2008 Hyundai Santa Fe

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING OUR 2008 HYUNDAI SANTE FE LIMITED WE BEGAN HAVING A PROBLEM WHICH STILL EXIST TO THIS DAY. AFTER FILLING WITH GAS, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY LIT. THE FIRST SEVERAL TIMES OF THIS EVENT, I WAS TRULY CONCERNED THAT I HAD AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND RETURNED TO THE DEALER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE GAS CAP NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED FURTHER. I HAVE TIGHTENED THE CAP AT TIMES SO MUCH SO THAT I VERY NEARLY WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE IT.*TR

IN MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT INTERMITTENTLY WORKS WHEN MY DAUGHTER AND I (115 & 120 LBS) SIT IN THE SEAT. I CAN SIT PERFECTLY STILL AND IT WILL BE ENGAGED, AND THEN IT WILL DISENGAGE, AND THEN ENGAGE, AGAIN OR VISA VERSA. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED 4 TIMES, BUT THEY SAY THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE. THEY JUST HOOK IT UP TO A COMPUTER AND SAY IT WORKS AS DESIGNED. HUMBLE HYUNDAI SERVICE MANAGER EVEN TOLD ME TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT (I'M 51 YEARS OLD). I AM AFRAID IF WE ARE IN AN ACCIDENT THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE NOTIFIED HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND HYUNDAI PR AS WELL. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT FOR NHTSA AND HYUNDAI TO ISSUE A RECALL? I HAVE BEEN GIVEN WEIGHTS OF 30, 80, 150, 115 AND 120 LBS TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG SENSOR BY HUMBLE HYUNDAI. ALSO GIVEN 35, 45, 150, 130, 135, 145, 40, 100 & 105 LBS BY SERVICE DEPARTMENTS OF OTHER DEALERSHIPS. ALSO TALKED TO CONSUMER AFFAIRS ABOUT THIS, WHY CAN'T HYUNDAI TELL ANYONE WHAT THE ACTUAL WEIGHT TO ACTIVATE IS? THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED FOR SONATAS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM WHY CAN'T ONE BE ISSUED FOR SANTA FES. THERE ARE 48 COMPLAINTS LISTED ON HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2008/HYUNDAI/SANTA+FE AND THEY ALL SAY THEY WERE FILED WITH NHTSA. THE INITIAL PROBLEM BEGAN ON 8/21/08 WITH 300 MILES ON ODOMETER AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM UNTIL TODAY 10/19/09 WITH ALMOST 18000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE SPEED I AM DRIVING IS NOT A FUNCTION OF THE PROBLEM AS IT HAPPENS AT VARYING SPEEDS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST WITH CAUTION INTO A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE THROTTLE SENSOR ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 8,452.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE AIR BAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT AN ADULT OCCUPANT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES, AND A TECHNICIAN REPLACED AND RE-CALIBRATED THE SEAT MODULE. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9100. UPDATED 11/17/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED IT WOULD DETECT HEAVIER ADULTS. UPDATED 11/1/8/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL, INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG IS INOPERATIVE. AS A CONSEQUENCE IN A SITUATION THAT WARRANTS THE AIR BAGS MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE IS CAUSED BY A WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION FAILURE. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. UPON CONTACT A REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED HER TO SIT IN THE REAR SEAT, BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS ARE SECONDARY SAFETY METHODS; SEAT BELTS ARE THE FIRST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000. BL UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO WITHDRAW THE COMPLAINT. THE CONSUMER WANTS ALL INFORMATION DELETED. UPDATED 10/13/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED WITH A SMALL STATURE ADULT. THE AIR BAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT A CERTAIN WEIGHT POSITIONED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE DESIGN AND THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE CONTACT HAS CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,500. UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HIS WIFE WEIGHED ROUGHLY 125. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS OFF NO MATTER HOW SHE SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. UPDATED 10/15/09

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CAR IS GREAT RUNNING VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR ONE SAFETY PROBLEM: THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECTS MY WIFE AS AN ADULT AND TOGGLES ON AND OFF AT WILL. IT IS REALLY FRIGHTENING TO BE TRAVELING DOWN AN HIGHWAY OR ANY ROAD AND REALIZE THAT I HAVE NO AIRBAG. MY WIFE IS 5' 3 " AND WEIGHS ABOUT 120 LBS AND AT TIMES I NEEDED TO HAVE HER REPOSITION SEAT TO THE TOTAL UPRIGHT POSITION TO RESET THE AIRBAG INDICATION LIGHT. THIS DOES NOT GIVE ME A SENSE OF SECURITY SINCE I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD DEPLOY IF NEEDED .I CALLED TWO HYUNDAI DEALERS AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS A COMMON PROBLEM AND SUGGESTED FOR ME TO COME IN FOR A CHECKUP. I AT THIS TIME HAVE NOT MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER BUT WILL CERTAINLY MAKE ONE ASAP. *TR

SINCE I BOUGHT MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE AND PULLED IT OFF THE LOT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DOES NOT REGISTER ME. I AM 5'3" 105 LBS. RARELY DOES IT EVER WORK AND IF IT DOES ITS ONLY FOR A MINUTE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. LADY STATED SHE HAS HEARD COMPLAINT NUMEROUS TIME AND HYUNDAI WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY TELL YOU TO RESTART THE CAR AND SIT WITH PERFECT POSTURE. THIS STILL DOES NOT WORK AND EVEN IF IT DOES MOVE AN INCH AND IT TURNS BACK OFF. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AND I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS. ITS LIKE HYUNDAI IS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! *TR