2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

SUDDEN DECLARATION OF AUTO . ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR JUST SLOWED TO A CRAW . THIS SUDDEN SLOWING ALMOST CAUSED A PILE UP AND I HAD TO LIMP TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS CAR IS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE A FLY BY WIRE SYSTEM . IT HAS 67,000 AT THE SHOP I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC NOT FOR PUBLICATION THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE FLY BY WIRE CAR WHEN THEY REACH ABOUT 60,000 CARS 2008 SANTA FE'S, CARS ARE JUST REACHING THIS POINT AND THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE THIS SUDDEN DECELERATION CAUSES A DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ESC, CHECK ENGINE AND AWD WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND AS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DRIVE WITH AN EXTREME LOSS OF POWER. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF A REGULARLY MAINTAINED 2008 HYUNDAI SANTE FE (45,000 MILES). ON A JAN 2011 TRIP FROM TX TO MI THE CAR LOST POWER AT NIGHT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DID NOTHING, THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP AND EVENTUALLY STALLED COMPLETELY. MANEUVERING TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT POWER WAS VERY RISKY AND SCARY. ONCE STOPPED THE CAR EASILY RESTARTED ONLY TO LOSE POWER AGAIN 10 MILES DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE OIL LIGHT STAYED ON BETWEEN BOTH EPISODES. WE QUICKLY FOUND A HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF AND THE PROBLEM DIDN'T RESURFACE UNTIL NOW. IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS WE HAVE LOST POWER FIVE TIMES WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40 MPH AND 55 MPH. THE HYUNDAI SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD THE CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND DIAGNOSTICS IS NOT IDENTIFYING ANY PROBLEM AND SO WE'VE BEEN TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE COMPUTER ONBOARD SHOULD BE REGISTERING A "HISTORY" WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, BUT IT ISN'T. THERE IS NO "PROOF"! THE HYUNDAI REPAIR MANAGER IS TELLING US TO RETURN IF THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND A SOLUTION NEEDS TO BE FOUND BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE FORWARD. DURING THE FAILURE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD MOVE BACK AND FORTH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE THROTTLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TAKEN TO ANOTHER AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 47,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS, FOG LIGHTS, LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS ALL FAILED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THE BULBS WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED SEVERAL CITATIONS DUE TO THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE BECAME WORSE UNTIL NO EXTERIOR LIGHTS WERE OPERABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 46,600 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,640.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLOORS MATS AND HOLDERS WERE FRACTURING ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT IT WAS DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO AGREED WITH THE DEALER AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,313.

WHILE DRIVING HOME RECENTLY ON A 70 MPH 4 LANE HIGHWAY AT APPROX 11 PM OUR 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SUDDENLY LOSS POWER WHILE CLIMBING A SMALL GRADE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ESC AND TRACTION LIGHTS ALL TURNED ON, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN SPEED, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND LOOKED FOR SOMEWHERE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD UNFORTUNATELY I WAS ON THE INSIDE LANE JUST PASSING A SEMI-TRUCK AND TRAILER, THERE WAS A GUARDRAIL NEXT TO THE INSIDE LANE SO I HAD TO WAIT FOR THE SEMI TO PASS BEFORE I COULD MERGE TO THE OUTSIDE LANE TO PULL OFF TO THE RIGHT, BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE SEVERAL VEHICLES CAME FROM BEHIND AND TWO VEHICLE SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKE TO AVOID HITTING OUR VEHICLE. I WAS LUCKY TO NOT BE REAR ENDED AND HAD JUST ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. I NOTICED THAT THE VEHILE WAS NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I CHECKED ALL FLUIDS AND MADE SURE THAT ALL BELTS AND HOSES WERE IN GOOD ORDER, THERE WERE NO VISABLE ISSUES. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND ALL LIGHTS RESET EXCEPT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I SLOWLY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST EXIT AND THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME AS THE FIRST TIME CUTTING OUT AND LOSING POWER BUT I WAS OFF THE HIGHWAY BY NOW AND SAFELY IN A PARKING LOT. THIS VEHICLE WE HAVE OWNED SINCE NEW AND HAVE HAD ALL SERVICES DONE AT HYUNDAI DEALERS ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURE'S PRESCRIBED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES AND THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 35,700 MILES ON IT. THE VEHILCE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER AND TO MY SURPRISE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT KNEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE OF 2 TSBS (TSB09-FL-003-2, TSB-10-FL-010)(NHTSA ITEM NUMBERS: 10032793,10034649) THAT WERE EXISTING ON THIS VEHICLE THAT CAN CAUSE THIS FAILURE. I SERIOUSLY THINK THAT THIS KIND OF FAILURE SHOULD BE A RECALL RATHER THAN JUST A TSB IF IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT POSSIBLE CRASHES IN THE FUTURE. *TR

IN NOVEMBER 2010, VEHICLE AT EST. 29,000 MI. CAR LOST ALL ACCELERATION. WAS ABLE TO PULL OF ON SIDE OF SHOULDER ON HIGHWAY. CAR WOULD NOT REGAIN ACCELERATION DESPITE BEING TURNED OFF, ETC. THROTTLE SENSOR CHANGED. MARCH 2011, VEHICLE AT EST. 31,000 MI. SAME PROBLEM. WHILE ON HIGHWAY, CAR LOST ALL ACCELERATION. RPMS JUMPED HIGH, ENGINE ROARED IN RESPONSE BUT CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. AGAIN, TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH 35,000 MILES ON IT. LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING AT 25 MILES/HR AND IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I TRIED TO BRAKE MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND IT STOPPED. OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENCES OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE PRESSING LIGHTLY ON THE GAS AND AT OTHER TIMES WHILE LETTING UP ON THE BRAKE. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THER DEALER IN REISTERSTOWN, MARYLAND. THEY TESTED THE CAR AND DROVE IT AND INSIST THAT THE COMPUTER SAYS THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY DROVE IT AND OF COURSE IT DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE THEY DROVE IT. I WAS TOLD THERE IS NOTHING TO BE DONE. I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE THE CAR AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I SEE ONLINE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT THAT HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY HELP FROM THEIR DEALERS OR FROM HYUNDAI. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT WOULD RUN ROUGH AND MAKE A LOT OF NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SHAFT ASSEMBLY AND THE BEARING FAILED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,700. UPDATED 03/16/11 *BF UPDATED 1/4/11 *CN