2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

AFTER FUELING MY GAS TANK COMPLETELY 16 GALLONS OF GAS I BEGAN TRAVELING ON FREEWAY ONLY TO HAVE MY GAS GAUGE PLUMMET TO EMPTY AND DIGITAL RANGE WENT BLANK. SINCE THEN I AM UNABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE. THE READING FLUCTUATE RAPIDLY. I AM TERRIFIED THAT I WILL RUN OUT OF FUEL ON A BUSY EXPRESSWAY OR DURING SEVERE COLD WEATHER DUE TO RISK OF HARM AND OR INJURY. I WAS TOLD BY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THAT SENSORS ARE FAULITY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT GASKET LEAKED OIL INTO THE ALTERNATOR AND THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, IT IS MOVING ERRATICALLY. THE GAS TANK IS FULL WHILE THE GAUGE IS SHOWING EMPTY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I AM JUST WORRIED THAT I MIGHT BE STRAINED SOMEWHERE WHEN THE TANK IS REALLY EMPTY. I CAN'T TRUST THE GAUGE NOW. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED ALREADY SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT . I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR AS IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT . *TR

2/05/15, TURNED RIGHT ON MANHATTAN BLVD AND NORMAL ACCELERATING, EASED UP ON PEDAL BUT ENGINE STILL FULL THROTTLE. APPLIED BRAKES BUT STILL KEPT ACCELERATING. APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, TURNED INTO A BUSINESS PARKING LOT, AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. STARTED THE ENGINE AFTER 3 OR 4 SECONDS STILL FULL THROTTLE,TURNED ENGINE OFF. STARTED THE ENGINE AFTER 4 OR 5 MINUTES AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. ON 2/05/15 CONTACT HYUNDAI ON 1-800-633-5151 THEY FILLED OUT A REPORT, CASE NO. 7640349, AND ALSO RECOMMENDED I HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. 2/05/15 VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. HYUNDAI DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. HYUNDAI DEALER WAS REQUESTED TO RUN MORE EXTENSIVE TESTS BY CORPORATE OFFICE. 2/10/15 EXTENSIVE TESTS COMPLETED AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. I DID NOT CONTACT HYUNDAI, 1-800-633-5151, ON 1ST OCCURRENCE ON 6/25/14, JUST TOOK IT TO SAME HYUNDAI DEALER AND FILED A COMPLIANT VIA E-MAIL WITH NHTSA. HYUNDAI DID STATE ON 2/05/15 THEY HAD NO RECORD OR RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM! 2/11/15 CAR READY FOR PICKUP. DEALER STATED PROBLEM DUPLICATED SEVERAL TIMES WITH INSTALLED AFTERMARKET FLOOR MAT JAMMING THROTTLE AND CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. SEE BELOW:. I REMOVED THE AFTER MARKET FLOOR MAT. I AM DRIVING WITH A 80% BELIEVE 20% DO NOT BELIEVE CONFIDENCE LEVEL THAT THE FLOOR MAT CAUSED MY TWO PROBLEMS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V472000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

FUEL LEVEL READINGS STARTED FLUCTUATING GIVING ME INACCURATE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK, UNTIL ONE DAY I WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY AND DID NOT KNOW. SINCE THIS INCIDENT.THE GAUGE ONLY MOVES UP WHEN I FILL THE TANK, BUT THEN IT STARTS FLUCTUATING UNTIL SETTLING ON EMPTY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO A STOP LIGHT ON A DOWN HILL SLOPE WITH MY WHOLE FAMILY IN THE CAR WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY CAR TURNED OFF. ALL AT ONCE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, AND I COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO RE-START. I TURNED ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND AT THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION I TRIED TO RESTART MY CAR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I TRIED AGAIN AND IT STARTED BUT IT WOULDN'T LET ME ACCELERATE ALMOST AT ALL (THROUGH AN INTERSECTION!). THERE WAS ALSO A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, AFRAID IF I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE, TURNED THE CAR OFF, WAITED ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, RESTARTED IT, SUCCESSFULLY. I LET IT IDLE FOR A WHILE UNSURE WHAT ELSE TO DO. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE HOME WITH NO OTHER INCIDENT. THE CLICKING WAS OFF AND ON THE ENTIRE DRIVE HOME BUT HAS SINCE GOTTEN QUIETER. *TR

THE FIRST TIME I CAME OUT TO START MY CAR AND LOOKED UP, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND WOULDN'T START. I HAD IT TOWED. I WAS INFORMED IT WAS THE STARTER. THE STARTER WAS REPLACED AND APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS LATER, I NOTICED A BRUSHING SOUND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. OVER TIME IT BECAME MORE OFTEN. I RETURNED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES TO THE INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP. THEY COULDN'T FIND OUT THE NOISE. IN THE MEAN TIME I TOOK TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE STARTER AND TO TAKE IT BACK AND HAVE IT REPLACED. I RETURNED TO THE INDEPENDENT DEALER AND THEY REPLACED, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD IT WASN'T CATCHING. TWO WEEKS LATER IT STARTED THE SAME BRUSHING SOUND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DEALERSHIP TO INSPECT AND IN THE MEAN TIME THE CAR WHILE WARMING UP HAD A BURNT SMELL. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND IT WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP PUT THE CAR ON A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND PUT A NEW STARTER IN. MY CAR WAS HELD FOR 5 DAYS. THEY TOLD ME OIL HAD LEAKED FROM THE STARTER AND THAT WAS WHERE THE SMOKE CAME FROM AND THE BRUNT SMELL. WITHIN A WEEK THE CAR WHEN STARTED HAD THE BRUSHING SOUND AGAIN. I TRIED TO RECORD THE SOUND AND AFTER I STARTED 4 TIMES IT STARTED TO SMOKE AND WOULDN'T START. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AGAIN. IT IS NOW AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. *TR

FUEL SENSOR DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. READS EMPTY WHEN TANK HAS JUST BEEN FILLED, AND WILL THEN FLUCTUATE FROM EMPTY TO FULL FROM THERE. DRIVER HAS TO RELY ON MILEAGE FOR FUEL LEVEL ACCURACY. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED FOR THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL CAR, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ALL HAVE TAKEN THEIR VEHICLES TO DEALERSHIPS WHERE THEY ARE CHARGED $800 TO REPLACE FUEL SENSORS, OFTEN WITH FUEL SENSORS MADE BY HYUNDAI, WHICH MALFUNCTION AGAIN. HYUNDAI DOES NOT COVER REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY, IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL, SITTING "NON-SAFETY ISSUE". THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS A DRIVER CAN RUN OUT OF GAS WHILE ON THE ROAD, AND FACE POTENTIAL INJURY OR DEATH FROM BEING HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE...ESPECIALLY IF ON THE FREEWAY OR AT NIGHT. DRIVERS ARE BEING LEFT STRANDED ON THE ROADS BECAUSE THEY HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS FROM THE SENSORS MALFUNCTIONING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE, AND REMAINS LIT UNTIL THE SENSORS ARE REPLACED. THIS CAN BE HARMFUL BECAUSE DRIVERS WOULD NOT KNOW OF ANY ADDITIONAL ENGINE PROBLEMS SINCE THE LIGHT REMAINS LIT DUE TO THE FUEL SENSOR MALFUNCTION. SEE HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/HYUNDAI/SANTA_FE/2008/FUEL_SYSTEM/FUEL_PROPULSION_SYSTEM.SHTML FOR A HANDFUL OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. I ASK THAT HYUNDAI BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWINGLY PUTTING DRIVERS AT RISK WITH THIS ISSUE AND FOR CHARGING CUSTOMERS A LUDICROUS AMOUNT TO "REPAIR" THE SENSORS WITH THE SAME, FAULTY ONES THEY MANUFACTURE. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A HYUNDAI AGAIN! *TR

FUEL GAUGE SHOW EMPTY AND THERE WAS 3/4 OF A TANK. THE GAUGE READING GO FROM FULL TO EMPTY CONSTANTLY, WE WORRY WE WILL BE TRAVELING AND THE CAR WILL STOP BECAUSE THE GAUGE READS THERE IS GAS AND IT WILL BE EMPTY. *TR