET OR SNOWY DAY FOLLOWED BY NORMAL OPERATION. IN APRIL OF 2004, THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM DEVELOPED. ANY TIME I TRIED TO STOP ON A WET OR SNOWY STREET, THE BRAKES WOULD SLOW THE CAR, BUT NOT STOP IT COMPLETELY. AT THAT TIME, HYUNDAI DID FIND A PROBLEM. MY SERVICE RECEIPT SAYS THE ABS ACTUATOR WAS BAD, THE ECU WAS REPROGRAMMED, AND THE HYDRAULIC UNIT FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, THIS TIME, ON MARCH 3, 2006, EVEN THOUGH THE SANTA FE BRAKES HAD FAILED IN THE EXACT SAME WAY AS 2 YEARS AGO, HYUNDAI FOUND NO PROBLEM IN THE DIAGNOSTIC IT RAN AND DID NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANY REPAIR. THEY ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT THE ABS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. I AM CERTAIN THAT MY BRAKES WILL FAIL AGAIN, BUT UNTIL MY HYUNDAI DEALER SAYS THERE IS A PROBLEM, THEY'D LIKE ME TO BELIEVE THERE ISN'T ONE. I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER THAT THE NEXT TIME I ROLL DOWN A SNOW-COVERED HILL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE SLOWING TO A STOP AT 20 MPH THE CLUTCH FAILED MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CHANGE GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED, HOWEVER NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.