There are 9 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
VEHICLE HAD BEEN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS AND ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN IT LURCHED ITSELF FORWARD QUITE VIOLENTLY, MORE SO AFTER TRANSMISSION HAD TIME TO WARM UP. HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED MOMENTS OF DECELERATION WITHOUT CAUSE. ITS AS IF THE VEHICLE CANNOT PROPERLY SHIFT GEARS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE OF WEEKS. HAD VEHICLE LOOKED OVER BY MECHANIC BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. VEHICLE IS PARKED UNTIL ANOTHER MECHANIC CAN LOOK AT IT. IT IS BY NO MEANS SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL PROBLEM IS FIXED.
I WAS DRIVING COMING UP TO A TURN, TOOK THE LEFT TURN, AND ACCELERATED LIKE A NORMALLY DO, THE CAR'S RPMS WENT UP TO ABOUT 5 THOUSAND RPMS. I HEARD A POP LIKE NOISE AND THE RPMS JUST STARTED DROPPING AND THERE WAS NO RESTRICTION ON THE GAS PEDAL (FELT LIKE I WAS PUSHING AIR). THE VEHICLE THEN JUST ROLLED ONCE IT WAS AT ABOUT 10 MPH RPMS WENT UNDER 1 THOUSAND AND THE VEHICLE DIED. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART IT IT WAS JUST CRANK AND CRANK, DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE IT WANTS TO TURN OVER. PLEASE HELP.
I HAD PURCHASED THIS AUTO IN MAY 2017. FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP. THEY HAD GOTTEN THE AUTO FROM A AUTO AUCTION. WHEN I PURCHASED THE AUTO - I PURCHASED AS IS- NO WARRANTY- I TEST DROVE AUTO- HAD INSPECTED- NO MAJOR PROBLEMS AT THAT TIME. HAD AUTO FOR A WEEK- BROKE DOWN- PROBLEMS::::: VERY SLOW ACCELERATION, SHIFTING GEARS AND JERKING OF THE AUTO, VERY FAST IDLING WHEN STOPPING- I AM WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE :::::AFTER PURCHASING AUTO::::- CAN NOT DRIVE. I HAVE HAD 3 ESTIMATES- NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE AUTO OR DIAGNOSE THE AUTO PROPERLY. I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE SINCE I PURCHASED THE AUTO. IT JUST SITS, AND WHEN I THINK THE PROBLEM IS FIXED, THEN IT STOPS RUNNING. SOME SAY IT IS THE :::::CATALYTIC CONVERTERS - IT HAS 3 THAT NEEDS REPLACED.::::::: I REPORTED IN MY RESIDENCE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU - COMPLAINT RESOLUTION AND TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE- BOTH SAID THEY NOT NOT RESOLVE :::: THE DEALERSHIP- DOES NOT WANT TO MEDIATE - OR TAKE BACK THE AUTO. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO FILE A CLAIM- IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT- AND DID NOT KNOW IF IT WOULD BE WORTH MY TIME. ::::::::: I KNOW THE AUTO IS 2005 AND HAS 189,000 NOW- BUT I FEEL THAT I HAVE A AUTO NOW THAT IS A SAFETY HAZARD- IF I AM ABLE TO GET THE AUTO RUNNING - AND IT JERKS AROUND- AND STOPS IN TRAFFIC - IT COULD CAUSE ME TO HAVE A ACCIDENT. IT IS UNSAFE TO HAVE THE AUTO ON ROAD AT ALL.. IT IS ALSO A ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM DUE TO THE UNSAFE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS- THEY GET HOT AND CAN CATCH ON FIRE.:::::::::: I CAN NOT FIND MECHANICS THAT WANT TO WORK WITH THE CONVERTERS................. I PAID 3,000 FOR THE AUTO- IT WILL COST THIS OR MORE TO ACTUALLY FIX THE AUTO............. I AM WRITING TO THE NHTSA- TO GET ANY FEEDBACK FROM YOU. SINCERELY, M- VERY FRUSTRATED DRIVER
IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY SURGE FORWARD. I MUST THROW IT INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP IT. EVEN WHEN I AM IN PARK IT WILL SUDDENLY ACT LIKE I AM GIVING IT GAS WHEN I AM NOT. IT IS VERY SCARY AND HAPPENING MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL FIRMLY IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE FAILURE RECURRED, THE VEHICLE STALLED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.
MY 2005 SANTA FE (HYUNDAI) WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. MY 3 YEAR OLD SON GOT OUT OF MY SIGHT FOR 2 SECONDS GOT INTO THE CAR AND PUT IT IN REVERSE AND COASTED OUT OF MY DRIVE AND ACROSS THE STREET HITTING MY NEIGHBORS FORD EXPEDITION. NO KEYS AND HE IS TOO SMALL TO REACH ANY PEDALS. THIS WAS ALMOST A DEVASTATING ACCIDENT, THERE WHERE CHILDREN RIDING BIKES ON MY STREET AND A CAR DRIVING DOWN THE STREET .IT IS ALMOST A WEEK NOW AND I AM GETTING NOWHERE WITH HYUNDAI, AND THE DEALER TELLS ME THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL HYUNDAI INSPECTS THE CAR. SINCE THE INCIDENT, I CAN STILL PUT THE CAR IN ANY GEAR WITHOUT KEYS OR TOUCHING PEDALS. AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED SO YOU CANNOT STEER EITHER. *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
DRIVER NOTICED THAT WHILE SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION VEHICLE WOULD DOWN SHIFT ON ITS OWN. DRIVER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC INSISTED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026