2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING IDLE OR DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE AC IS MANUALLY TURNED OFF WITHIN 30 TO 60 SECONDS THE AC WILL TURN ON BY ITSELF. THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE A FIRE, PROPERTY DAMAGE, A CRASH, OR FATALITY AND SHOULD BE ADDRESS BY THE MANUFACTURE. *TR

WAS MAKING LEFT HAND TURN, CAR JUST DIED, NO WARNING AND NO LIGHTS CAME ON. COASTED TO STOP AND CAR STARTED RIGHT UP[. ANOTHER TIME LEAVING PARKING LOT CAR STARTED WAS RUNING FINE THEN LOST SPEED, COULDN'T GO OVER 25 MPH TOOK CAR TO HYUNDAI SHOP AND THEY CKECK CAR AND THEY DID ALL THE CHECKS AND REPAIRS AND SAID CAR SHOULD BE OK. TICKET #[XXX]. ALSO CALLED HYUNDAI COMPANY AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THEM,, CASE #[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR JUST DIED. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AS NO LIGHTS APPEARED BUT THE STEERING WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND I REALIZED THE CAR JUST STOPPED RUNNING FOR NO REASON. IT WAS VERY ALARMING SINCE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD DRIVING. NOT STOPPED OR TURNING. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS BEHIND ME BUT HAD I BEEN ON A BUSIER ROAD OR GOING AT A HIGHER SPEED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND EVEN MORE SO FOR AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR NOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE STALLED, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING, WHEEL CONTROL, AND BRAKES. ON THE FIRST OCCASION, I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A MALL PARKING LOT. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AND ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE DOWN A ROW OF PARKING SPOTS, MY CAR STALLED AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, BRAKE OR GUIDE THE VEHICLE. ON THE SECOND OCCASION, I WAS TURNING LEFT DOWN THE STREET TO MY HOME. AGAIN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR STALLED, VARIOUS LIGHT ELIMINATED ON THE DASH, AND I LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO ADVANCED WARNING AND THE CAR OTHERWISE SEEMED TO BE RUNNING NORMALLY. *TR

THE MIDDLE SEAT (PASSENGER) DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT CAME APART WHEN A PASSENGER TRIED TO BUCKLE UP. THE PASSENGER PULLED THE SHOULDER STRAP OUT TO PULL AROUND AND BUCKLE TO THE SEAT LATCH WHEN THE LATCH PLATE JUST SLIDE RIGHT OFF OF THE BELT. THERE WAS NOTHING SECURING THE SHOULDER STRAP. IT JUST CAME APART. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED OUT AND FIXED AS I WAS CERTAIN IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE CAR'S WARRANTY. I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS TO HAVE THE SEAT-BELT FIXED! HOW COULD THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A SEAT-BELT MALFUNCTION? I STILL HAVE THE SEAT-BELT PROBLEM AS I BELIEVE THAT HYUNDAI SHOULD FIX IT AND NOT CHARGE ME. IF THIS HAPPENED TO ME, THEN I FEEL THAT IT PROBABLY HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS SO I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THIS IS A WIDER SPREAD PROBLEM THAN JUST A FLUKE WITH ME. *TR

FIRST TIME THE INCIDENT HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH, AND AS I MADE A LEFT TURN THE CAR DIED COMPLETELY. NO CONTROL OF STEERING AND HAD TO BRAKE VERY HARD TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. PUT IT IN PARK AND CAR STARTED RIGHT UP AGAIN. LUCKILY NO OTHER CARS WERE AROUND ME. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 1 MONTH LATER AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN AGAIN. TOOK THE CAR TO THE HYUNDAI SERVICE DEALER AND HE REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND CLEANED ALL THE GROUNDS. THE CAR RAN GREAT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY OFF RAMP GOING ABOUT 25 MPH AND THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED AGAIN. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED IGNITION ON AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. ONE MORE INCIDENT OCCURRED, 2 WEEKS AGO, WHILE SLOWING TO A STOP SIGN THE CAR DIED AGAIN. I EVEN CHANGED TO A HIGHER GRADE GAS. BUT I AM STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL UNSAFE AND INSECURE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I DON'T THINK HYUNDAI CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THESE SANTA FE'S. WE WILL BE TAKING THE CAR BACK TO THE HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. *TR

WE EXPERIENCE A FEELING OF LOSS OF POWER AND ALMOST STALLS WHILE TRYING TO MAKE LEFT OR RIGHT HAND TURNS FROM A COMPLETE STOP. IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE PURCHASED CAR IN 2012 BUT SO INTERMEDIATELY THAT WE WOULD JUST TRY AND EXPLAIN IT AWAY (WE CAME UP WITH OH - WE ARE TRAVELING IN THE MOUNTAINS, GOT BAD GAS, WEATHER HOT, WEATHER COLD, MAYBE I IMAGINED IT) BUT WHEN I ALMOST GOT HIT IN THE SIDE TOOK IT IN TO DEALER AGAIN. THEY HAVE HAD IT 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME TROUBLE AND UNTIL THE LAST VISIT COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT - DEALER IN JUNE 2014 KEPT CAR MANY DAYS AND THEN I RECEIVED A CALL FROM SERVICE MANAGER WHO ASKED IF I BRAKED LEFT FOOTED - WELL YES I DO AS MY HUSBAND DOES. HE SAID THEY COULD DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ONLY WHEN THEY LEFT FOOTED BRAKED AND THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO NOT DO THAT. I ASKED SOME MORE QUESTIONS, BASICALLY WHY THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE SINCE WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE IT. HE SAID SINCE THE TOYOTA PROBLEMS THE SENSORS IN CARS ARE MORE SENSITIVE? I TOLD HIM THERE ARE OVER 80 COMPLAINTS WITH THE ODI FOR SAME PROBLEM IN 2012 SANTA FE - HE SAID OH THAT IS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM - I READ ALL OF THEM - TROUBLE SOUNDS THE SAME TO ME. WE RESEARCHED THIS CAR BEFORE BUYING - NOTHING IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS, PAPERWORK OR ON THE NET SAID LEFT FOOTED BRAKING WILL CAUSE YOUR CAR TO STALL - WE WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED IT HOWEVER, I AM NOT EVEN POSITIVE THAT IS THE PROBLEM. I DID ALSO OPEN A COMPLAINT WITH HYUNDAI - THEY DENIED A CLAIM OF A LEMON CAR AND SAID TO JUST TO STOP BRAKING LEFT FOOTED. THE LETTER SAID THEY DROVE IT 200 MILES WITH NO DUPLICATION OF TROUBLE WHICH IS NOT WHAT THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME - THEY WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. WE NOW HAVE A CAR I WILL NOT DRIVE BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS AND WHO WOULD BUY IT SINCE WE WOULD HAVE TO DISCLOSE THIS HESITATION PROBLEM. JUST REC. LETTER FROM LAWYER ASKING US TO CALL HIM - HAVE NOT YET. *TR

SUBMISSION FROM CONGRESSMAN THOMPSON ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE DEFECTS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE BEHAVED AS IF, IT WERE IN NEUTRAL, ALTHOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN DRIVE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO FIND A DEALER, WHERE THEY APPLIED AN APPROVED UPDATE TO THE COMPUTER BOARD. THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS DESIGNED FOR THE NEXT 500 MILES. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED FOUR SIMILAR FAILURES, WHILE DRIVING ON THE PARKWAY. THE CONSUMER WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE DRIVEN 1,000 MILES, WITH NO PROBLEM.

HIGHWAY DRIVING AT 55MPH, COMPLETE AND TOTAL LOSS OF DRIVE TRAIN AND ENGINE POWER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES. NO THROTTLE CAPABILITY. ENGINE REDUCES TO IDLING SPEED, BUT TRANSMISSION STAYS ENGAGED. VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN AND DRIVER PULLS OFF ROAD. ALL ELECTRONICS APPEAR TO WORK. GAS PEDAL HAS NO INTERACTION WITH ENGINE THROTTLE. REQUIRED TOW OFF HIGHWAY TO HYUNDAI DEALER. HYUNDAI DEALER REPAIRED PROBLEM WITH COMPUTER REVISION UPDATE. TSB UNKNOWN.