2004 Hyundai Santa Fe

AS I APPROACHED A STOP LIGHT AND MY CAR BEGAN TO SLOW, IT DIDN'T SHIFT ALL THE WAY INTO FIRST GEAR. WHILE STOPPED AT THE LIGHT, IT REMAINED AT A HIGH RPM WHILE THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED, MY CAR "KICKED" DOWN INTO FIRST AND IMMEDIATELY BACK IN TO SECOND. A FEW DAYS LATER WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, MY CAR DIED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, IT STARTED BACK UP. AFTER BRINGING IT TO THE DEALER (IT HAD DIED ON MY THREE TIMES AT THIS POINT) TO HAVE IT SERVICED, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY WERE ABLE TO "FEEL" THE SHIFTING ISSUES WHEN STOPPING BUT THEY COULDN'T TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. SINCE I'VE HAD MY VEHICLE BACK FROM THE SHOP, IT HAS BEEN HAVING HIGH IDLE SURGES WHERE THE RESTING IDLE RPM IS AT 2000, IN ADDITION, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN NEUTRAL IT ACTS AS IF SOMETHING IS PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL WHILE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 800 AND 2000 RPM. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE AND MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE, IT ALSO FEELS LIKE MY VEHICLE WANTS TO GET UP AND GO (AGAIN LIKE SOMETHING IS PUSHING ON THE GAS PEDAL). I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT PLACES AND BOTH PLACES CAN'T PINPOINT WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. IT'S STARTING TO BECOME A SAFETY CONCERN. WHAT IF WHATEVER IS GOING ON WITH MY VEHICLE OVERRIDES THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND I END UP HURTING SOMEONE? *TR

THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEN JUST TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. THE BRAKE MUST IMMEDIATELY BE ENGAGED TO SLOW THE CAR. ONCE THE CAR IS MOVING THE ACCELERATOR WORKS. WHILE CRUISING THE ENGINE RPM SURGES FORCING THE BRAKES TO BE ENGAGED.THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN TRAFFIC. THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS AND SHE JUST LIVED WITH IT. IT IS UNSETTLING TO HAVE A VEHICLE SURGE WHENEVER IT WANTS. *TR

THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS TUES. OCT. 21 BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND WENT TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE. IT STALLED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY ROAD. I PUT IT IN PARK AND TRIED TO START IT AGAIN. IT DID START BUT DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN. HOWEVER, IT DID. THE SECOND TIME WAS YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN A FOUR LANE ROAD AT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING. I WAS SO THANKFUL IT WAS LATER IN THE EVENING AND TRAFFIC WAS VERY MINIMAL. I PUT IT IN PARK AND IT DID START BUT AGAIN DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT WOULD CONTINUE. IT FELT LIKE IT WOULD STALL AGAIN BUT DID NOT, 2 MORE TIMES BEFORE I GOT HOME. I CALLED THIS MORNING TO GET IT RIGHT IN AND NEVER HEARD BACK. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC ON MOST OF THESE ROADS. I DO NOT FEEL LIKE I WAS TAKEN SERIOUSLY EVEN THOUGH I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN SEPT. BUT HAVE MANAGED TO MISPLACE IT. I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE RECALL WAS FOR. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED A PANEL LIGHT DID COME ON. IT WAS THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT. I AM WORRIED ABOUT AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLE DEATH WITH THIS HAPPENING TO THE CAR. *TR

AFTER STARTING VEHICLE AND WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE SHUTS DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND WITHOUT WARNING. WAS ABLE TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET IT AS IT WAS STILL ROLLING. NO INDICATIONS CAME ON AS TO WHAT THE ISSUE MAY POINT TO. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND WAITED FOR A TOW TO MY HOME WHICH I TOTAL TOOK ABOUT 45 MINUTES. ONCE AT HOME THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO ISSUES. FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS MY VEHICLE WAS AT MY MECHANICS AND HE COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. I WENT AHEAD AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION. FLUSHED AS HIM AND I HAD DISCUSSED AS ONE OF THE LAST THINGS TO GET SERVICED BEFORE WINTER. LATER THAT DAY I DROVE A LONGER DISTANCE WITH TOP SPEED ABOUT 65 MPH WITH NO ISSUES. JUST AS I WAS RETURNING HOME THE CAR SHUTDOWN AS I WAS CROSSING A BUSY INTERSECTION. LUCKILY, AGAIN I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE ROLLING VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I ATTEMPTED TO START A FEW TIMES BUT AFTER A NOT SO PLEASANT SOUND LEFT IT OFF. AFTER BEING COMPLETELY OFF FOR 30 TO 45 MINUTES THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO START AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE STAYED ON. MY SEARCH ON THE ISSUE POINTS TO A CRANKSHAFT PROTECTION SENSOR, BUT THIS IS NOT A CLEAR SOLUTION AND A COSTLY THING TO FIX IF THIS DOES NOT RESOLVE. I SEE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE ISSUE WITH NO DEFINITIVE RESOLUTION FOR HYUNDAI OWNERS EVEN BY HYUNDAI TECHNICIANS AS THEY TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SCARY THING TO HAVE HAPPEN AND SOME OF THE VEHICLE JERKS ARE RATHER HARD AND VIOLENT. BEFORE THESE SHUTDOWNS BECOME DEADLY PLEASE ADDRESS. MY LAST EXPERIENCE WAS 10/18 MY VEHICLE IS AT MY MECHANIC TODAY. *TR