2005 Hyundai Santa Fe

THIS HAS BEEN A REPEATED PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME. EARLY ON I WOULD HAVE A BRAKE LAMP LIGHT THAT I WOULD BE TOLD WAS OUT. WE WOULD TAKE THE LIGHT BULB OUT AND REINSERT AND IT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. WE ASSUMED IT JIGGLED LOOSE. THEN, AT A LATER TIME, I WOULD BE TOLD THAT THE OTHER BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT, AND WE WOULD REPEAT THE PROCESS AND TAKE IT APART AND IT WOULD AMAZINGLY START WORKING AGAIN. BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER 2014, TAKING THE LIGHT APART NO LONGER FIXED IT, SO WE CHECKED AND REPLACED FUSES AND LIGHTBULBS, BUT IT DIDN'T FIX IT. UP UNTIL THIS TIME, THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT WOULD GO OUT AND THEN IT WOULD BE THE LEFT ONE INTERMITTENTLY. THEN, AS OF DECEMBER 2014, NEITHER BRAKE LIGHT WORKS AND THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT IN THE REAR WINDOW HAS FIVE SMALL BULBS THAT STAY LIT AT ALL TIMES, BUT CURRENTLY THE THIRD LIGHT IN THE REAR WINDOW IS THE ONLY LIGHT THAT COMES ON WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE.SINCE IT IS APPARENTLY NOT THE LAMP OR THE FUSE, I'M WONDERING IF MY VEHICLE IS INCLUDED IN THE HYUNDAI RECALL NO. 092, A STOP LAMP SWITCH RECALL, OR ANY OTHER RECALL PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE, SINCE I AM READING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME ISSUE? I AM AFRAID THAT I AM GOING TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT SINCE IT IS AN INTERMITTENT AND NOW, APPARENTLY, FULL-TIME PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE BECAUSE AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS, THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT IS GOING ON. THANK YOU!

DEAR SAFERCAR, A LETTER WAS SENT BY ME TO HYUNDAI MOTORS IN REGARDS TO A SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE ISSUE IS THAT OUR CAR FAILS TO START AT VARIOUS TIME OR HAS ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. WE PURCHASE THIS CAR FROM AN ELDERLY FRIEND WHO HAD THE CAR IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR THE SAME REASON WE ARE WRITING THIS LETTER. SHE WAS TOLD AFTER ALL ATTEMPTS AT REPAIRS THAT THE CAR WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND THIS WAS JUST A CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THE RESPONSE WE RECEIVED FROM HYUNDAI WAS THAT IT IS UNFORTUNATE BUT WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A FRIEND AND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRS LIES WITH US AT OUR EXPENSE. WE FEEL THAT THE ISSUE IS NOT OUR PURCHASE BUT THE HEARTLESS NEGLIGENCE OF TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A 80+ YEAR OLD LADY, WHO HAD NO ONE TO BACK HER UP. I FEEL THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLES STEERING AND OR BRAKES AND ACCELERATION WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS CRITICAL TO OUR SAFETY. THE ENGINE HAS FAILED TO START AND STOPPED AT VARIOUS TIME AND SITUATIONS. PLEASE INFORM US IF THERE IS ANY RECOURSE FOR US AND OUR SITUATION. PS THIS CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS NEVER REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP. HYUNDAI ALSO CONTENDS ,IN THEIR REPLY THAT IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE DEALERSHIP IS NO LONGER ACTIVE AND THERE ARE NO RECORDS THAT CAN BE RECALLED. HOW UNFORTUNATE FOR US!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL FIRMLY IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A CURB. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE CAUSED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TO BE PUSHED BACKWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRE ARM, RIM AND THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,345...UPDATED 08-26-14 *BF UPDATED 09/5/2014 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT WAS PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN A CRASH THAT WAS UNRELATED TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM HOWEVER, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOLLOWING THE CRASH, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED BECAUSE AFTER BLEEDING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT WAS OT AWARE OF THE EXACT REPAIR NEEDED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000. ## VIN FAILED ##

BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED WITHIN LAST 6 OR 7 MONTHS; HOWEVER, FRONT BRAKES PULSATE (LIKE ABS IS ENGAGING) WHEN BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS EVEN BEFORE AND AFTER BRAKE REPAIRS. ON DEC 21, 2012, I DROPPED OFF MY GRANDSON AT SCHOOL AND WENT TO PARK ON A STREET NEXT TO THE SCHOOL. THE FRONT BRAKES PULSATED WHEN BRAKING TO PARK (ABOUT 4 MILES PER HOUR) AND THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND I LOST ALL BRAKING POWER -- COASTED TO A STOP (ABOUT 10 FEET). I SUSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS BAD FOR SOME OF THE 2005 MODELS. THE 2003 AND 2004 YEAR MODEL ABS CONTROL MODULES HAVE BEEN RECALLED BUT APPARENTLY NOT FOR THE 2005 MODEL YEARS. *TR