2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS A DEFECT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR. WHEN MY WIFE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE CAR THE "PASS AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT COMES ON WHICH INDICATES THAT IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION HER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. SHE WEIGHS 145 POUNDS, BUT IF I GET IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT, I WEIGH 210 POUNDS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE WEIGHT SENSOR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES COMPLAIN OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM , ALTHOUGH A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM IN THE HYUNDAI SONATA WAS ISSUED. PLEASE BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE BECAUSE OF THIS, HAVE HYUNDAI ISSUE A RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR

HELLO, THIS IS A NEW CAR (400MI.) AND WITH MY WIFE (5'4" AND 120LBS.) SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING THE AIRBAG IS OFF. OCCASIONALLY THE LIGHT WILL GO OFF (AS EXPECTED, INDICATING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ARMED) AS WE START DRIVING AND THEN IT WILL COME ON AFTER 5 TO 10MIN. OF DRIVING. IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING TO THINK THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IF NEEDED. THANKS, DAN *TR

MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SE SEEMS TO HAVE A FAULTY PASSENGER OCCUPANT SENSOR. I WEIGH ABOUT 130 LB. AND IT OFTEN DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE PASSENGER SEAT AS BEING OCCUPIED WHEN I SIT IN IT AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL TURN OFF. I CAN USUALLY POSITION THE SEAT TO MAKE THE AIRBAG COME BACK ON BUT THEN THE AIRBAG WILL TURN OFF AGAIN WHILE DRIVING (ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO TURN OFF AND ON AFTER 30 SECONDS OF DRIVING). THIS IS A HAZARD AS THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR SHOULD REGISTER ANYTHING OVER 100 LB. AS AN ADULT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T 693 TIRES, SIZE LT225/75R16. WITHIN ONE MONTH OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED FAILURES WITH BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH OR LESS. THE DEALER FOUND A DEFECT IN THE FRONT TIRE WHERE THE STEEL BELTS HAD BEGUN TO UNRAVEL; HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE FRONT TIRE DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE AND BECAUSE IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE REAR TIRE WAS PLUGGED BECAUSE THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE TIRE. FIRESTONE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE TIRE, BUT THE CONTACT WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE ESTIMATED $130 REPAIR COST. THE REAR TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH THE SAME BRAND, BUT A DIFFERENT MODEL (TURANZA). HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER (04T018000 TIRES:TREAD/BELT) STATING THAT THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE BEING RECALLED DUE TO INCORRECT WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE RECALL WOULD NOT APPLY TO HIM BECAUSE THE CONTACT ALREADY PURCHASED THE TIRES FROM FIRESTONE. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR ITS FUEL ECONOMY AND WEIGHT CAPACITY TO TOW A TRAILER. AT THE DEALER, THE WEIGHT CAPACITY WAS LISTED AS 3,197 IN THE REAR AND 2,976 IN THE FRONT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER, WHICH DECREASED THE WEIGHT CAPACITY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS MISLEADING SINCE HE BELIEVED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD TOW A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WEIGHT AS DISCUSSED AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND FEELS THAT HIS FAMILY'S LIVES COULD BE IN DANGER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF UPDATED 09/17/08. *JB

I HAVE A NEW 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH 1,500 MILES. AFTER DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AND DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE AFTER STOPPING FOR THE EXIT RAMP, I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AGAIN. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO ACTION WHATSOEVER. I TRIED AGAIN AND IT STOPPED. I CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS STILL FULL. I CHECKED FOR ANY VISIBLE SIGNS OF LIQUID LEAKS AROUND THE WHEELS, BUT OBSERVED NONE. TWO HOURS LATER THE SAME OCCURRENCE AND THE NEXT DAY THE SAME OCCURRENCE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS AS I KEPT DRIVING SLOWLY AND CHECKING THE BRAKES FREQUENTLY. I'VE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER. *TR

RE: FAILURE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S AIR BAG TO BE ACTIVATED. HYUNDAI 2008 SANTA FE WITH 150 MILES I AM A 145LB 5'8" MALE. 75% OF THE TIME WHEN I AM SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT, THE FRONT AIRBAG FAILS TO "TURN ON". EVEN THOUGH I'M SITTING UPRIGHT WITH MY FEET PLACED ON THE GROUND, EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THE SENSORS LOCATED IN THE SEAT CUSHION FAIL TO RECOGNIZE ME AS AN ADULT. I HAVE VISITED THE HYUNDAI DEALER AND THEIR EQUIPMENT SAYS THE SENSORS ARE WORKING. I HAVE NUMEROUS WITNESSES AT THE DEALER WHO HAVE OBSERVED THE FAILURE OF THE SENSORS TO "TURN ON" THE AIRBAG WHEN I'M SITTING IN THE SEAT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT HEARD A HIGH-PITCHED NOISE COMING FROM THE RADIO. SHE CALLED THE DEALER ON MARCH 4, 2008 AND WAS ADVISED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. ONCE AT THE DEALER, THEY INSPECTED THE RADIO AND INFORMED HER THAT THEY NEEDED TO ORDER THE PART FOR THE REPAIR. ON MARCH 21, 2008, THE CONTACT RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS. THE DEALER SENT HER A CERTIFIED LETTER, NOTIFYING HER TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE. ON APRIL 18, 2008, THE CONTACT PICKED UP HER VEHICLE AND SPOKE WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER CONCERNING A NEW RADIO FOR THE VEHICLE. ON JUNE 19, 2008, A NEW RADIO WAS INSTALLED, BUT IT ALSO MADE A NOISE. SHE CURRENTLY HAS TO MEET WITH A HYUNDAI REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE RADIO AND DETERMINE WHETHER HYUNDAI WILL CONTINUE TO ASSIST WITH THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,100.

I HAVE A 4 MONTH OLD 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. I WAS DRIVING IT ON THE FREEWAY AND TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS TO GET READY TO BRAKE FOR MY EXIT. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL THE ENGINE KEPT REVVING AND PULLING THE CAR FORWARD. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BREAKS TO SEE IF MAYBE THE CRUISE CONTROL KICKED IN, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T GO NEAR THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES, MUCH TO MY HORROR, I HAD NO BRAKES!!!! I PUNCHED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR A BUNCH OF TIMES AND NOTHING!!!!!! I HAD TO STEP ON THE EMERGENCY BREAK, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL (TO KEEP THE ENGINE FROM REVVING ON ITS OWN) AND DRIVE MY CAR INTO A HILLSIDE ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY TO STOP IT! IT'S A MIRACLE THAT MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER WERE NOT HARMED AND THAT I DIDN'T KILL OR INJURE ANYONE ELSE. UNACCEPTABLE FOR A NEW VEHICLE OR ANY VEHICLE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG "OFF" INDICATOR LIGHTS WHEN A 115 POUND, 5'8" ADULT SITS IN THE SEAT (INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT). LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND HYUNDAI NATIONAL 1-800 COMPLAINT LINE INDICATE THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT IS PERFORMING TO SPECIFICATIONS. I BELIEVE SPECIFICATIONS (SUPPOSEDLY A 130 POUND MINIMUM FOR FULL FUNCTIONING OF PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM) ARE INAPPROPRIATE AND RESULT IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. *TR