2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED. THE POLICE WERE PRESENT AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A HEMATOMA AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

VEHICLE HAS BEEN OWNED FOR 35 MONTHS AND HAS 25,968 MILES. DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO REPAIR/REPLACE METAL TO METAL CONTACT OF LR BRAKES UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS 2ND OCCURRENCE. 1ST OCCURRENCE WAS RR ON 6/13/2011 @ 15,771 MILES WHICH WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. ROTOR TURNED AND NEW BRAKE PADS INSTALLED. A RUSTY (DEFECTIVE MFGR) RATTLE CLIP WHICH SNAPS INTO THE CALIPER BRACKET CAUSES BRAKE PADS TO HANG UP OR NOT RETRACT AFTER APPLYING PRESSURE AND DRAG EXCESSIVELY CAUSING PREMATURE BRAKE PAD WEAR/FAILURE AT HALF OF NORMAL PAD LIFE EXPECTANCY. THIS SHOULD BE A CLASS ACTION CASE NATIONWIDE. MAKE HYUNDAI REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY THE DEFECTIVE RUSTY PART TO PREVENT PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR AND/OR FAILURE. REAR DISC BRAKES SHOULD EASILY LAST 50,000 MILES OR MORE. *TR

WE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BRAKES ON THIS CAR SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING NOISE WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE PEDAL. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS THE "BREAKING IN" PERIOD. THE BRAKES WERE MAKING LOUD NOISES AND NOT WORKING CORRECTLY WHEN WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE ON SEPT 12, 2011.THE REAR BRAKE PADS WERE STICKING TO THE ROTORS OVERHEATING THE ROTORS. THE PADS AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. WE JUST BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN AGAIN FOR SERVICE AND THE INDICATION IS THE ALL THE BRAKES MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS AT 22,000 MILES. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES IN THE CAR AND THE DEALER CAN ONLY EXPLAIN THAT IT IS DUE TO THE HILLS IN OUR TOWN AND THAT THE BRAKES ARE NO LONGER MADE OF ASBESTOS. I NEVER REPLACED MY BRAKES IN OTHER CARS UNTIL I HAD BETWEEN 35K & 45K MILES AND I HAVE LIVED IN THIS TOWN FOR 30 YEARS. I BELIEVE THE "BREAKING IN" PERIOD FOR THE BRAKES IS BROKEN! HYUNDAI SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THERE SEEMS TO BE A MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE REAR BRAKES. *TR

MY 2009 SANTA FE WOULD SQUEAK WHILE DRIVING, BUT THE NOISE STOPPED WHEN BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. AT THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE HANGING AND THE ROTORS WERE RUSTED. MY CAR ONLY HAD 26,627 MILES. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS WITH A LOT MORE MILEAGE AND NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT COVERED AND THE DEALERSHIP DID THE FOLLOWING: MACHINED REAR ROTORS AND LUBRICATED SLIDE RAILS, REMACHINED REAR ROTORS, REMOVED AND CLEANED CALIPERS AND ALL HARDWARE. THIS WAS ON 10/4/2011. FAST FORWARD TO THE END OF JULY 2012 AND MY CAR IS MAKING NOISE WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKE. ON 08/9/12 WITH ONLY 37,843 (APPROX 10,000 MILES LATER) THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT MY REAR BRAKES WERE SHOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I AM NOW FINDING THAT THESE CARS HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT REAR BRAKES BUT NONE OF IT IS COVERED. I ALSO NEED NEW TIRES AND FROM WHAT I AM READING ABOUT THE REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS THIS IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE WEARING OUT OF THE TIRES. HYUNDAI NEEDS TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS AND SINCE THE 2011 SANTA FE HAS BRAKE RECALLS, I FEEL THAT THE EARLIER MODELS WITH THESE PROBLEMS SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AND PAID FOR BY THE MANUFACTURER. BRAKES ARE IMPORTANT AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A BODILY HARM. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE IGNORED. *TR

INCIDENT 1: (10-20-2010) DRIVER SIDE HEAD LIGHT WAS FOGGING UP CONSTANTLY. DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD LIGHT UNDER WARRANTY. INCIDENT 2: (02-22-2011) UPON FILL-UP OF THE GAS TANK, JUST BEFORE IT WAS TOPPED OFF, THERE WAS A SERIES OF CLUNKING NOISES. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE GAS TANK WAS REPLACED. INCIDENT 3: (05-01-2011 APPROX.) UPON REMOVAL OF THE CABIN AIR FILTER COVER, THE LITTLE PLASTIC PARTS THAT ARE SQUEEZED TO REMOVE THE COVER BROKE, WHICH WOULDN'T ALLOW THE COVER TO GO BACK ON. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART AND I HAVE NOT YET REPLACED THE FILTER YET. INCIDENT 4: (11-12-2011) DRIVING 60 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY, I HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AS I WAS PULLING OVER TO CHECK OUT THE SITUATION, THE CAR LOST POWER STEERING AND AIR CONDITIONING! MY SERPENTINE BELT BROKE! AFTER IT WAS TOWED, THE DEALER REPLACED IT, ALONG WITH BELT TENSIONER AND IDLER PULLEY! INCIDENT 5: (07-30-2012) I WAS COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT AND UPON DECELERATION, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ESC OFF LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE RPM GAGE SHOWED 1100 RPM AND IT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE WANTED TO MOVE AS IF I WAS PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN I DID TRY TO ACCELERATE, THERE WAS NO POWER TO ACCELERATE ( THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, ETC, BUT WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, I COULD ONLY MOVE A FEW MILES PER HOUR.) I PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. I STARTED IT BACK UP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON, AND I GAINED ACCELERATION POWER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DETERMINED I HAD A FAULTY THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AS WELL AS BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AND BOTH WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. [CURRENT MILEAGE ON VEHICLE AFTER ALL INCIDENTS: 48,897]

REAR BRAKE PADS ARE STICKING DUE TO KNOWN ISSUE WITH HYUNDAI. PARTS ARE CORRODED CAUSING REAR PADS TO RIDE AGAINST ROTORS CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR AND HEAT WHEEL/TIRES ARE RUNNING EXCESSIVELY HOT AND PADS ARE WEARING OUT WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. DEALER TOLD CUSTOMER OF KIT TO REPLACE PROBLEM BUT NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSORS FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIR BAGS AND SEAT BELT MAY NOT FUNCTION IN THE EVENT OF CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

RIGHT REAR BREAK STARTED TO SQUEAL WHEN APPLIED FOR SLOW DOWN TO STOP. WHEN STARTING TO PROCEED IT WILL DRAG FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET AND STOP. AGAIN WHEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED, SAME THING STARTED OVER. WHILE CHECKING ON THE COMPUTER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM. I WILL BRING BACK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND SEE WHAT THERE BULL[XXX] ANSWER WILL BE. I WILL ALSO BE BRINGING THIS LETTER, AS I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN ANY RECALL NOTICES OF THIS. SUV HAS ONLY 24,600 MILES. ALSO JUST A ADDED COMPLAINT THE TIRES HAVE WORN DOWN ON INSIDE EDGE AS VEHICLE IS FOR LONG STRAIGHT TRIPS MOSTLY AND HAVE BEEN ROTATED AND BALANCED EVERY 5,000 MILES. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND NOTICED THAT THE PEDAL HAD BECOME STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. IN ORDER TO STOP THE FAILURE THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE HER FOOT UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND LIFT THE PEDAL OFF OF THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 20,000.

I MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO MY DRIVEWAY USING LIGHT ACCELERATION (12 MPH) TO GENTLY OVERCOME THE UPWARD SLOPE AS I DO NORMALLY. THE CAR RESPONDED WELL. AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE (THE LAST 5-7 FEET), I APPLIED LIGHT PRESSURE THE ACCELERATOR TO EASE INTO MY SPACE AND THE CAR SURGED. DURING THE SURGE, I APPLIED AS MUCH FORCE AS I COULD SLAMMING BOTH FEET (ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER) ON THE BRAKE, BUT THE CAR RESPONDED TOO LATE. I HAD COLLIDED WITH THE GARAGE WALL. THERE WAS FRONT-END AND DRY-WALL DAMAGE. AFTER REVIEWING SOME REVIEWS FOR MY MODEL CAR ON EDMUNDS.COM, I REALIZED THE UNCONTROLLABLE SURGE IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS MODEL SUV, WHICH DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE COMPANY OR DEALERS. THEREFORE, I HAVE DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT HYUNDAI WILL INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO REMEDY THESE SURGES AND KEEP THEIR CUSTOMERS SAFE. *TR