2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

FUEL GAUGE STARTED INTERMITTENTLY GOING UP AND DOWN, THEN STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. WHILE DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE ON I95, AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED RUNNING OUT OF GAS ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH, DUE TO THE LOSS OF ALL POWER.

I ALSO HAVE THE FUEL LEVELING SENSOR ISSUE ON MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LIMITED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CODE INDICATED A FAILING FUEL LEVELING SENSOR. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY FLUCTUATION IN THE FUEL GAUGE AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH FUEL IS LEFT AND WHEN THE CODE IS CLEARED WILL COME BACK ON RANDOMLY. IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN TO A LOT OF THESE VEHICLES BETWEEN 60,000 AND 120,000 MILES. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL OR CLASS ACTION SUITE AS IT IS AN ESTIMATED $800 REPAIR AND WILL OFTEN FAIL EITHER BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRES OR WITHIN 20,000 MILES OUTSIDE THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY.

THE GAUGE ON THE FUEL TANK HAS STOPPED OPERATING AND DOESN'T ACCURATELY SHOW HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE TANK. AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK THE EMPTY LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE FUEL GAUGE MOVES UP AND DOWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND STAYS ON.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ACTIVATED AND FUEL GAUGE READS EMPTY AT ALL TIMES. CONSTANTLY ADDING FUEL AS THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCURATELY ESTIMATE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL IS A CONSTANT ISSUE FOR ANYONE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR HYUNDAI SANTA FE AS DOCUMENTED. DEALER ESTIMATE FOR COST TO REPAIR IS $900 AS BOTH FUEL SENSORS WOULD BE REPLACED AT ONE TIME.

WE STOPPED TO GET GAS ON A ROAD TRIP AND AFTER FILLING UP THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED 1/2 FULL THEN EMPTY AND THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD SPIN DOWN AND UP INSTEAD OF SLOWING DECREASING WITH DRIVING. HOW DOES A FUEL GAUGE STOP WORKING ON A 6 YEAR OLD VEHICLE? THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS THAT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL. DEALER SAYS IT IS $500 TO REPLACE SENSOR AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND NOT KNOW WHEN YOU COULD RUN OUT OF GAS. VERY DISAPPOINTING.

I EXITED A TOLL AND PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE NJ TURNPIKE, SUDDENLY, THE STEERING BECAME TIGHT. I NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS OUT, ALONG WITH THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE JUST TURNED OFF. THANKFULLY, NO TRAFFIC, I PROCEED TO PULL TO THE FEEDER OF THE ENTRANCE. PUT CAR IN PARK, AND THE CAR RESTARTED. I AM NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED, AND FEARFUL THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN, WITH TRUCKS BEHIND ME, UNABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND RISK SERIOUS INJURY. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WARNING WAS INDICATED. I RECENTLY HAD TWO KNOCK SENSORS REPLACED AT THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP.

THE GAS GAUGE IS VERY SPORADIC. SOMETIMES IT READS CORRECTLY OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT. IT CAN SAY EMPTY WHEN FULL OR 1/4 OF A TANK WHEN FULL. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE HYUNDAI INTERNET FORUMS AND IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON FAULT WITH THIS VEHICLE. WITH SO MANY OCCURRENCES YOU WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL.

FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN FAULTY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD TURN ON AND OFF AFTER REPLACING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BAD BATTERY ONE MONTH AGO. ONE WEEK AGO WHILE DRIVING, ALL LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD CAME ON (BATTERY, CHECK ENGINE, ABS, ESC...), ENGINE STARTED TO REV, ELECTRICAL AND POWER STEERING FAILED, AND CAR HAD TO BE TURNED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED HOME. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE DRIVING NOW. ISSUE IS FROM A FAILING/FAILED ALTERNATOR CAUSED BY OIL LEAK FROM FRONT VALVE COVER. THIS PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO ISSUES WITH '06-'12 VERACRUZ, RECALL #121.

JUST AS THE OTHER NOTED COMPLAINTS, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND OFF AND MY FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY TEMPERAMENTAL. RARELY IT'LL SHOW THE CORRECT LEVEL - USUALLY ONCE I FILL MY TANK, MY FUEL GAGE SHOES I AM BELOW EMPTY AND FLASHES THAT I HAVE NO MILES LEFT TO DRIVE UNTIL MY TANK IS EMPTY. I HAVE RESORTED TO TRACKING MY MILEAGE WITH THE TRIP FUNCTION BECAUSE AS OTHERS HAVE DISCOVERED - TO REPAIR IT COSTS AN ARM AND A LEG DUE TO EXPENSIVE LABOR FROM WHERE THE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE ACCESSED TO REPLACE IT, UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT.

WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE ON OUR 2008 SANTA FE AS DESCRIBED BY MANY OTHER DRIVERS HERE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF AND THE FUEL GAUGE UP AND DOWN. I'M SURPRISED THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE YET, SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY COMMENTS/COMPLAINTS HERE.