2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING OUT TO EAT AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT. WE WERE SLOWING DOWN UPON ENTERING THE PARKING LOT. THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND WE LUNGED FORWARD, LIKE SOMEONE HAD HIT US FROM BEHIND. MY WIFE HAD TOLD ME THIS HAD HAPPENED TO HER A FEW OTHER TIMES WHERE SHE THOUGHT SHE HIT SOMEONE OR THEY HAD RUN INTO HER. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR US. WE THEN SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THESE WONDERFUL CARS! WE SPOKE WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT HYUNDAI AND TOLD THEM OF OUR CONCERN WITH THE CAR AND WE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR. THE WOMAN THEN TOLD MY WIFE TO TRADE THE CAR IF SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE. MY WIFE SAID SO YOU WANT ME TO GET RID OF A CAR AND HAVE SOMEONE ELSE PURCHASE THE CAR WHEN THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. HER REPLY WAS, "YES I THINK THAT IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO." IT BLOWS MY MIND TO THINK THAT SOMEONE WOULD RATHER PUT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN DANGER THAN TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT IS WIDELY KNOWN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE, BUT THERE WAS NO DETERMINATION OF WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE THAT MAY HAVE ORIGINATING IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, BATTERY, OR FUSE BOX. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 20,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

MY REAR BRAKES WERE MAKING NOISE SO I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT.THE REAR BRAKE PADS WERE STICKING TO THE ROTORS OVERHEATING THE ROTORS. BOTH THE REAR PADS & ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED SO SOON SO I CALLED THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE HILLY AREA WHERE I LIVED. I HAVE LIVED IN THE AREA FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS SO I ASKED WHY I NEVER HAD TO CHANGE MY BRAKES ON OTHER NEW CARS I HAD BOUGHT AT THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL WELL AFTER 30,000 MILES. HE HAD NO ANSWER. WHAT A JOKE! THE ONLY CONCLUSION THAT I CAN ARRIVE AT IS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT AND HYUNDAI DOES NOT WANT TO PAY FOR IT. THIS IS MY THIRD HYUNDAI AND I HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE OTHER MODELS, A 2002 SONATA AND A 2010 ELANTRA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT ALSO SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND STATED THAT THE ROTORS OVERHEATED BECAUSE THE ROTORS WERE NOT PROPERLY GREASED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,773 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 02/09/12*LJ UPDATED 02/13/12

LOTS OF SQUEALING FROM THE CAR FOR OVER A MONTH. BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THERE IS BARELY 16,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO SAID ONE BRAKE PAD IN PARTICULAR WAS VERY WORN OUT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO A CAR WITH THIS LITTLE MILEAGE. *TR

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE CAR SEEMS TO HESITATE THEN HAS A MINOR ACCELERATION. IT SEEMS AS IF ITS ABOUT TO STALL BUT CATCHES AND ACCELERATES OR INCREASES TO ORIGINAL SPEED. THIS IS CONCERNING ESPECIALLY WHEN IT OCCURS DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. IN ADDITION, I HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AT 24, 348 MILES AS THE CAR DIED ON ME TWICE WHILE TRAVELING. I PURCHASED A BATTERY FROM O'RIELLY AUTO PARTS AS IT WAS CLOSER TO MY HOME. THE DEALER WOULD ONLY STATE THAT BATTERY FAILURE HAS OCCURRED WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON THE SANTE FE HOWEVER SINCE I DIDN'T BRING MY CAR TO THEM THE BATTERY IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT BATTERY LIFE IS THIS SHORT. *KB

ON MONDAY, AUGUST 22, AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN PEWAUKEE ROAD, I DECIDED TO GET IN THE LEFT LANE TO PASS A SEMI TRUCK. SUDDENLY I HEAR THE CAR ENGINE REVVING AND THE CAR'S SPEED WAS ACCELERATING. AS THERE WAS A CAR DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AND THE SEMI TRUCK TO THE RIGHT, I WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I POSSIBLY COULD. THE CAR WAS HARD TO CONTROL AND FOR A BRIEF TIME I WAS IN THE ON-COMING TRAFFIC LANE. ALL I COULD THINK OF IS GET ON A SIDE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT REACT TO THE BRAKES. I TURNED ONTO A SIDE ROAD, AIMED MY CAR AT A ROAD SIGN AND STEEL BOLLARDS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SO THEY COULD AT LEAST STOP THE CAR, THREW THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE KEY OFF (I AM NOT SURE IN WHICH ORDER I DID THE LAST 2 STEPS). FORTUNATELY THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A WINDING NOISE. HYUNDAI ROADSIDE SERVICE PICKED UP THE CAR. THEIR SERVICE MANAGER INDICATES THEY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS SUGGESTED I HAD THE FLOOR MATT BUNCHED UP UNDER THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS. GIVE ME A BREAK! I'M NOT A COMPLAINER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER LODGED A CONSUMER COMPLAINT. BUT I WAS SCARED TO DEATH AT THE TIME AND I AM VERY HESITANT ABOUT GETTING BACK IN THAT CAR TONIGHT (MY HUSBAND IS PICKING IT UP FROM ARROW HYUNDAI). I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT HURTING MYSELF -- I DON'T THINK I COULD EVER GET OVER IT IF I HURT SOMEONE ELSE BECAUSE OF THIS CAR. SO HYUNDAI CAN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DID ANYONE THINK THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO? THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS HYUNDAI DOING ABOUT A PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO BE VERY DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET. WHAT IS HYUNDAI GOING TO DO WHEN A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM KILLS SOMEONE? HYUNDAI DID NOTHING FOR ME. THEY INITIALLY SEEM VERY PERPLEXED ABOUT SUCH A PROBLEM. HOWEVER, TODAY WHEN MY HUSBAND ARRIVED WITH A HAND FULL OF PRINTED BLOGS ALL THEY WANTED TO SAY WAS THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM BUT WOULD DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM. I DON'T TRUST THAT THEY WILL SO I AM DOCUMENTING THE PROBLEM MYSELF. *TR

I GET ACCELERATION PROBLEM IN MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2009., WHENEVER MY CAR GETS SLOW IT SEE CAR IT GOING BY IT SELF EVEN THOU MY FOOT IN MY THE BREAK. IT ALSO GIVES MY FEELING THAT CAR IS STOPS AND GO SOMETHING LIKE CAR IS JERKING OFF. I EVEN SEE LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IN MARCH 201, MY WIFE GOT IN TO THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM. BUT, WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT AT THAT TIME. AND, MY WIFE TOLD ME THAT WAS THE PROBLEM BUT WE DID NOT BELIEVE IT AT THAT TIME. NOW, WE ARE FACING MORE PROBLEMS. DEALERS ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING. THEY JUST TOLD ME THAT THEY DON'T SEE THE PROBLEMS. CAN YOU GUYS REALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED OR GET IN TO THE ACCIDENTS. HOPE YOU CONSIDER OUR GENUINE COMPLAIN ABOUT ACCELERATION PROBLEM COMPLAIN FOR HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2009. *TR

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF FINANCING A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE THAT HAS BRIDGESTONE DUELER HT TIRES ON IT. THIS CAR HAS 29176 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO A WELL KNOWN PLACE TO HAVE MY OIL CHANGED AND TIRES ROTATED. THEY CHANGED THE OIL BUT INFORMED ME THAT NONE OF THE TIRES WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE ROTATED BECAUSE OF UNEVEN TREAD WEAR AND THE EXISTING TIRE TREAD IS LESS THAN 2/32NDS OF AN INCH ON EACH TIRE. I PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH ONLY 7 MILES ON IT AND HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR 1 1/2 YEARS SO THE TIRES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO HAVE AN ALIGNMENT ON THIS CAR AND HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED REGULARLY SO UNEVEN TREAD WEAR SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE AT THIS POINT. I HAVE ALSO READ REVIEWS ON THIS TIRE ONLINE AND ALL OF THE REVIEWS SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT THE UNEVEN TREAD WEAR, SOME EVEN SAY THAT THE TIRES HAVE EXPLODED. SUCH A COSTLY TIRE OF THIS CALIBER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT SUCH FREQUENT INTERVALS. I WAS READING MY OWNER'S MANUAL AND IT RECOMMENDS THAT TIRES BE REPLACED EVERY 6 YEARS DEPENDING ON DRIVING HABITS. THESE TIRES SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY AND REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. THEY ARE PUTTING INNOCENT PEOPLE IN DANGER EVERYDAY. (TREAD WEAR AS LISTED ON MY RECEIPT: DRIVER FRONT-2/32, DRIVER REAR 5/32, PASSENGER FRONT 3/32 AND PASSENGER REAR 5/32). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN SHE TRIED TO ACCELERATE SLIGHTLY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO TWO PARKED VEHICLES BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AND STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT DIDN'T MENTION IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE WHEEL WAS TURNED AND STUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEN TO A BODY SHOP. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 22,000. UPDATED 07/21/11 *BF UPDATED 07/22/11