2003 Hyundai Santa Fe

I HAVE HAD A SQUEAKING NOISE IN THE TIRES FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. I CONTINUED TO TAKE IT TO HYUNDAI AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND CHARGED ME. THE SQUEAKING NOISE WAS STILL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, SO I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY REPLACED 2 WHEEL BEARINGS, ONE IN THE FRONT AND ONE IN THE BACK. MOST PEOPLE KNOW THAT ONCE CHANGING ONE YOU COULD CHANGE ALL THE OTHER ON THE SAME SIDE . THEY REFUSED. I HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE NOW MORE THAN EVER, AND THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT HEAR IT. THE LONGER YOU DRIVE THE VEHICLE THE LOUDER IT GOT. THIS WAS REALLY COSTING ME MY TIME , AND HYUNDAI DEALERS DID NOT CARE ABOUT A NOISE WAS GETTING LOUDER. THEY WILL NOT EVEN GO OVER MY VEHICLE ANYMORE WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN. THEY JUST STATED WELL WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS. . I HAVE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM TOOK THE TIME. ALL THEY WANTED WAS MORE MONEY FOR STUFF THAT DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

WE TOOK THE R 2003 HYUNDAI SANAT FE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND 45,000 MILE SERVICE. AT THE 45,000 MILE SERVICE OUR TIRES WERE ROTATED. WE NOTICED AFTER THIS SERVICE THAT THE RIGHT WHEEL WAS MAKING A NOISE. THE NOISE DID NOT OCCUR CONSISTENTLY. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR WITH OUR TWO CHILDREN INSIDE AND HAD JUST PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FEEL OFF. ALL OF THE LUGS WERE COMPLETELY SHEARED OFF. WE COULD RECOVER 3 OF THEM. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE UNDER CARRIAGE AS WELL AS THE BODY OF THE CAR. WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT THEY WERE TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY KILLED IF THE WHEEL FELL OF WHILE DRIVING ON ONE OF OUR LOCAL EXPRESSWAYS. OUR DEALERSHIP THAT WE PURCHASED THE CAR AND HAVE IT SERVICED AT WON'T TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND STATES THAT ANY EXTENDED WARRANTIES THAT WE PURCHASED WILL NOT COVER THE DAMAGE OR REPAIRS. WE HAVE INVOLVED OUR INSURANCE AGENCY. ONCE THE CAR IS REPAIRED I FEAR THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN WITH ANY OF THE OTHER THREE TIRES.*AK

I OWN A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE INSTANCES WHERE THE ENGINE STALLS WHILE I AM DRIVING, BUT WILL COME BACK ON AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WE HAVE RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND NOTHING WRONG, AND WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE INCIDENT IN THE PROCESS OF HAPPENING BEFORE THEY COULD MAKE A DEFINITE DIAGNOSIS. TODAY WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY HUSBAND HEARD ON THE RADIO THAT CHRYSLER AND JEEP VEHICLES WERE JUST RECALLED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM! I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP IN GETTING MY HYUNDAI DEALER TO SEE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM IS HAPPENING TO MY VEHICLE. *AK

I HAVE A 2003 SANTA FE THAT HAS EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY. MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS BUCKLING HER SAFETY BELT AND THE WHOLE SAFETY BELT CAME OUT WITH THE BOLT. HYUNDAI SAID THAT ITS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN IF THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. IM CONCERNED ALSO ABOUT THE OTHER SAFETY BELTS AND WERE MY THREE CHILDREN GOING TO BE SAFE. THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO PAY IF I WANT THIS SAFETY PROBLEM REPAIRED.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS BOLTS HAVE LOOSENED 5 TIMES SINCE 2003. THE LATEST WAS ON 4/12/07. THE TIME BEFORE WAS 0 ON 1/28/07. FOUR OUT OF THE FIVE EVENTS HAPPENED DURING RAIN AND SNOW EVENTS ON I- 95 DRIVING AT 65 MPH. ONE SECOND YOU CAN SEE, THE NEXT YOU CANNOT. I FOR ONE HAVE NEVER SEEN BOLTS HOLDING WINDSHIELD WIPER ARMS ONTO THE VEHICLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. OBVIOUSLY FOR GOOD REASON. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT 2 YEARS AGO HE STARTED HAVING STALLING PROBLEMS WITH THE 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE .S WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH OR ABOUT 15-25 MPH THE VEHICLE WILL STALL. HE STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE VEHICLE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED HIM THAT UNLESS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ONTHEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TO SEE WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED HIM THAT HE MAY HAVE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE HE PURCHASED IT. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS GIVEN A CASE#, WILL SUBMIT WITH THE HARD COPY. ALSO, HE HAS CONTACTED THE BBB AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE USUAL DRIVER WAS TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOW BECAUSE OF THE STALLING PROBLEMS. HE STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER EVERYTHING IN THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND THE STEERING LOCKED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19999, AND THE CURRENT WAS 61480. THE VEHICLE STALLED 101 TIMES AZS OF 02/23/2007. *AK

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK 1/21/2007 @07 :40 AM DOWN I 75 SOUTH @70-75 MPH WITH NO TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD NO ITEMS IN THE ROAD AND MY DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG WENT OFF. I WAS DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE AND KEPT MY HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. THE AIRBAG HIT MY ARM. I HAVE A LEFT UPPER ARM CONTUSION AND LEFT NECK/SHOULDER SPRAIN PER MY DOCTOR . NOTHING HIT MY CAR. THE NEXT DAY MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER IN ANN ARBOR AUTOMOTIVE . WHEN THE MAN PUT MY CAR ON THE TOW TRUCK HE NOTICED A DENT UNDER THE CAR AT THE GAS TANK. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN ON 1/21/07 I DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANYTHING. THAT SHOULD NOT SET A SIDE AIRBAG OFF. THE DEALER STATEMENT IS THAT WHAT CAUSED IT. WHICH THEY ARE FULL OF IT. THE TOLD ME IT IS GOING TO COST $5500.00 TO FIX. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND AWAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND THIS CAR SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE ROAD IF AIRBAGS DEPLOY FROM A ROCK ECT HITTING UNDER THE CAR. I FIND IT HEARD TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE THAT SENSITIVE. *JB

TL* - WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DIRECTLY TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO TURN THE POWER OFF IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURNED IT BACK ON THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. HE STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT HE FELT A VIBRATION AND HEARD A LOUD CLICKING SOUND. VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. *AK UPDATED 2/9/2007 - THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM . *NM

AT APPROXIMATELY 47,000 MILES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN OCCASIONAL JUMP IN IDLE TO 3000 RPM+ WHILE IN PARK AND DRIVE AFTER THREE MINUTES OR SO OF OPERATION. WHILE IN DRIVE, VEHICLE LUNGES DANGEROUSLY FORWARD. WHEN THIS OCCURS, IGNITION IS TURNED OFF, AND RESTART TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. AFTER RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE WILL SPUTTER AND REFUSE TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY FOR 30-60 SECONDS. VEHICLE ALSO STALLS OCCASIONALLY AFTER 3 MINUTES OR SO OF USE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A FULL STOP. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO NAPELTON HYUNDAI, WEST PALM BEACH, FL ON NOV 30. CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND CAMSHAFT SENSOR WERE REPLACED. BEFORE LEAVING DEALERSHIP WITH SERVICE MANAGER PRESENT AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN PARK, VEHICLE IDLE SUDDENLY SPIKED TO 4,200 RPM. I WAS TOLD DEALER WAS CLOSED, AND TO DRIVE IT HOME. ON DECEMBER 5, VEHICLE AGAIN STALLED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC AT INTERSECTION ALMOST CAUSING A COLLISION. AFTER RESTARTING, IT REFUSED TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY FOR 30-60 SECONDS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BACK TO NAPELTON HYUNDAI BECAUSE BOTH THE STALLING AND SUDDEN ACCELERATION ARE SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT MAKE THIS SANTA FE UNSAFE TO OPERATE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED FULLY THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ON DEC 20 I WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED BECAUSE ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I WAS TOLD TO PICK IT UP AND DRIVE IT. I REFUSED TO DO SO. NAPELTON HAD OVER 20 DAYS TO DETECT AND CORRECT THESE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES, AND I WILL NOT DRIVE HYUNDAI'S FAILURE INTO AN ACCIDENT. A REVIEW OF NHTSA DEFECTS REPORTED FOR THIS SANTA FE FOR 2003-2005 MODEL YEARS REVEALS OVER 40 SIMILAR INCIDENTS, SOME INVOLVING COLLISION AND INJURY. THESE ARE CATEGORIZED UNDER SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPONENTS INCLUDING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL, OTHER, POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AND EQUIPMENT. PERHAPS THE SANTA FE'S CAN BE RECALLED BEFORE DEATHS RESULT. *NM