2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

LETTER FROM SENATOR SCHUMER ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE TIMING BELT ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

THE AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF, THEN IT STAYS ON, HAD IT CHECKED AND NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE AIRBAG, VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IN MOTION IN TEMPLE TX, ON THE STREET AND ON THE HIGHWAY.

2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FRONT COIL SPRING CORROSION RECALL NOTICE AND FUEL TANK REPLACEMENT PARTS STILL NOT AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE REPAIRS. *SMD

FOUR SEPARATE INCIDENTS WITHIN A 30 DAY PERIOD AT HIGHER SPEEDS (>65 MPH ON A FREEWAY) OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, REMEDIATED BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND BRAKING HARD WITHOUT PUMPING. THESE ACTIONS DISENGAGED THE ACCELERATION WITHOUT HAVING TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND TURNING THE IGNITION OFF. UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OCCURRED AGAIN, IN THE LATEST INCIDENT WHILE TRAVELING AT 40 MPH ON A CITY STREET, HOWEVER CAR WOULD NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP EVEN WITH FULL WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE, AND WHILE SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL SOLVED THE IMMEDIATE ACCELERATION PROBLEM, THE IGNITION HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A FULL STOP. DRIVER ALMOST WRECKED SEVERAL CARS WHILE TRYING TO DODGE TRAFFIC AS CAR ACCELERATED VERY RAPIDLY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN HAD A TRAGIC ENDING BUT FORTUNATELY ONLY RESULTED IN A MECHANICS' VISIT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS RELEASED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V122000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000. UPDATED 1/15/16 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER PERFORMED TWO ECM UPDATES. UPDATED 01/25/16.*JB

I BROUGHT CAR FOR A INSPECTION STICKER AND IT FAILED BECAUSE A SMALL VAPOR LEAK. THIS WAS DONE IN MAY OF 2015. THE REPAIR MADE WAS TO REPLACE THE CELLULOID IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WAS TOLD TO DRIVE VEHICLE SO COMPUTER COULD RESET ITSELF. WEEKS PASSED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OFF. IT DID NOT WORK. BROUGHT BACK TO SHOP ONLY THIS TIME I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A VERY STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE AND UNDER CAR. WHEN MY MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT HE NOTICED 3 SMALL PIN HOLES IN THE TANK AND THAT'S WHERE WE GETTING THE VAPOR. I RESEARCHED IT FOR RECALL NOTHING FOUND CALLED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT MY PROBLEM. DURING MY RESEARCH I CAME ACROSS MANY ARTICLES OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING SAME PROBLEM. BUT HYUNDAI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM WITH GAS TANKS.

ON OR ABOUT JULY 1ST 2015 I WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE THE BRAKE PADS ON MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE. UPON REMOVAL OF THE TIRE I NOTICE THAT THE BRAKE BACKING PLATE WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND WAS HANGING BY A SLIVER OF RUSTY METAL. THIS AUTO USES A MINIATURE DRUM BRAKE AFFAIR ON THE REAR WHEELS TO ACTUATE THE PARKING BRAKE. IN MY OPINION, IF THE CENTER OF THE BACKING PLATE RUSTS AWAY AND CAUSES THE BRAKE SHOE RETAINING PINS TO COME OUT THE BRAKE SHOE COULD CONTACT THE METAL DRUM AREA WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE AUTO TO HAVE IT'S PARKING BRAKE ENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING, LOCKING UP THE REAR DRIVE WHEELS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS AUTO WAS INTO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE IN JUNE OF 2015 AND AT THAT TIME THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED CHANGING BUT NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THE RUSTED OUT BACKING PLATE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT IT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT A BACKING PLATE SHOULD NOT RUST THROUGH IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS. I BASE THIS ON THE FACT THAT I WORKED FOR A SERVICE GARAGE FOR OVER 10 YEARS AND HAVE DONE THE WORK ON MY OWN VEHICLES FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND IN MY EXPERIENCE BACKING PLATES SHOULD NOT RUST TO THE POINT OF PERFORATION IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS.

TRAVELING SLOWLY ON A SIDE ROAD, THE FRONT PASSANGER SIDE OF MY SANTA FE COLLAPSED WITH THE SOUND OF A TERRIFIC BOOM. THE COIL SPRING ON THE PASSANGER SIDE HAD BROKEN AND DUG LIKE A KNIFE INTO THE TIRE, SHREDDING THE TIRE ALMOST ALL THE WAY AROUND, LEAVING A DEEP, WIDE GASH. UPON INSPECTION, I SAW THAT PART OF THE COIL HAD BROKEN OFF. THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED TO HYUNDIA'S "CAPAIGN 124," A RECALL FOR INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT OF FRONT END COIL SPRINGS.

AT FIRST I NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES (RANDOMLY) WHEN I STARTED MY CAR AFTER SITTING FOR A LONGER PERIOD LIKE 6 OR 8 HOURS THAT I'D TURN THE KEY AND WITHOUT PRESSING ANY PEDALS THE VEHICLE'S RPMS START TO CLIMB UP SLOWLY. IT MAX'S OUT AT 4000RPMS AND STAYS THERE FOR AWHILE THEN WILL DECREASE ON ITS OWN AFTER AWHILE (RANDOM TIMING ALWAYS). IF I STEP ON THE GAS AS ITS REVVING UP IT RELEASES AND GOES BACK DOWN. IF I BRAKE IT DOES NOTHING. SO AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF NOTICING THIS PROBLEM, TAKING IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HAVING THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED, AND A GASKET REPLACED THE VEHICLE HAS NOW STARTED TO REV UP ON ITS OWN AFTER I RELEASE THE GAS PEDAL WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS OF 80 OR OVER. I LET OFF THE GAS THEN IT REVS UP QUICKLY TO 4000 THEN AGAIN QUICKLY SHOOTS BACK DOWN BELOW NORMAL. IT DIDN'T DO THE HIGHWAY PROBLEM AS MUCH I NOTICED WHEN THE FUEL WAS LOW, BUT WHEN I FILLED MY TANK THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AGAIN. IT DID STILL REV ON IT'S OWN FROM COLD START THE WHOLE TIME STILL REGARDLESS OF FUEL LEVEL. I NOTICED THIS WEEK IT NOW JUMPS WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE AFTER A COLD START AND THE OTHER DAY IT SEEMED TO LOSE ITS GUSTO AS I WAS TURNING A CORNER, THEN IT REVVED HIGH AND WENT BACK TO NORMAL. THIS IS ALL VERY SCARY AND I AM CONCERNED AS I READ MORE AND MORE THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE INJURY OR FATALITY. NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, JUST THAT IT COULD BE A BUNCH OF THINGS. *TR