2005 Hyundai Santa Fe

SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN A HYUNDAI SANTA FE CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT AT OUR HOUSE WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND PROPERTY, AND SOME PERSONAL INJURY. THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPORTED AS HAVING OVER-REVVED ON OCCASION, BUT THE DEALER HAD BEEN UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAULT, AND THIS HAD NOT OCCURRED FOR SOME TIME. ON THIS OCCASION THE ENGINE STUCK IN MAXIMUM REVS, EVEN IN NEUTRAL, AND AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER ATTRIBUTED THIS TO FAULTY CABLE POSITIONING, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT KNOW WHETHER THAT CAUSED THE ORIGINAL SUA OR JUST THE STICKING. THE AIRBAG FAILED TO INFLATE DESPITE MAJOR IMPACT. HYUNDAI HAVE BEEN SINGULARLY UNHELPFUL AND DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SORT OF THING OCCURRING BEFORE, WHICH IS CLEARLY UNTRUE. UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE NOT, AND THE INCIDENT WAS NOT, IN THE US, BUT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO REPORT THIS TO YOU BY OTHERS IN THE US AFFECTED BY THE SAME PROBLEM, BECAUSE OF HYUNDAI'S DISINTEREST. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. THE CONTACT THOUGHT THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN DEPRESSING BOTH THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS SIMULTANEOUSLY, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. THE FAILURE BEGAN TO OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY. WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO COME TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE JOLTED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED LOUDLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 12/11/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE, HIS FOOT WAS OFF THE GAS PEDAL THE VEHICLE MOVED SLOWLY. ONCE HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP, THE ENGINE SURGED. UPDATED 12/11/08.*JB

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THIS VEHICLE HESITATES AND THEN LURCHES FORWARD WITH EXTREME UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. ON WET OR SLIPPERY PAVEMENT THIS VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE. I HAVE READ NHTSA WEB SITE AND CAN SEE COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT ON THIS VEHICLE, YET NO RECALLS ISSUED BY NHTSA. NOT SURE WHY WE ARE WASTING MY TIME, BUT AT LEAST WHEN I AM KILLED IN THIS VEHICLE MY WIFE WILL BE ABLE TO NOW INCLUDE NHSTA IN THE LAWSUIT AS YOU, THE GOVERNING BODY, HAVE NOW BEEN OFFICIALLY INFORMED OF A SAFETY DEFECT! *TR

GAS PEDAL IS TO SENSITIVE. WHEELS SPIN WHEN YOU EXCELLERATE AT A SLOW SPEED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO COLUMBIA HYUNDIA 2 TIMES AND THERE ISENT ANYTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX IT. I LIVE IN OHIO AND WE GET LOTS OF SNOW IM AFRAID IM GOING TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ON THE ICE OR HAVE SOME REAREND ME. THERE IS NO WAY TO TAKE OFF FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND NOT HAVE THE WHEELS SPIN AND THE VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL. YOU HAVE TO LET OFF THE GAS THEN EXCELERATE AGAIN TO GET THIS TO STOP. *TR

SUDDEN ENGINE ACCELERATION WHEN PARKING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. MY WIFE WAS PARKING THE CAR AND WHEN SHE PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE (NOTE, SHE IS A VERY EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND WAS NOT ACCIDENTALLY PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR, ALSO NOTHING ON THE FLOOR WAS TOUCHING IT.) THE ENGINE STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO FULL THROTTLE, SHE JAMMED ON THE BRAKE AND THROW IT INTO PARK AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE RACED FULL SPEED UNTIL SHE TURNED OFF THE KEY. IT WAS OK AFTER RESTARTING, THIS IS THE 2ND TIME WITHIN A MONTH. VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION . *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 SANTA FE W/A 3.5L ENGINE. I'VE RECENTLY TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN TO HAVE SOME WARRANTY ITEMS TAKEN CARE OF. I ASKED THAT MY CAR ALSO BE FIXED IN REGARDS TO AN ACCELERATION CONCERN. FOR EXAMPLE: 1. WHILE DEPARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE CAR WILL VIOLENTLY JERK YOUR HEAD BACK. THIS OCCURS WHILE BARELY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. 2. WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION I CAN FEEL IT SURGING FORWARD AND BACK. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE DRIVE THE CAR TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T ME, AND THEY ALL EXPERIENCED THE SAME RESULTS. WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER AT A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP DROVE THE CAR, HE AT FIRST SAID HE DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING. THEN, AFTER FURTHER COMPLAINT BY ME, HE ADMITTED THAT, "WELL, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF SURGE, BUT THAT'S JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE TYPE OF ENGINE". I ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT AND HE TOLD ME, "NOTHING, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. THEY'VE HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND NOW THEY DON'T USE THAT ENGINE ANYMORE." I SAID IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GETTING WORSE OVER TIME AND HE SAID, "IT PROBABLY IS, BUT THERE IS STILL NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT". HYUNDAI WAS APPARENTLY AWARE THAT THERE IS A CONCERN OF SAFETY WITH THIS ENGINE SINCE THEY NO LONGER USE THE ENGINE AND ARE MANUFACTURING THEIR SANTA FE'S WITH AN IMPROVED, SAFER ENGINE. I AM AT THE POINT WHERE I NO LONGER FEEL AS IF I AM DRIVING A SAFE VEHICLE AND I AM GETTING TIRED OF PEOPLE ASKING ME WHY MY CAR JERKS FORWARD. (THE CAR SNAPS YOUR HEAD BACK AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF SOMEONE GETS HURT.) THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE KILLED OR KILL SOMEONE ON THE ROAD BECAUSE MY CAR CONCERNS WERE NOT ADDRESSED BY THE APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATION OF HYUNDAI. IF THE NHTSA HAS YET TO FORMALLY FORCE HYUNDAI INTO FIXING THIS ISSUE, I AM REQUESTING THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO. HYUNDAI'S LACK OF INTEREST IN THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS UNACCEPTABLE.