2008 Hyundai Santa Fe

THIS PROBLEM IS TRUE OF OUR 2007 AND 2008 SANTA FE'S AND HAS EXISTED SINCE WE PURCHASED THE CARS. I HAVE FINALLY COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR NOT ONLY MY WIFE BUT ALSO MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE OF SLIGHT BUILD. IT IS A PROBLEM THAT IS EASILY CORRECTABLE BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE CREATED CASE#[XXX] WITH HYUNDAI AMERICA --THEY HAVE RESPONDED THAT THEY WILL PASS ALONG THE INFORMATION TO ENGINEERING --BUT THEY HAVE NOTED THAT I WILL NOT BE CONTACTED BY HYUNDAI REGARDING DEPOSITION OF THE ISSUE. THE PROBLEM -- MY WIFE WEIGHS ABOUT 95 LBS. SHE FREQUENTLY DOES NOT ACTIVATE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SHE IS ESSENTIALLY UNPROTECTED IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. SHE JUST DOESN'T WEIGH ENOUGH TO RELIABLY ACTIVATE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. HYUNDAI SPENDS QUITE A FEW PAGES IN THEIR MANUAL TO COVER THEMSELVES LEGALLY. THEY COMMENT THAT IF ALL ELSE FAILS JUST SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. I WOULD IMAGINE FEW HUSBANDS AND WIVES OPT FOR THIS SOLUTION. MOST CONSUMERS PROBABLY HAVEN'T READ THE MANUAL, IGNORE THE OFF SIGN OR DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, OR DON'T CARE AND RISK THE SAFETY OF THEIR PASSENGER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT SHOULD ACTIVATE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM FOR SAY ANYONE OVER 66 LBS. I BELIEVE ANOTHER MANUFACTURER HAS RECENTLY DONE SO. IT IS STUPID THAT I HAVE WAITED THIS LONG TO COMPLAIN -- BUT I KEPT THINKING THEIR WOULD EVENTUALLY BE A RECALL AND I NORMALLY JUST DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THINGS. HYUNDAI COULD MAKE AN ALTERNATE SENSOR AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO NEEDED IT. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED A TWO YEAR OLD CHILD WAS SEATED IN A FORWARD FACING CHILD RESTRAINT BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE CHILD WAS ABLE TO REACH FOR THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT AND WRAP IT AROUND HIS NECK. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE SEAT BELT FROM THE CHILD'S NECK WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CHILD WAS UNINJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

AT 59,000 MILES LEFT SIDE RUNNING LIGHTS INOP. SENT TO DEALER THEY SAID THEY ADJUSTED THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS STATED AT 50,000 MILES. WORKED GOOD FOR 3 WEEKS TOOK ON A TRIP PUT 10,000 MILES ON IT. NOW AT 70,000.. ELECTRICAL ISSUES STARTED BACK UP.NO TAILLIGHTS LEFT BACK,TOUCH BRAKE DASHBOARD LEFT TURN GLOWS 1/2 BRIGHTNESS.PUT LEFT TURN SIGNAL LIGHT ON WORKS. TOUCH BRAKE LEFT SIDE BLINK ACTS LIKE BURNED OUT LIGHT. FILL WITH FUEL READS CORRECT MOST OF THE TIME. WENT TO STOP STARTED CAR BACK UP GAUGE READ EMPTY WITH LIGHT ON, STOPPED FOR GAS 30 MILES LATER PUT GAS IN TOOK 1 GAL GAUGE WENT TO 1/2 TANK. LET SET OVERNIGHT NEXT DAY READ 3/4. DROVE THE REST OF THE DAY . NEXT DAY READ CORRECT. THIS HAPPENED 2 TIMES ALREADY. DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS RELATED THE LEFT SIDE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *TR

THE BACK SEAT (PASSENGER SIDE) SEAT BELT - THE CONNECTION IN THE SEAT, ALWAYS GOES DOWN IN THE OPENING AND IS VERY HARD TO GET UP, I DO THINK THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, SINCE SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T GET IT OUT TO CLIP THE SEAT BELT INTO. THE HOLE WHERE THE CONNECTION IS, IS TOO BIG, AND WHEN YOU TRY TO CONNECT THE SEAT BELT INTO IT, IT GOES DOWN. I HAVE GONE TO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES, AND THEY TAKE IT OUT. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED THE HYUNDAI CORP., BUT WAS TOLD MY SANTA FE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME. THE DEALERSHIP, ALSO CLAIMS THE SAME THING EVERY TIME I AM THERE. I WAS JUST THERE ON 2/29/2012, AND WAS TOLD THAT MAYBE I SHOULD TRY GIRLS HAIR BAND AND GET A BIG ONE A WRAP IT AROUND A FEW TIMES, AND THAT SHOULD HOLD IT UP. CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO A SOLUTION THAT MIGHT MAKE THEM CORRECT IT. ALSO I KNOW OF 3 OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON THERE CARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FURTHER BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE THROTTLE SENSOR WAS REPLACED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE HOWEVER, THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS AND WAS COASTED OFF ROAD AND SHUT OFF. AFTER WAITING A FEW MOMENTS, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY I ACCELERATED AND MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY BY ITSELF. I WAS GOING APPROX. 65MPH, AND WITHIN A FEW SECONDS MY CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN TO 80 OR MORE MPH. I APPLIED MY BRAKES BUT THEY COULDN'T COUNTERACT THE ACCELERATION VERY WELL. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN THE CAR EVENTUALLY SLOWED DOWN, THE GAS PEDAL MADE A LOUD SOUND LIKE IT HAD RELEASED ITSELF. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD THIS VERY SCARY EVENT IN TWO MONTHS, BOTH ON THE FREEWAY. THE FIRST TIME I WAS SO SHAKEN AND SHOCKED THAT I FELT I HADN'T HAD TIME TO OBSERVE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME. THIS LAST TIME I WAS ABLE TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THERE WAS NO INTERFERENCE WITH MY FLOOR MAT. IT WAS PURE AND SIMPLE: MY GAS PEDAL WAS DANGEROUSLY ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. I TOOK MY SANTE FE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND GAVE THEM A COPY OF MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER SANTE FE OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT INCIDENT, SOME RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS. IN ALL CASES THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED NOR EXPLAINED. SURE ENOUGH, IN MY CASE THE DEALERSHIP COULD NEITHER DUPLICATE, EXPLAIN, NOR REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I AM NOW FEARFUL TO DRIVE MY CAR, AND I WILL SELL IT SOON. *TR