2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

I BOUGHT A USED 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH 71,500 MILE, SEEMED IN GOOD CONDITION WHEN I PAID FOR IT, DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER'S MAINTENANCE HISTORY. ABOUT 1000 MILES LATER THIS HISS/RATTLE SOUND CAME FROM THE ENGINE AS I WAS DRIVING IT, I ALSO NOTICED WHEN MAKING TURNS A RUBBING SOUND CAME FROM THE STEERING THAT GOT WORSE AS THE TURNING ANGLES GOT MORE ACUTE, AND I BEGAN TO NOTICE A SMALL LEAK OF REDDISH FLUID I THOUGHT MAY BE TRANSMISSION FLUID (TURNS OUT TO BE POWERING STEERING FLUID). TOOK IT IN TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER WHO TOLD ME THAT THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE LINE WAS CORRODED/LEAKING. THEY CHARGED ME $250 TO FIX IT. THE FIX CORRECTED ALL THREE OBSERVATIONS... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HAVING THE REAR BUMPER REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE REAR TRAILING ARM DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V123000 (SUSPENSION:REAR). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 126,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY BLOWER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR THE HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. THE PART WAS INSTALLED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED TEMPORARILY. THE UNIT HAD BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES SINCE THE INITIAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 129,245. KMJ

OVER THE LAST 4-6 MONTHS NOTICED DRIVER AND PASSENGERS GETTING VERY TIRED AND DEVELOPING HEADACHES WHILE DRIVING OUR 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD DISCOVERED BY OWNER. *TR

THERE IS EXTENSIVE AND THROUGH THICKNESS CORROSION ON THE FRONT RIGHT SUBFRAME OF MY HYUNDAI 2002 SANTA FE, IT HAS RESULTED IN THE BOLTED JOINT OF THE CONTROL ARM SEPARATING FROM THE SUB FRAME. THIS WAS FORTUNATELY CAUGHT BY A REPAIR SHOP AND DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE SYMPTOMS WERE STEERING PULL, AND NOISE WHEN TURNING, AND EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE FRONT TIRES. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM TO THAT WHICH TRIGGERED THE 089 RECALL ON THE SONATA. PHOTOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AND ARE AVAILABLE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AS OF YET. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR IS FINE, NO CORROSION AT ALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER SHIFTING INTO DRIVE GEAR THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CRASHING INTO A GARDEN AND A VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

HYUNDAI 2002 SANTA FE BEGAN DRIFTING DURING DRIVING AND DEVELOPED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. BROUGHT TO GARAGE - DURING INSPECTION FOR CAUSE, MECHANIC FOUND RUSTED FRAME WHERE FRONT BOLT OF CONTROL ARM IS BOLTED TO FRAME (FRAME COMPLETELY GONE, BOLT WAS NOT ATTACHED TO ANYTHING). FRAME AND TIRES REPLACED AND ALIGNMENT ACCOMPLISHED TO FIX PROBLEM - OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. CAR WAS PART OF INITIAL RUST RECALL AND INSPECTED BY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY ACTION BEING UNDERCOATING APPLIED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AND DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WOULD THEN ENGAGE INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED HYUNDAI SANTE FE (2002). I'M STILL ON MY FIRST TANK OF GAS AND TWICE NOW I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. BOTH TIMES I WAS PULLING UP TO A STOPLIGHT AND GOING VERY SLOW WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT BOTH TIMES BUT THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE ALIGNMENT REPAIRED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE FRONT FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,000.