2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

AT APPROX 13,000 MILES I NOTICED A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE WHILE APPLYING BRAKES AT HWY SPEEDS. AT FIRST THE NOISE WAS ONLY PRESENT AT HWY SPEEDS BUT THEN AFTER A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES BEGAN TO APPEAR AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER STATED THAT A PIN FELL OUT CAUSING A CALIPER TO FREEZE THUS CAUSING MY BRAKE PADS TO COMPLETELY WEAR OUT! METAL ON METAL...NO BRAKES AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO GIVE ME A LOANER! JUST ONE OF MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY SANTA FE! I'VE COMPLAINED IN THE PAST ABOUT THE ABS KICKING IN WHEN NOT NEEDED AND THE NOISES AND VIBRATION THAT IT MAKES AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL. NOW I'M NOT SURE.*AK

ON MARCH 30, 2004 AT 5:52 AM WHILE ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR BY A MAN WHO RAN A RED LIGHT. AS HIS VEHICLE MADE IMPACT, MY SANTA FE WAS SENT INTO A ROLL-OVER, WITH APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR FLIPS. MY SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND AS A RESULT, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. I SUFFERED FROM A CONCUSSION AND DAILY HEADACHES, THAT AT TIMES WERE DEBILITATING. THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR, FROM FRONT TO BACK, WAS DESTROYED. I WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THIS WAY, AND HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR THROUGH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WITH THE HELP OF A PASSER-BY. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND SENT THEM ALL OF THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK. I RECEIVED A REPLY THAT STATED THEY FELT THE AIRBAGS HAD FUNCTIONED IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY WERE DESIGNED, AND THIS WAS THEIR FINAL DECISION ON THE MATTER. I FAIL TO SEE HOW SIDE-AIR BAGS, NOT DEPLOYING IN A ROLL-OVER COLLISION, ARE FUNCTIONING AT ALL. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THE DUAL SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS WERE ONE OF THE SELLING POINTS THAT THE DEALER USED. INCLUDED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL WAS A PAMPHLET THAT ALSO DESCRIBED THE AIRBAGS, ALONG WITH PICTURES OF A CAR BEING HIT IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND ROLL-OVER ACCIDENTS. ACCORDING TO THIS PAMPHLET, THE SIDE AIRBAGS WOULD PROTECT YOU IN CRASHES SUCH AS THESE. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A RACK AND PINION STEERING PROBLEM. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, YET PROBLEM RECURRED. VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO GIVE CONSUMER A COPY OF THE WARRANTY, YET NOTHING WAS BEING DONE TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION. *AK

SANTA FE HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCATION OF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE SONATA HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE OPERATION. *MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE SANTA FE (SUV) VIN#[XXX] AND A SONATA GLS VIN#[XXX]. THESE WERE BOTH NEW VEHICLES. THE SANTE FE DISPLAYED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD INTERMITTENTLY. THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL WERE SIMILAR IN HEIGHT. THE SONATA GLS DISPLAYED PROBLEMS, THE FIRST TO SECOND MONTH WITH A BACKFIRE AND OR EXPLOSIVE NOISE UPON THE STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WOULD STUMBLE WHEN SPEEDING, AND FELT AS IF THE A/C COMPRESSOR WAS TURNED ON. *SC *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND ROTATED THE TIRES, BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VIBRATION AND FLUTTER OCCURRED AT 40 MPH TO 60 MPH AND WAS MOST NOTICEABLE AT 50 MPH DURING ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION (60 TO 40 MPH). THE FLUTTER/VIBRATION WAS FELT IN THE CONSUMERS HANDS ON THE WHEEL, FEET, AND FEET. THIS WAS AN INTERNAL VIBRATION/FLUTTER AND NOT JUST A ROAD VIBRATION. *SC

RIGHT AFTER I PURCHASED MY SANTA FE IN MARCH OF 2003, AT RANDOM TIMES MY CAR BUCKED WHEN THE CAR WENT OVER 40 AND THEN WHEN IT WENT OVER 60. THE JERK IS STRONG ENOUGH TO THROW THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS FORWARD AND BACKWARD. WHEN I INFORMED THE DEALER, THEY SAID THE COMPUTER SYSTEM JUST NEEDED TO GET USE TO THE WAY I DRIVE. AS THE PROBLEM BECAME MORE FREQUENT AND I BECAME MORE WORRIED, I CONTINUED TO INFORM THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT HYUNDAI WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM;HOWEVER, THE TECHS HAD NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN EARLY JUNE OF 2004, I FINALLY WAS LISTENED TO BY THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP AND KOREAN TECHS HAD JUST BEEN IN REFLASHING COMPUTERS ON OTHER SANTE FE VEHICLES, TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS THE ANSWER. THE COMPUTER SYSTEM IN MY CAR WAS REPLACED WITH A REFLASHED COMPUTER, AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS FOR TWO WEEKS. ON JULY 9TH, THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN. *LA

ON FEBRUARY 3, 2004, THOMAS ASHFIELD, MY HUSBAND, WAS DRIVING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL TO PICK UP OUR DAUGHTER. WHILE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND TOWARD THE HIGH SCHOOL TWO VEHICLES WERE TRAVELING NORTH. THE FIRST CAR WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THAN WHAT THE ELEMENTS CALLED FOR, HITTING THE SECOND CAR AND SHOOTING THE CAR INTO OURS, BROADSIDING TOM ON HIS DRIVER'S SIDE. TOM IMMEDIATELY HEARD A SNAP. HE SUSTAINED BROKEN RIBS, A TORN MENISCUS , AND A HERNIATED DISC IN HIS C5/C6. (HIS FIRST SURGERY IS COMPLETE, WE ARE AWAITING THE SECOND.) THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS ENOUGH TO REQUIRE APPROXIMATELY $8,400.00. DURING THE ACCIDENT, THE SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WANTED A RAPID REPAIR. WE NEVER THOUGHT TO GET ENGINEERS OUT TO LOOK AT THE DAMAGE OR TO TAKE PICTURES. WE DID LEARN THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG AND SENSOR FROM THE BODY SHOP AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD RETAIN THE COMPONENTS SO THAT HYUNDAI COULD VIEW THEM. I WROTE TO HYUNDAI ON APRIL 14, 2004. A REPRESENTATIVE CONTACTED US THE FIRST TIME IN JUNE AND THEN ON JUNE 22, 2004, HE CALLED AGAIN ASKING FOR THE NAME OF THE REPAIR SHOP. TOM GAVE HIM THE INFORMATION. THE REPRESENTATIVE CALLED US BACK AND TOLD TOM THAT THE REPAIR SHOP HAD GOTTEN RID OF THE PARTS. THAT WAS A SHOCK TO US BECAUSE UP UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO, THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD RETAIN IT. (WE CONFIRMED THIS WITH THEM WHEN THE REPRESENTATIVE FIRST MADE CONTACT WITH US.) IN ADDITION, FROM WHAT THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD TOM, THE STORY CHANGED ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I DO NOT HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA OF WHAT OCCURRED. SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. I WANT ANSWERS. I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE MALFUNCTION HAPPENED. WAS THIS THE FIRST TIME OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT IS ONGOING AND NOBODY IS PAYING ATTENTION TO. MY HUSBAND SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES. WE PAID FOR SAFETY FEATURES ON A NEW VEHICLE AND THEY DID NOT WORK. WHAT WILL IT REQUIRE FOR US TO RECEIVE ANSWERS...A DEATH? *AK

WE PURCHASED OUR 2003 HYUNDAI SANTE FE NOVEMBER OF 2003. IT IS A 2003 MODEL WITH A 3.5 LITER ENGINE. AFTER HAVING THE CAR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE STARTED HAVING A LURCHING PROBLEM WHEN SITTING AT STOP LIGHT. IT WOULD FEEL AS IF SOMEONE BUMPED INTO YOU FROM THE REAR. WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN AND WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS DUE TO AN ABS PROBLEM. THEY SERVICED THE CAR FOR THE RECALLS THAT WERE CURRENT, AND EXPLAINED TO US THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT SHOULD BE OK NOW WITH THE RECALL SERVICING THEY HAD DONE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM, DOING IT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. JUST RECENTLY I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. I STARTED THE CAR, APPLIED MY FOOT TO THE BRAKE AND SHIFTED THE CAR INTO REVERSE. THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED VERY LOUDLY, AND THE CAR LURCHED BACKWARDS ABOUT 6 FEET, ALMOST HITTING SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE PARKED BEHIND ME IN THE OPPOSITE SPACES, PUTTING GROCERIES IN THEIR CAR. I HAD TO PLACE A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE TO AVOID THE CAR GOING FURTHER THAN THE SIX FEET BEFORE THE ENGINE STOPPED REVVING. THE CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALER, WHOM I HOPE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE ISSUE.*AK

WHILE PLACING THE SEAT BELT ON IT BROKE. CONSUMER INFORMED THE DEALER THAT THE SEAT BELT BROKE. *AK

RUSTING BRAKE ROTORS ON MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE CAUSING EXCESSIVE NOISE AND UNSAFE BRAKE FUNCTION. HYUNDAI WANTS TO REPROGRAM THE ABS ECU, RECALL 04V131000, INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE BRAKE COMPONENTS WITH PARTS THAT WILL NOT RUST. THE REPROGRAMING WILL PREVENT THE ABS SYSTEM FROM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AT LOW SPEED AND IN MY OPINION COMPROMISES THE FUNCTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK