2009 Hyundai Santa Fe

THE LIGHT FOR MY FUEL TANK CAME ON SAYING EMPTY, HOWEVER I RECALLED JUST HAVING PUT GAS IN THE TANK. A FEW DAYS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO COME ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO AUTOZONE TO TEST THE ENGINE LIGHT, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL SENSOR. I LATER CALLED HYUNDAI AFTER CONSTANTLY HAVING TO WATCH MY GAS AND MILEAGE TO MAKE SURE THE TANK DOES NOT RUN EMPTY. HYUNDAI ADVISED IT IS POSSIBLY THE FUEL SENDING UNIT WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND ADVISED IT WOULD COST ABOUT $800 TO REPAIR. THE REP IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT STATED THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL CALLS REGARDING REPLACING THE PART. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE A SERIOUS ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD OR HIGHWAY. THERE SEEMS TO BE SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE.

FILLED FUEL TANK AND BEGAN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. AS USUAL CHECKED GAGES AND NOTICED FUEL GAGE AT 1/4 FULL. OVER TIME DRIVING, NEEDLE ON GAGE BEGAN TO MOVE UP TO POINT INDICATING APPROX. 3/4 FULL. OVER BALANCE OF DRIVE NEEDLE DANCED AROUND THE 3/4 FULL MARK. I AM READING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM HYUNDAI OWNERS OF SAME PROBLEM OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. IT APPEARS HYUNDAI IS DENYING A PROBLEM AND HAS TAKEN NO STEPS TO IMPROVE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS AND THUS REPLACING WITH THEM WITH SAME IS ONLY BAND AIDE FIX WITH POTENTIAL OF SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF VEHICLE DOES RUN OUT OF GAS ON HIGHWAY OR CROSSING INTERSECTION. VEY POOR POSITION OF COMPANY AND WHEN SHOPPING FOR NEW CAR I WILL CONSIDER ANOTHER MANUFACTURER.

THE FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNIT IS INOPERATIVE. PERUSAL OF THE INTERNET SHOWS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2007-2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES. THE FIX IS $ 500. HYUNDAI USA AND HYUNDAI WORLDWIDE H.Q. REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS OR OFFER ANY REPAIRS FOR THE FAULTY UNIT OR WHY INDEED IT FAILED. TRY DRIVING ANY DISTANCE WITHOUT A GAS GAUGE. THE CAR IS USELESS UNLESS REPAIRED. MANUFACTURERS SHOULD EITHER STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES OR THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE ADVISED TO LOOK TO A MORE RELIABLE MANUFACTURER FOR A BETTER, SAFER AND MORE RELIABLE PRODUCT.

AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK, THE GAS GAUGE READ EMPTY, ALONG WITH THE LOW-FUEL WARNING LIGHT. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES, THE GAUGE THEN APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THE GAUGE CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION IF THE GAS TANK IS FILLED. WHEN THE TANK IS BELOW HALF FULL, THE GAUGE WILL RANDOMLY READ EMPTY OR HALF FULL. AN INTERNET SEARCH QUICKLY REVEALED THAT MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE HYUNDAI WILL INITIATE A SAFETY RECALL TOO CORRECT THE ISSUE.

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAD A FLUCTUATION IDLE FOR OVER A YEAR. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE ON THIS ISSUE MANY TIMES. NO CODES ARE EVERY THROWN. I BROUGHT THE TSB ABOUT IDLE ISSUES TO THE DEALER'S ATTENTIONS. THEY SAID THIS WAS ONLY FOR CERTAIN ERROR CODES. HYUNDAI USA WAS DIRECTLY CONTACTED ABOUT THIS ISSUE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE FOR THIS ISSUE. THE VEHICLE HAS THE 3.3L V6 ENGINE. SE TRIM LEVEL. THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN DECELERATING FROM A HIGHWAY SPEEDS TO A STOP. IT STALLED BEFORE THE CAR STOPPED. IT RESTARTED AND DROVE AFTER THAT. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I STOPPED AT THE DEALER THAT SAME DAY. I HAD THEM CHECK THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM JSUT TO BE SURE THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE. BATTERY, CHARING, ETC ALL TESTED FINE. I HAVE THE PRINTOUT. SO THE VECHICLE DID NOT SHOW A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THE DEALER OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. IT IS CLEAR FROM SEARCHING THE INTERNET THAT MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HYUNDAI VEHICLES AROUND 2009 STALLING. MOST ALL OF THESE PEOPLE REPORT THE ISSUE WITH NO CODES. SO THE DEALER IS LIMITED IN WHAT THEY CAN DO. THEY TALKED ABOUT ECM UPDATES (FIRMWARE), AND A FUEL SYSTEM SENSOR, AND THE CRANKCASE SENOR. THIS IS CLEARLY A LARGE ISSUE PUTTING PEOPLE AT RISK. THE NHTSA AND NTSB SHOULD LAUNCH A FULL INVESTIGATION, AND FIND A REAL SOLUTION. ISSUE A TSB AT A MINIMUM, OR A RECALL IF NEEDED.

WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE GETS AROUND HALF FULL, THE GAUGE BOUNCES AROUND BELOW THE HALF FULL AND EMPTY. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. CANNOT EXACTLY DETERMINE HOW MUCH FUEL IS LEFT IN TANK. HAD FUEL SENSING PARTS REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $600 BY A MASTER ASE CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN. AFTER REPAIRS WE FILLED THE TANK WITH FUEL. ALTHOUGH TANK WAS FULL IT ONLY REGISTERED 3/4 FULL WITH A RANGE OF 254 MILES. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, THE RANGE WAS 320 - 324 MILES. RETURNED TO TECHNICIAN WHO ALERTED US THAT HE HAS SEEN MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH HYUNDAIS AND KIAS. HE BELIEVES HYUNDAI SHOULD RECALL AND FIX PROBLEMS. THIS ATTESTED TO BY SIMILAR PROBLEMS LISTED ON YOUR SITE SAFER CAR.GOV. MY WIFE AND I ARE IN OUR 70S AND ARE CONCERNED WE WILL RUN OUT OF GAS ON A REMOTE HIGHWAY OR ENGINE WILL STALL IN TRAFFIC.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, THE INSPECTION TECHNICIAN NOTIFIED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED DUE TO THE FUEL SENSOR GAUGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AT AROUND 4:50 PM ON AUGUST 11, 2015, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LIMITED 2WD 4 DOOR WAGON NORTH-BOUND ON SECOND AVENUE, THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OF SECOND AVENUE AND FOOTHILL BOULEVARD IN UPLAND, CALIFORNIA. WHILE CROSSING THE INTERSECTION THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAS STRUCK BY A CAR ENTERING THE INTERSECTION FROM THE WEST. THE IMPACT TO THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE BY THE OTHER CAR WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. ADDITIONALLY, MY WIFE SUFFERED SOFT TISSUE INJURIES TO HER HIP, SHOULDER, BACK AND RIGHT TEMPLE (HEAD). WHILE THE IMPACT TO THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAGON WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE A TOTAL LOSS AND CAUSE INJURIES TO MY WIFE, NONE OF THE FRONT OR SIDE IMPACT AIR-BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS NOW IN THE POSSESSION OF THE AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (CLAIM NUMBER 012002790. I TOOK SOME PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES, WHICH I CAN PROVIDE IF REQU