2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA ON THE HIGHWAY ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS LAST WEEK MY SANTA FE DECELERATED UNEXPECTED TO ~ 20 MPH. THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL AND STARTED TO LOSE POWER, THE SECOND TIME I WAS ALSO USING THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. AT THE SAME TIME THE ESC WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOLLOWED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE TEMPERATURE WAS COLD BUT THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THE THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX IT BY REPLACING A SENSOR. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SUV FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS ~ 25,400 MILES. *TR

I HAVE TWICE EXPERIENCED A DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE DURING ACCELERATION. I PRESS THE GAS PEDAL BUT WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF TO DECELERATE, THE CAR CONTINUES TO GAIN SPEED AND BRAKING HAS NO EFFECT. IN EACH INSTANCE, THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE THE CAR SLOW DOWN OR STOP WAS TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND FIND A SAFE PLACE TO ALLOW IT TO COAST UNTIL I COULD TURN THE ENGINE OFF. THE LAST OCCURRENCE I WAS GOING 75 MPH ON I-35, HAD TO SWERVE TO LEFT SHOULDER TO AVOID BEING SIDESWIPED. MY 5 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR AND WAS TOLD BOTH TIMES THAT THE PEDAL MUST BE STICKING ON THE FLOOR MAT. AFTER THE SECOND EXPERIENCE, I LOOKED FOR SIMILAR STORIES ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND 5 RECENT POSTINGS OF THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE. IF MORE THAN A COUPLE OF PEOPLE REPORT THE SAME ISSUE, SHOULDN'T HYUNDAI MAKE A DEDICATED EFFORT TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT IT IMMEDIATELY OR RECALL THE VEHICLE ALTOGETHER? I DO NOT BELIEVE THE MAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE SECOND TIME IT OCCURRED I VISUALLY CHECKED THE MAT AND EVEN PULLED IT BACKWARDS WITH MY FEET WHILE TRYING TO FIND A WAY OUT OF TRAFFIC. IN ADDITION, IF THE PEDAL WAS STICKING ON THE MAT, WHY WOULD THE ONLY CORRECTIVE ACTION BE TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL OR TO TURN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY OFF ? THEORETICALLY, WOULDN'T THE ACCELERATOR STILL BE "STUCK ON THE MAT" IN THIS INSTANCE? LAST AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, EVEN IF THE CLAIM OF THE MATS BEING THE PROBLEM IS ACCURATE, THESE MATS ARE THE SAME THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED. I ASSUME THEY ARE PRODUCED AND/OR APPROVED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS PART OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT AND, THEREFORE, HYUNDAI IS STILL THE LIABLE PARTY FOR ANY ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THIS ISSUE. I HAVE REMOVED THE MATS ENTIRELY FROM MY CAR BUT I AM PETRIFIED TO DRIVE IT. DOES HYUNDAI REALLY WANT TO WAIT UNTIL A TRAGEDY OCCURS BEFORE CONSIDERING CORRECTIVE ACTION? *TR

2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE OFF CENTER HEAD ON COLLISION RESULTING IN SEVERE LEG TRAUMA. INTEGRITY OF THE FIRE WALL FAILED RESULTING IN METAL PUSHING PAST THE FIREWALL IN TO THE DRIVERS SIDE AREA ENTRAPPING THE LEG ON THE FEMUR. THIS INJURY RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS AMOUNT OF BLOOD LOSS IN TO THE CAVITY OF THE THIGH. *TR

2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ACCELERATOR SENSOR WENT BAD WHILE ENTERING THE INTERSTATE. THE CAR ONLY WENT 20 MPH. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE, I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AND CAUSED A MAJOR PILE UP, OR BEEN KILLED. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND A NEW PART WAS INSTALLED, BUT FOUND OUT THERE IS NOT A CABLE CONNECTED TO THE ACCELERATOR. THE SENSOR RUNS THE GAS INPUT, WITHOUT A BACK UP IN CASE OF FAILURE. *TR

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING OUR 2008 HYUNDAI SANTE FE LIMITED WE BEGAN HAVING A PROBLEM WHICH STILL EXIST TO THIS DAY. AFTER FILLING WITH GAS, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY LIT. THE FIRST SEVERAL TIMES OF THIS EVENT, I WAS TRULY CONCERNED THAT I HAD AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND RETURNED TO THE DEALER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE GAS CAP NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED FURTHER. I HAVE TIGHTENED THE CAP AT TIMES SO MUCH SO THAT I VERY NEARLY WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE IT.*TR

IN MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT INTERMITTENTLY WORKS WHEN MY DAUGHTER AND I (115 & 120 LBS) SIT IN THE SEAT. I CAN SIT PERFECTLY STILL AND IT WILL BE ENGAGED, AND THEN IT WILL DISENGAGE, AND THEN ENGAGE, AGAIN OR VISA VERSA. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED 4 TIMES, BUT THEY SAY THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE. THEY JUST HOOK IT UP TO A COMPUTER AND SAY IT WORKS AS DESIGNED. HUMBLE HYUNDAI SERVICE MANAGER EVEN TOLD ME TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT (I'M 51 YEARS OLD). I AM AFRAID IF WE ARE IN AN ACCIDENT THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE NOTIFIED HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND HYUNDAI PR AS WELL. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT FOR NHTSA AND HYUNDAI TO ISSUE A RECALL? I HAVE BEEN GIVEN WEIGHTS OF 30, 80, 150, 115 AND 120 LBS TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG SENSOR BY HUMBLE HYUNDAI. ALSO GIVEN 35, 45, 150, 130, 135, 145, 40, 100 & 105 LBS BY SERVICE DEPARTMENTS OF OTHER DEALERSHIPS. ALSO TALKED TO CONSUMER AFFAIRS ABOUT THIS, WHY CAN'T HYUNDAI TELL ANYONE WHAT THE ACTUAL WEIGHT TO ACTIVATE IS? THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED FOR SONATAS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM WHY CAN'T ONE BE ISSUED FOR SANTA FES. THERE ARE 48 COMPLAINTS LISTED ON HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2008/HYUNDAI/SANTA+FE AND THEY ALL SAY THEY WERE FILED WITH NHTSA. THE INITIAL PROBLEM BEGAN ON 8/21/08 WITH 300 MILES ON ODOMETER AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM UNTIL TODAY 10/19/09 WITH ALMOST 18000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE SPEED I AM DRIVING IS NOT A FUNCTION OF THE PROBLEM AS IT HAPPENS AT VARYING SPEEDS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST WITH CAUTION INTO A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE THROTTLE SENSOR ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 8,452.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE AIR BAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT AN ADULT OCCUPANT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES, AND A TECHNICIAN REPLACED AND RE-CALIBRATED THE SEAT MODULE. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9100. UPDATED 11/17/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED IT WOULD DETECT HEAVIER ADULTS. UPDATED 11/1/8/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL, INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG IS INOPERATIVE. AS A CONSEQUENCE IN A SITUATION THAT WARRANTS THE AIR BAGS MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE IS CAUSED BY A WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION FAILURE. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. UPON CONTACT A REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED HER TO SIT IN THE REAR SEAT, BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS ARE SECONDARY SAFETY METHODS; SEAT BELTS ARE THE FIRST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000. BL UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO WITHDRAW THE COMPLAINT. THE CONSUMER WANTS ALL INFORMATION DELETED. UPDATED 10/13/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED WITH A SMALL STATURE ADULT. THE AIR BAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT A CERTAIN WEIGHT POSITIONED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE DESIGN AND THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE CONTACT HAS CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,500. UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HIS WIFE WEIGHED ROUGHLY 125. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS OFF NO MATTER HOW SHE SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. UPDATED 10/15/09