2004 Hyundai Santa Fe

FEW WEEKS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF MY SANTA FE, THE CAR BEGAN TO SHUDDER DURING ACCELERATION. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME THEY DUPLICATED BUT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG BEFORE THE THREE DAY RENTAL CAR RULE. SO THEY GAVE IT BACK TO ME SAYINGS IT STILL IS BAD. WE ARE CURRENTLY WAITING FOR THE SERVICE SHEET FROM THAT TIME. *AK

PUT FOOT ON BRAKE AT LOW SPEED, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELLERATED. HELD FOOT ON BRAKE TO KEEP FROM COLLIDING WITH OTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT. JAMMED LEVER IN NEUTRAL, TAC WENT TO 3000 RPM FOR 5 SECONDS, THEN BACK TO NORMAL IDLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE THAT AND WENT OFF NEXT DAY. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED 4 TIMES OVER 3 MONTHS. VEHICLE HAS HAD ECM REPROGRAMMED AT DEALER FOR 3 "BUMP FROM BEHIND" INCIDENTS PREVIOUSLY.*AK

THE PROBLEM STARTED DECEMBER 27, 2004 AS I WAS PULLING UP A PRIVATE DRIVE AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP MY SANTE FE. AS I APPROACHED THE TOP OF THE DRIVE I APPLIED BRAKING, MY VEHICLE SLOWED AND CAME CLOSE TO WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE A FULL STOP WHEN THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM SUDDENLY ACTIVATED. I HELD THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN BUT THE BRAKING DISTANCE INCREASED AND IT WAS THEN THAT IT MADE CONTACT WITH A PARKED TRUCK. THE VEHICLES HIT FRONT BUMPER TO FRONT BUMPER. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT BOTH VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED FROM THE IMPACT. MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECALLED PREVIOUSLY FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS BRAKESWHICH, ACCORDING TO THE RECALL NOTICEWERE PRONE TO UNEXPECTEDLY ACTIVATE AT LOW SPEEDS. I HAD OTHER TWO INCIDENTS BEFORE THE RECALL NOTICE IN WHICH THIS SAME TYPE OF UNEXPECTED ABS ACTIVATION HAD OCCURREDBOTH AT UNDER 5 MPH AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEAR STOPPED. I FEEL HYUNDAI NEEDS TO ADDRESS MY VEHICLE STATUS, THE SAFETY OF THE ABS BRAKE OPERATION ON MY VEHICLE AND OTHERS LIKE MINE, AND THE COST OF REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE AND THE TRUCK I COLLIDED WITH DECEMBER 27, 2004. I CANNOT STATE STRONGLY ENOUGH HOW DISSATISFIED AND FRUSTRATED I AM WITH HYUNDAIS LACK OF RESPONSELET ALONE THEIR LACK OF ACTION. I TRULY HOPE YOUR OFFICE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP IN THIS MATTER. I WILL GLADLY COOPERATE IN ANY WAY YOU MAY DEEM NECESSARY. PLEASE NOTE: I ALSO CALLED AND DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH YOUR OFFICE. I AM COMPLETING THIS FORM AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THAT CONVERSATION.

IN JANUARY OF 2005, I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 3.5L GLS. I STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND REMAINED STOPPED FOR A WHILE. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND DESPITE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, I COULD NOT STOP IT FROM LUNGING FORWARD. I HAD TO QUICKLY GET IT OUT OF GEAR TO MAKE IT STOP, AND FORTUNATELY DID NOT HIT ANYONE. I TOOK IT TO ROWE HYUNDAI IN WESTBROOK, MAINE (WHERE I BOUGHT IT) AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT NOR COULD THEY IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. ON 2-22-05, I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHEN SUDDENTLY THE ENGINE ACCELERATED QUICKLY AND LOUDLY. I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE HARDER YET COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE FROM LUNGING FORWARD. BEFORE I COULD GET IT OUT OF GEAR, IT REAR-ENDED THE PERSON PARKED IN FRONT OF ME. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA ABOUT THIS.

WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AT WHICH I HAD THE GREEN LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE, TRAVELING PERPENDICULARLY, RAN THE RED LIGHT AND MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE SMASHED RIGHT INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THAT VEHICLE. MY SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, YET THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ENTIRE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE IS SMASHED AND THE CAR MAY POSSIBLY BE TOTALED (WE ARE WAITING FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS ADJUSTERS TO EXAMINE). OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ON IMPACT, AS THEY SHOULD HAVE. *JB