2004 Hyundai Santa Fe

FAILURE OF DRIVER'S SIDE FRONTAL AIRBAG TO DEPLOY ON A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER SANTA FE ON A TWO-LANE COUNTRY ROAD IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL, WITH NO ICE, SNOW, OR OTHER SLIPPING HAZARDS ON THE ROAD. AS SHE ROUNDED A CURVE A CAR WAS STOPPED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HER AND BECAUSE HER VISION WAS OBSTRUCTED BY LANDSCALE ALONG THE ROAD SHE COULD NOT SEE THE OTHER VEHICLE (A 1988 JEEP TRUCK) BEFORE SHE STRUCK IT. DAMAGE TO THE JEEP WAS MINIMAL (BROKEN REAR WINDOW AND BENT BUMPER), BUT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF HER SANTA FE WAS EXTENSIVE, ESTIMATED ABOUT $9,500. I CALLED OUR LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA TO URGE THEM TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT A POTENTIAL AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY WAS NOT UNUSUAL BECAUSE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SENSORS ARE LOCATED WELL BACK FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. GIVEN THE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE CAR (THE FRONT IS EXTENSIVELY CRUSHED) AND THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE TROOPERS OBSERVATION THAT HE WAS SURPRISED THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, HYUNDAI SHOULD ADDRESS THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE IDLING, THE VEHICLE KEPT MOVING ALMOST HITTING A PEDESTRIAN. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 11,600. THE CONSUMER EXPERICED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. UPDATED 11/06/07. *JB

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

NO PRIOR WARNINGS OR CONDITIONS EXISTED PRIOR TO FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED BY A FELLOW COWORKER TO BE THE FUEL PUMP. AAA WAS CALLED TO TOW THE VEHICLE , AND UPON ARRIVAL, PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL TO BACK IT UP IN ORDER TO TOW. IMMEDIATELY, THE FRONT DRIVER TIRE WHEN FLAT, AND IT WAS A RESULT OF THE FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLY BREAKING AND CAUSING THE COIL SPRING TO SNAP AND PIERCE THE FRONT TIRE. IT HAS BEEN 6 DAYS , AND I WAS STILL WITHOUT THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS ONLY 3 1/2 YEARS OLD WITH 65,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY AND REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE FIXED QUICKLY I HAD TO ACCEPT PARTS FROM A 2006 VEHICLE.*AK

I AM SUSPICIOUS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM OF THE 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. ONCE, WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS AND APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, I TRIED TO STOP QUICKLY AND THE BRAKES MADE A STRANGE CLUMPING NOISE AND DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE. I ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WITH CROSSING TRAFFIC COMING AT ME. IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, WHILE SIMPLY DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD, ONE OF THE TIRES RAN OVER A SHALLOW IMPRESSION IN THE ROAD , NOT EVEN THE SIZE OF A POT HOLE, AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY LOST HYDRAULIC PRESSURE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSING TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT RESISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING DOWN A HILL AND LOST BRAKING ABILITY FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 SECONDS. LUCKILY NOTHING MORE SERIOUS OCCURRED.*AK