2003 Hyundai Santa Fe

2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, 180K MILES, 2ND OWNER. CUSTOMER STATES: FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL TANK ONTO GROUND; SAFETY CONCERN & FIRE HAZARD. UNABLE TO PARK IN GARAGE/DRIVEWAY. FUEL LIGHT ON; LOW FUEL LEVEL. FILLED WITH $7.00 IN GAS ($2.70/GAL). AFTER FUELING, FUEL GAUGE HASN'T MOVED. ADDED MORE FUEL & SET GAS STATION FUEL NOZZLE TO AUTO STOP WHEN FULL. GAUGE SAYS 3/4 TANK (NORMALLY WOULD READ FULL TANK).THEN DROVE 12 MILES NO ISSUES. PARKED ON RESIDENTIAL STREET FOR 1-2 DAYS. SEARCHED ONLINE FOUND 'WARRANTY EXTENSION' ON FUEL TANK. DRIVING TO CERTIFIED HYUNDAI DEALER, 15 MILES AWAY. DROVE 5 MILES ON INTERSTATE, LOSING POWER. PULLED OFF AT NEAREST EXIT, DIED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, OVER INTERSTATE BRIDGE. OIL, BATTERY, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ETC. ON. CARS BEHIND ME MAD, HONKING, RUSH HOUR. GOT IT STARTED, NOWHERE SAFE TO PULL OVER, LANE IEADS ME TO INTERSTATE, NOW HEADED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TOWARDS HOME. LOST POWER, DIED AGAIN, <1 MILE FROM HOME ON EXIT RAMP. LET SIT 4-5 HRS. DARK;11PM. RESTARTED, DROVE FEW FEET, DIED. DARK OUTSIDE. PUT IN NEUTRAL, ROLL BACKWARDS, STEER ONTO SHOULDER FOR SAFETY. DOT/SHERIFF TAGGED CAR NEXT A.M. CALLED HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS & WAS ADVISED TO TOW TO DEALER. I DID. HYUNDAI STATING OUTSIDE OF MILAGE ALLOWANCE & NOT COVERED. WHY IS THIS NOT A SAFETY RECALL? THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD! EVEN WHEN PARKED! FUEL LEAKS/ISSUES PUT THE PUBLIC AT RISK! NOT SAFE PARKING IN MY GARAGE/DRIVEWAY, PUBLIC/RESIDENTIAL STREETS, NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES/RETAIL PROPERTIES, LET ALONE DRIVING. WHAT IF A CIGARETTE IS TOSSED BY A PASSERBY, ROLLS UNDER A LEAKING FUEL TANK & LEADS TO FIRE, DAMAGES, INJURIES AND/OR DEATH(S) TO THOSE IN/AROUND VEHICLE? THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY! IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD! MILEAGE SHOULDN'T MATTER (SEE LEXUS RECALL, JUNE 2018; CBS NEWS). CUST=SINGLE MOM & FT COLLEGE STUDENT=THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. PLEASE ADVISE.

MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS WERE DRIVING THE 2003 HYUNDAI SANTE FE HOME FROM A SKI TRIP IN THE MOUNTAINS. SHE SAID THE CAR KEEPS ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN UP TO 55-60MPH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY WERE GOING DOWN HILL. WHEN SHE PUT THE CAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL, THE CAR'S ENGINE REV UP TO 3000 RMP ON IT'S OWN. SHE BARELY PUT HER FOOT ON THE PEDAL AND IT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH. SHE HAD TO USE THE BRAKES A LOT TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN. IT WAS VERY SCARY BUT THEY MANAGE TO MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *JS

THE CAR LOOSES POWER BUT COMES RITE BACK ..SOMETIMES STALLS WHILE IN TRAFFIC BUT STARTS RITE UP..GOING ON INTERSTATE LOST POWER TACT DROPPED TO O ALL POWER LOST CAME BACK ON ITS OWN ALSO CD PLAYER WILL COME ON BY ITSELF I THINK IT MAY BE SOMETHING ELECTRICAL I HAVE READ ONLINE MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE SANTE FE OF THAT YEAR ..NO FIX WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THAT NO FIX SOMETHING IS UP WITH THAT LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE THAT I HAVE READ TO MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEM HYUNDAI MUST KNOW WHAT IS WRONG BUT DON'T WANT TO FIX IT TO COSTLY FOR THE COMPANY...TO BAD FOR THE CONSUMER!!! *TR

WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED IN JUNE OF 2014 WITH 62,450 MILES ON IT. THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR WERE IN GREAT SHAPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A HYUNDAI DEALER IN JULY FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE REAR SUSPENSION PER A RECALL. AT THAT TIME A COMPLETE INSPECTION WAS DONE, WITH ONLY A SMALL OIL LEAK FOUND ON ONE AXLE SHAFT. TWO MONTHS LATER THE VEHICLE WAS TAKE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A RECALL FOR A BROKEN SPRING. AT THIS TIME A SECOND INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED. THIS TIME SEVERAL ISSUES WERE FOUND FROM CORROSION INCLUDING LEAKING TRANSMISSION LINES, LEAKING ENGINE OIL PAN, LEAKING BOOTS AT THE FRONT DRIVE AXLES REQUIRING THEM BOTH NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE HYUNDAI DEALER STATED HE HAD NEVER SEEN A VEHICLE WITH THIS LEVEL OF CORROSION. ALL COMPONENTS UNDER THE VEHICLE HAVE EXTENSIVE CORROSION WITH APPARENTLY A RAPID RATE OF DETERIORATION. THE VEHICLE IS USED ONLY ON-ROAD BEING DRIVEN BY OUR SON TO AND FROM COLLEGE. THE DEALER HAS NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT COULD BE THE CAUSE OF THE RAPID DETERIORATION. ALL UNDER BODY COMPONENTS APPEAR TO BE VULNERABLE TO THIS HIGH LEVEL OF DETERIORATION. THE DEALER IS WILLING TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BUT THE DEALER STATED THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL WHAT OR WHEN OTHER COMPONENTS COULD POSSIBLY FAIL, SUCH AS THE BRAKE LINES ETC. HYUNDAI WAS CONTACTED REGARDING THE CONCERN BUT STATED THERE WAS NO ACTION THEY WOULD TAKE AT THIS TIME. THEY DID RELUCTANTLY AGREE TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP TO INQUIRE WITH THEM ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE CORROSION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL WITH OUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WITHIN 2 TO 3 SECONDS THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART AND OPERATE AS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,100.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDIA SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED HAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP WHO STATED THE MALFUNCTION WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENGINE MOUNT BRACKET BOLT. THE VEHICLE WAS NO REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE WAS 170,000.