2004 Hyundai Santa Fe

ENGINE- DEFECTIVE SHORT BLOCK ENGINE CAR IS BACK IN SHOP NOW FOR THE 5TH TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, LOUD RATTLING NOISES COMING FROM ENGINE. DEALER INFORMED ME IT'S A DEFECTIVE FACTORY ENGINE. BRAND NEW SHORT BLOCK ENGINE REPLACED TWICE AND CAR NOW BACK IN SHOP FOR SAME PROBLEM. NO LONGER FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE, AS TWICE I HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER B/C OF ENGINE FAILURE AND I HAD MY 2 YR OLD SON WITH ME. IN REVIEWING THIS WEBSITE, I SEE COUNTLESS NUMEROUS AND SIMILAR COMPLAINTS! THE ENGINE IS THE HEART OF A CAR SO HOW MANY NEW HEARTS IS HYUNDAI WILLING TO PUT IN THIS ONE CAR? IT COST MORE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAN TO JUST ACCEPT THE LOSS AND PROPERLY COMPENSATE ME! REPAIRS ARE AS FOLLOWS: NEW SHORT BLOCK ENGINE INSTALLED; RETURN CAR SAME DAY B/C ENGINE FELT "LOOSE"; TOLD IT WAS THE SWAY BAR LINKS- INSTALLED SAME DAY; CAR STILL FELT LOOSE, NEXT DAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON- CAR RETURNED. THIS TIME TOLD IT WAS STRUT TOP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED- DONE. PICKED UP CAR, 2 DAYS LATER BACK IN SHOP FOR SAME INITIAL LOUD ENGINE NOISE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN. TOLD SAME PROBLEM WITH SHORT BLOCK ENGINE TO BE DEFECTIVE. ORDERED BRAND NEW SHORT BLOCK ENGINE AND REPLACED AGAIN! PICKED UP CAR AFTER REPAIR AND AGAIN, SAME DAY, BROUGHT THE CAR BACK B/C CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN! CAR PRESENTLY STILL IN SHOP AND I'M FORCED TO CONTACT AN ATTORNEY B/C THE HYUNDAI'S CONSUMER AFFAIRS STATES AS LONG AS THE DEALER KEEPS FIXING THE PROBLEM, THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN OFFERING ME ANY COMPENSATION. HOW MUCH MORE MONEY ARE THEY WILLING TO GIVE THIS DEALER BEFORE THEY REALIZE THIS CAR IS NOT WORTH ANOTHER $6,500 REPAIR BILL? *TR

WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY DOING FREEWAY SPEEDS AT 5:30 AM GOING TO WORK WHEN MY TRUCK JUST SHUT DOWN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I LOST ALL POWER COASTED ABOUT 300 FEET, PULLED OFF ON LEFT AND ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. COME TO FIND OUT, TIMING BELT WENT BAD, ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. I'VE GOT LESS THAN 75000 MILES ON THIS TRUCK AND AM VERY UPSET THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED ON THE WARRANTY AND THAT THE PARTS THEY USE TO PUT THESE TRUCKS TOGETHER ARE SO CHEAP! *TR

SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THIS SANTA FE IN 04 THERE HAVE BEEN SIX TIMES WHERE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN DOWN THE ROAD AND DIED. I HAVE BEEN SCARED FOR MY AND MY SON'S LIFE AS THIS JUST HAPPENED ON AN INTERSTATE AND IF IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN HOW TO REACT BUT I BARELY PULLED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. HYUNDAI SAID THE PROBLEM WAS UNBALANCED TIRE PRESSURE...OBVIOUSLY THEY DON'T RESPECT WOMEN. *TR

UPON RETURN FROM VACATION, POWER STEERING WAS MOANING, LOSS OF FLUID FROM UNDER FRONT OF VEHICLE. EXAMINATION REVEALED LOSS DUE TO FLUID COOLER LINE BENEATH RADIATOR. FLUID WAS LEAKING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER INCHES TO THE REAR OF THE LINE. EXAMINATION REVEALED BLACK STAINING ON SURFACE OF CONVERTER DUE TO SKIN TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 1200 DEG. FIX WAS TO REPLACE COOLER LINE. THIS IS POTENTIAL CAUSE OF LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND/OR VEHICULAR FIRE. *TR

ALLSTATE FOUND THAT THERE WAS 1) WATER PUMP FAILURE 2) SOME FORM OF DRIVE BELT FAILURE, AND 3) THE INTERFERENCE ENGINE HAD PARTS COLLIDE WITHIN THE ENGINE LEADING TO A FIRE. THIS OCCURRED AS MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. HYUNDAI IS CURRENTLY NEGOTIATING WITH ME TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE TOTAL LOSS. OF COURSE, THEY ARE NOT OFFERING ME WHAT I LOST ON THE INVESTMENT AT THIS POINT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS FOUND TO NOT BE LIABLE BY THE BBB; THEREFORE I AM COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH REPRESENTATIVES AT HYUNDAI MOTOR CO. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE, AND I AM CURIOUS ABOUT WHETHER WE ARE THE ONLY FAMILY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE 12 PAGE INSURANCE COMPANY REPORT; I LACK ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ENGINES AND HOW THEY WORK, BUT IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THIS IS AN EXTREME DANGER TO CONSUMERS. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. SINCE HYUNDAI IS WILLING TO SETTLE WITH ME, IT CAN ONLY BE RECOGNIZED THAT THEY KNOW THIS PRODUCT WAS UNSAFE. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA AND NUMEROUS OTHER SITES. IN FACT, I HAVE CREATED MY OWN BLOG: WWW.FLAMINGHYUNDAI.BLOGSPOT.COM, WHICH HAS LINKS TO 5 OTHER BLOG PAGES DESCRIBING MY STORY. WHAT IS SO CRAZY ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS YOU CAN FIND 50 STUPID & PETTY THINGS RECALLED AT WALMART EVERYDAY, BUT A VEHICLE CATCHES FIRE AND YOUR TOLD "IT'S AN ACT OF GOD." PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT ANYTIME; I WELCOME YOUR RESPONSE. THANK YOU. *NM

MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS BEFORE IT WAS TO LATE. WIFE SAW SMOKE COMING UP FROM THE ENGINE OF OUR 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE (ODO 24,000 MILES). SHE PULLED OVER TO THE CURB. THE VEHICLE HAD NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS PULLED OUT OF THE BURNING VEHICLE BY A PASSERBY. WIFE SUFFERED A CONTUSION TO HER RIGHT CHEEK DURING THIS INCIDENT. SHE DID NOT KNOW THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. SHE NOTIFIED 911 WHO SENT A FIRE TRUCK AND POLICE OFFICER. THE VEHICLE EXPLODED AT LEAST 3 TIMES AS SHE WAITED OUTSIDE IN THE COLD, FRENZIED BY THE DISASTER. THE FIRE WAS SO INTENSE THAT THE FRONT WHEELS WERE MELTED. A POLICEMAN AND 2 FIRE TRUCKS RESPONDED TO THE BLAZE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY ALLSTATE. RELIABLE IMPORTS (SPRINGFIELD, MO.) WOULD NOT EVEN HELP US OBTAIN A RENTAL CAR. THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THIS HYUNDAI VEHICLE WERE PROUDLY ACCLAIMED BY THE CAR SALESMAN AND MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP. BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALERSHIP HAVE BEEN UNHELPFUL IN HELPING US IN ANY WAY. THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER A FULL BUMPER-TO-BUMPER, NEW VEHICLE WARRANTY. THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FIRE, AND DO NOT OFFER TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION ON THE VEHICLE. HYUNDAI AND RELIABLE IMPORTS SHOW COMPLETE DISINTEREST IN THE VEHICLE'S SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, AND SHOW THE WORLD NO CONCERN OVER THE FACT THAT THIS MAY PROVE TO BE A NON-ISOLATED EVENT. SINCE THEN, RELIABLE IMPORTS IN SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI HAS FIENDISHLY SENT ME AN EMAIL REMINDER TO HAVE MY VEHICLE SERVICE RENEWED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND HYUNDAI BOTH FAILED TO INSTRUCT ME TO FILE MY COMPLAINT @ NHTSA. AN ATTORNEY INSTRUCTED ME TO FILE THE COMPLAINT HERE. *JB

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IN SEPTMEBER OF THIS YEAR (2004). 2 MONTHS LATER, THE ENGINE BLEW. HYUNDAI IS OFFERING ONLY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THEIR LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE IS APPALING. NO ONE RETURNS MY CALLS, I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM. WE INITALLY FELT THAT A NEW COMPARABLE VEHICLE WAS MORE APPROPRIATE. THEY SEEM VERY UNCONCERNED THAT THE CAR DIED ON A HIGHWAY IN THE DARK AND THAT MY HUSBAND AND 6 MONTH OLD SON HAD NO HEAT FOR AN HOUR NOR THAT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE DIED. SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE THE #1 PRIORITY.*AK