2003 Hyundai Santa Fe

MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2003, 4 CYLINDER, 2.4 LITER ENGINE STALLED 4 TIMES. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO SERVICE DIAGNOSED WITH CRANK PRECISION SENSOR. NO COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. DOING RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THE 2001 AND 2002 WAS RECALLED FOR THIS MATTER. ALSO FOUND OUT THAT MANY 2003'S ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO I FIND IT DISTURBING THAT HYUNDAI WONT COVER THIS BECAUSE IT IS AND ELECTRONIC PART BUT THE ENGINE CAN JUST STALL AT ANY MOMENT. BECAUSE IT WAS RECALLED 2YRS PRIOR SHOULD RAISE A RED FLAG. I WILL BE CALLING HYUNDAI CORP. THANK YOU SORAYA GARCIA *TR

THE AIR BAG RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN 9/08. THE DEALER SCANNED THE SYSTEM, CLEARED HISTORIC CODES, CYCLED THROUGH SELF TEST SEVERAL TIMES. CODES DID NOT RESET. LIGHT CAME BACK ON IN 1/09. I WILL TAKE VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER. MY OPINION IS THAT SAFETY EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE MORE RELIABLE . WHEN THE RED LIGHT INITIALLY CAME ON THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM BUT I WILL BE CHARGED APPX. $600 WHEN THEY FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY AND THEN SUDDENLY STALLED SEVERAL TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS AROUND 60 MPH, CAUSING DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. A FEW DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A REPAIR FACILITY AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS CRACKED AT THE SENSOR END NEAR THE CRANKSHAFT AND TIMING BELT. REPLACING THE PART WAS LABOR INTENSIVE SINCE SEVERAL ENGINE COMPONENTS HAD TO BE REMOVED TO REACH THE SENSOR, THEREFORE THE REPAIR COSTS WERE HIGH. THE DEALERSHIP WANTED AROUND $1,000 TO REPLACE WITH THE PART ONLY COSTING $90. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND HAD THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR REPLACED, THE VEHICLE NOW STARTS. BOTH THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR COSTS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEED OF REPAIR AND BEFORE I BROUGHT IT ELSEWHERE. BOTH DEALER AND MANUFACTURER CONTINUE TO REFUSE NOW TO REIMBURSE COSTS AFTER I HAD TO GO TO A LESS COSTLY REPAIR FACILITY. MY CASE # WITH HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA IS #3467755. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED THE ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION LINE AT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. I NOTIFIED THE REPRESENTATIVE AT HYUNDAI THAT THIS SAME PART WAS RECALLED ON THE 2 PRIOR YEARS MODELS OF SANTA FE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 03V520000) AND THAT NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WERE MADE TO NHTSA FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH 2003 CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSORS. CURRENT NHTSA ODI COMPLAINT #'S THAT ARE NEAR EXACT MATCHES FOR THE 2003 MODEL ARE ODI ID# 10238818, 10176719, 10133625, AND 10115680. SIMILAR ARE #10203556, 10199900, 10195530, 10183323, 10128836, AND 10050501. ALSO SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 03V520000 AND THE EPA RECALL #1791 - MFR# 49. A SIMILAR RECALL WAS DONE IN CANADA, SEE TRANSPORTATION CANADA RECALL #2002008, CAMPAIGN CODE R33. APPARENTLY THE PART CONTINUED TO DEFECTIVE AT THE POINT OF MANUFACTURER IN THE 2003 MODELS AS WELL. HIGH SPEED STALLS AND VIOLENT JERKING POSING RISK OF INJURY AND DEATH. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT WAS NEVER USED BY ANYONE. WE JUST KEPT IT CLIPPED TO THE ATTACHMENT ON THE SEAT. IT QUIT WORKING ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. RECENTLY, THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT BEGAN HAVING INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS STAYING LATCHED. MY 6 YEAR OLD SON SITS IN THAT SEAT SO I WAS VERY CONCERNED. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY SAID THE WARRANTY RAN OUT ON SEAT BELTS 4 MONTHS AGO SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. I DON'T' UNDERSTAND HOW A SAFETY ISSUES SUCH AS A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT IS NOT COVERED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE CENTER SEAT BELT WAS NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR SINCE NO EVER SAT THERE. I AM HAVING THESE TO SEAT BELTS REPLACED AT MY COST. SO FAR THE LEFT REAR SEAT BELT HAS NOT SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF DEFECT. I HAVE AN 8 YR OLD SON THAT SITS THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD REPLACE THAT TOO. WHAT IS MY GUARANTEE THAT SEAT BELT IS GOING TO WORK IN A COLLISION? OBVIOUSLY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE SEAT BELTS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WHERE THE SEAT BELTS JUST QUIT WORKING AFTER 5 YEARS. THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG HERE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. ON AUGUST 16, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, A VEHICLE FAILED TO YIELD AT A RED LIGHT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND THE FRONT BUMPER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF HER VEHICLE STRUCK A TRAVEL TRAILER. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG INDICATORS ILLUMINATED, BUT FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER SEATED IN THE FRONT SEAT RECEIVED INJURES TO THE NECK, BACK, AND HEAD. THE REAR PASSENGER WAS TRAUMATIZED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, AND SHOULDERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DUE TO FAULTY WIRES. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WILL ONLY DEPLOY UNDER EXTREME EXPERIENCES. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BUMPER CRASHING INTO THE TRAILER WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY AT ANY SPEED IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. NEVADA POLICE REPORT NUMBER 0808160558 WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

I TOOK MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IN TO THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR. I WAS TOLD THAT THEIR IS A RUST HOLE A LITTLE LARGER THAN A GOLF BALL IN THE CRADLE WHERE THE RIGHT FRONT CONTROL ARM BOLTS INTO THE CRADLE. THEY TOLD ME IT COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD! AND I SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER REPLACING THE CRADLE TO THE TUNE OF 1700 DOLLARS! *TR

MY 2003 HYUANDAI SANTE FE STALLS ANYTIME THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR GETS HOT (AT LEAST THIS IS WHAT THE SERVICE MANAGER [MR. LABESE] AT JOHN AMATO AUTO - MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN EXPLAINS). I'VE HAD COUNTLESS CLOSE CALL VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN TO BE REPAIRED ONLY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE STALL OVER AND OVER AGAIN EVEN AFTER THE PART ABOVE WAS REPLACED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND VERY UNSAFE I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO THIS POINT! *TR

2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH DEFECTIVE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE MECHANIC HOOKED THE VEHICLE UP TO THE SCANNER THAT CAME ACROSS THAT PROBLEM. IT WILL COST ALMOST $400 DOLLARS TO HAVE THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. *KB THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS AN INTERNAL FAULT CODE CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE OIL PAN WAS LEAKING. *JB

I OWNED A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE AND THE HEATED SEAT ELECTRICAL UNIT FAILED TO SHUT OFF AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE (LEATHER SEATS, DASHBOARD, ROOF OF THE CAR, ETC). THE CAR HAD TO BE TOTALED WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES ON IT AND HYUNDAI SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. I WENT THROUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND FILED A TOTAL LOSS AND MY $25,000 CAR WAS SETTLED FOR $11,000. *TR

2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. LEFT FRONT OUTER BRAKE PAD FRICTION MATERIAL FELL OUT AND WAS FOUND ON GROUND. SERVICED FRONT BRAKES AND FOUND 3 OF 4 PADS FRICTION MATERIAL BROKEN AWAY FROM STEEL BACKER. SAME CONDITION FOUND ON REAR PADS. FRONT PADS HAD APPROX 20% FRICTION MATERIAL LEFT AND REAR HAS APPROX 50%. BACKER PLATES HEAVILY RUSTED INDICATING PARTING OF FRICTION MATERIAL OCCURRED SOME TIME AGO. I LUCKED OUT BY NOT HAVING TO STRONGLY APPLY THE BRAKES AFTER THE PAD FELL OUT AND BEFORE I DISCOVERED IT. DROVE APPROX 20 MILES WITH THE PAD MISSING AND STEEL BACKER DID NOT TOUCH THE ROTOR (DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT). I HAVE ALL PARTS IF ANYONE WISHES TO EXAMINE THEM. *TR