2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Fuel System Problems

2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, 180K MILES, 2ND OWNER. MY VEHICLE IS LEAKING GAS FROM THE FUEL TANK ONTO THE GROUND. I CAN'T EVEN PARK MY VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE OR DRIVEWAY DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT WILL CATCH ON FIRE. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THE VEHICLE WAS ONE THAT HAS HAD A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE FUEL TANK, WHICH IS 15 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. MY FUEL LIGHT WAS ON INDICATING MY FUEL LEVEL WAS LOW. I LIVE 15 MILES AWAY FROM THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALER SO I WAS TAKING IT IN TO HAVE IT INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED HYUNDAI DEALER. I FILLED UP MY TANK WITH $7.00 OF GAS ($2.70/GAL). AFTER FUELING I GOT INTO MY CAR AND STARTED THE CAR. I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE HAD NOT MOVED AFTER FUELING. I PROCEEDED TO FILL UP THE CAR UNTIL FULL. SINCE IT IS NOT SAFE BECAUSE I CAN SEE THE FILE LEAKING, I CANNOT PARK ON MY PROPERTY AND PARKED ON THE STREET, AS FAR AWAY FROM OTHER HOUSES. IT DID NOT FEEL SAFE ON A PUBLIC STREET, IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST SITTING THERE BECAUSE THE POSSIBILITY OF IT CATCHING ON FIRE AND EXPLODING IN FLAMES. WHAT IF A DRIVER FLICKED OUT A CIGARETTE AND IT ROLLED UNDER MY VEHICLE, CATCHING IT AND ANYTHING AROUND IT ON FIRE? I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AFTER FILLING IT WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS. WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE STARTED LOOSING POWER. I PULLED OFF ONTO THE NEAREST EXIT AND IT DIED, OIL LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (ETC). CARS BEHIND ME WHERE HONKING DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN AND DECIDED TO TRY TO GET HOME AGAIN. VEHICLE LOST POWER AGAIN & DIED, THIS TIME NOT RESTARTING, EVEN AFTER SITTING 12 HOURS. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. HYUNDAI IS STATING I AM OUTSIDE OF THE MILES ALLOWANCE. WHY IS THIS NOT A MANDATORY RECALL? THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD' EVEN WHEN PARKED! TIME/MILEAGE SHOULDN'T MATTER. MANY OTHERS LIKE MINE.

MY WIFES VEHICLE IS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH APPROX. 75,000 MILES ON IT. WE'VE PURCHASED IT NEW. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, SHE BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP AND IT SUDDENLY STARTED LURCHING FORWARD. SHE WAS ABLE TO ARREST IT IN 10-12 FEET. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED. ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THEN, SIX WEEKS AGO, AS SHE WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, AND ROLLING A FEW MILES AN HOUR IN REVERSE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME, AFTER DOING A UNCONTROLLED DONUT IN THE STREET SHE HIT A NEIGHBORS GARAGE AND A UTILITY POLE BEFORE THE CAR STOPPED, IN SPITE OF HER FRANTICALLY BRAKING. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE STREET AT THAT TIME. DAMAGE TO THE GARAGE WAS $2300.+ AND THE CAR WAS ANOTHER $1925.+. TWO WEEKS AGO, IT HAPPENED AGAIN AFTER STOPPING IN TRAFFIC. THIS TIME SHE HIT THE BACK OF A PICK-UP TRUCK. NO DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK, BUT $1710+ TO HER FRONT END. EACH ACCIDENT COST US $250 IN DEDUCTIBLE. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED RIGHT NOW AND WE WILL TRADE IT IN AS SOON AS IT IS FIXED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, FUEL LEAKED FROM THE FUEL TANK FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

KEPT SMELLING GAS IN THE CAR, BROUGHT IT TO DEALER. THEY SAID GAS TANK RUSTED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, GAS STARTED LEAKING OUT. CALLED HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID NOTHING THEY COULD DO, SORRY, ETC. WARRANTY IS UP. THIS IS THE SECOND RUST PROBLEM WITH CAR. WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SUBFRAME RECALL, CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ALSO HAD FRONT END FIXED BECAUSE OF LEAKING STRUTS. I FEEL THAT A RUSTED GAS TANK IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND IS DUE TO A DEFECT. NOW THE CAR IS AGAIN UNSAFE TO DRIVE, SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY LEAKING GAS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL WOULD INDEPENDENTLY STOP BEFORE THE TANK WAS FULL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 4/20/15*CN

FUELING CAR TAKES AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME. IT IS AS IF THERE IS A BLOCKAGE IN THE TANK FILLER PIPE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THIS IS CAUSED BY AN AGING CHARCOAL FILTER WITHIN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NO EXPLANATION, NOR SUGGESTIONS FOR A FIX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED SHE SMELLED A FUEL ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS CORRODED AND LEAKING FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE CONSUMER STATED DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE LEAK FROM THE RUSTED GAS TANK, SHE WAS FORCED TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK WAS RUSTED AND LEAKING FUEL. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THERE WAS FUEL ON THE GROUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE TYPE OF FAILURE AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. . THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL ON THE GROUND AND THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS CORRODED AND RUSTED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,060.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 SANTE FE, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE FUEL LINES CAUSING GASOLINE TO POUR OUT OF THE VEHICLE.