2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Complaint Log

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CONSTANT OIL LEAK CONCERNING THE VALVE COVER GASKET. THE PREVIOUS VEHICLE OWNER HAD THE GASKET REPLACED AND RESEALED MORE THAN FIVE TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF THE CONTACT OWNING THE VEHICLE, THE PART WAS REPLACED AND RESEALED BY THE DEALER (LITHIA RENO HYUNDAI, 2620 KIETZKE LN, RENO, NV 89502, (775) 800-5703) AND REPLACED UP TO SIX TIMES TOTAL. THE DEALER ALSO REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR DUE TO THE FAILURE CAUSING OIL TO LEAK INTO THE PART. IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED AN UNKNOWN RECALL REPAIR, BUT THE FAILURE PROGRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE REMEDY FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY PROVIDED A GOOD WILL SOLUTION OF COVERING THE REPLACEMENT AND RESEALING IT TWICE. IF THE FAILURE RECURRED, THE CONTACT WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE DEALER DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

SAME OIL LEAK AS PROPOSED RECALL FOR OUR 2010 VERA CRUZ WITH THE SAME ENGINE (V6). *TR

FUEL GAUGE STOPPED READING FUEL LEVEL. JUMPS ANYWHERE FROM 230 MILES OF GAS LEFT TO EMPTY. AT TIMES I WILL START MY CAR (KNOWING THERE'S MORE THAN 1/2 OF GAS) AND THE GAS LIGHT IS ON AND STAYS ON UNTIL IT SLOWLY CREEPS UP. *TR

WHILE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC FROM A STOP SIGN, I BRIEFLY PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL NEARLY ALL THE WAY DOWN. THE CAR ACCELERATED BEYOND THE 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT AFTER RELEASING THE PEDAL. I PRESSED THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I PANICKED BECAUSE I WAS HEADING FOR A STOP LIGHT. MY WIFE AND I WERE SECONDS AWAY FROM A HIGH SPEED COLLISION. I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION WITH THE BRAKES FULLY APPLIED. THE ENGINE RACED UP TO HIGH RPMS. I LOOKED AT THE PEDAL AND IT WAS DEPRESSED NEARLY ALL THE WAY DOWN WITHOUT MY FOOT ON IT. I PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE PEDAL AND LIFTED UP. THE PEDAL SPRUNG ALL THE WAY UP AND THE ENGINE RPMS WENT BACK TO IDLE VALUES. THE CAR QUICKLY SLOWED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR JUST BEFORE THE INTERSECTION. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO EXAMINE THE PEDAL. THE DRIVERS SIDE CAR MAT HAD SLIPPED OFF ITS RETENTION POST AND HAD MOVED ABOUT 4 INCHES FORWARD SO IT WAS UNDER THE GAS PEDAL. THE END OF THE CAR MAT WAS CURLED UP SO IT WAS ELEVATED ABOUT 1 INCH ABOVE THE FLOOR CARPETING. WITH THE ENGINE OFF, I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL DOWN BY HAND AND IT GOT CAUGHT UNDER THE CAR MAT AGAIN. AFTER REMOVING THE MAT, I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL DOWN MANY TIMES (ENGINE OFF) AND IT ALWAYS WORKED CORRECTLY. THE DRIVERS SIDE CAR MAT RETENTION POST SYSTEM HAS NEVER WORKED WELL. THE FLOOR MAT FREQUENTLY SIDES OFF THE POST, AND THE MAT MOVES FORWARD. THE USED MAT IS NOW STIFF ENOUGH TO HOLD THE GAS PEDAL DOWN IF THE PEDAL IS PUSHED UNDER THE CURLED END OF THE MAT. A SECURE CAR MAT LOCKING DEVICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE ORIGINAL MAT RETENTION SYSTEM. HYUNDAI SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE WHETHER SOME OTHER MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE STUCK GAS PEDAL. FRANKLY, WE ARE FRIGHTENED OF THE CAR THAT NEARLY KILLED US, AND DONT LOOK FORWARD TO DRIVING IT AGAIN EVEN WITHOUT THE CAR MAT.

THE GAS GAUGE JUMPS ALL AROUND. I CAN FILL THE TANK UP AND THEN IT WILL SAY EMPTY. DON'T EVER KNOW HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE CAR EVER. I CALLED THE DEALER THAT I BOUGHT THE CAR AT AND THEY GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND ABOUT GETTING IT FIXED. I HAVE TO PUT GAS IN THE CAR EVERY OTHER DAY DUE TO THE GAS GAUGE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILED AND CAUSED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND BRAKES TO DISENGAGE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V122000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STOP LAMP SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

A WEEK AGO MY PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR FELL DOWN AND TODAY THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FELL DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING! REALLY SCARY, BUT GRATEFUL I WAS NOT GOING FAST. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS! *TR

FUEL GAUGE BEGAN ACTING ERRATICALLY AND EVENTUALLY 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON. CURRENTLY HAVE TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR FUEL STATUS AND CARRY A GAS CAN WITH EXTRA FUEL. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE DRIVE AXEL BROKE WHILE THE CAR WAS DOING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH. WHEN IT BROKE, THE BALL JOINT PULLED OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE WHEEL, A PIECE OF METAL FLEW UP AND TORE THE SERPENTINE BELT. THERE IS A RECALL #112 FOR THE 2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE THAT THE DRIVE AXEL CAN BREAK BUT I WAS TOLD IT DOES NOT AFFECT MY CAR. HOW DOES THE DRIVE AXEL JUST BREAK. THE RECALL AFFECTS THE FRONT RIGHT AXEL. PRIOR TO IT BREAKING, I WAS GOING DOWN I70 AT 70MPH, THANKFULLY, IT DIDN'T BREAK AT THAT TIME. *TR

THE FRONT RIGHT DRIVEAXLE BROKE, RESULTING IN THE FRONT TIRE FALLING OFF. I HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVESHAFT, THE BALL JOINTS, CONTROL ARM, SERPENTINE BELT AND ALTERNATOR BELT AND PAY FOR AN ALIGNMENT, FOR A TOTAL COST OF $876.01. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH. 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH WITH MY FAMILY. CAN YOU IMAGINE YOUR TIRE FALLING OFF AT 70 MPH? HYUNDAI HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE MY REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE 2013 FOR THE SAME ISSUE.

THE GAS PEDAL STUCK AT 70MPH AND COULD NOT BE DISENGAGED. USE OF HARD BRAKING AND EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING STOPPED VEHICLES ON INTERSTATE AND TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION, DROVE ONTO EMERGENCY PARKING LANE AND WAS ABLE TO FINALLY GET IT UNSTUCK. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BUT COULD IMMEDIATELY UNFREEZE THE PEDAL BUT THIS TIME NOTHING WORKED. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A FULL INVESTIGATION. I NOTIFIED MY PARENTS WHO INSTRUCTED THAT SHOULD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PULL OF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AS I ENTER THE EMERGENCY LANE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND TO EXPECT HARD STEERING ONCE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON EXPRESSWAY AT 65 MPH OUR 2007 SANTA FE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AND WE HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. A DEFECTIVE VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKED OIL ON THE ALTERNATOR CAUSING IT TO SHORT OUT AND BE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. HYUNDAI HAVE A RECALL (#121) ON THE 2007-2012 VERACRUZ FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. CLEARLY THE SANTA FE NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 121 RECALL. MY FAMILY AND I WERE PLACED IN DANGER AS WE WERE IN THE LEFT LANE ON A BUSY EXPRESSWAY AND HAD TO QUICKLY MERGE OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE ON THE RIGHT SIDE WHILE QUICKLY LOSING SPEED. ADDITIONALLY, THE COST OF REPAIR WAS $750 FOR THE ALTERNATOR AND GASKET COVER REPLACEMENT. *TR

2 THINGS ARE CONCERNING. ONE, WHEN DRIVING OVER SMALL CRACKS, BUMPS IN ROADWAY THE SUSPENSION MAKES A NOISE THAT MAKES ME THINK IT IS UNSTABLE. IT IS ALSO A LOUDER THAN AVERAGE NOISE, COMPARED TO PAST VEHICLES THAT I HAVE OWNED. SECOND, DRIVING AT SPEEDS BELOW 60 MPH, EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. ONCE SPEEDS ABOVE 60 ARE REACHED, THE STEERING COLUMN SHAKES AND VIBRATES. THE NOISE DESCRIBED EARLIER IN PARAGRAPH ONE IS HEARD. ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING ARE NORMAL. TIRE TREAD IS ALSO NORMAL. NEITHER OF THESE TWO ARE ACCEPTABLE AND IN MY OPINION IS A RISK. *TR

2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO OIL LEAK FROM FRONT CYLINDER VALVE COVER. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED A LEAK WAS FORMED, BECAUSE THE STUDS THAT HELD THE VALVE COVER IN PLACE WERE STRIPPED, THUS ALLOWING OIL TO LEAK PAST THE GASKET, AND THEN OVER THE ALTERNATOR. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. *JB......UPDATED 09-03-14 *BF UPDATED 11/26/2014 *JS

2007 SANTA FE LIMITED 6 CYL 3.3L. OIL IS LEAKING FROM VALVE COVER GASKET KILLING THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY AND THE MOTOR. LIGHTS FLASH ON DASH SEAT BELT LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT, ESC , TPMS. REPLACED BATTERY IN THE DARK AT FIRST. I SAW THE SAME ISSUES WITH A NEW BATTERY. THEN RESEARCHED AND SAW SIMILAR ISSUES POINTING TO VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKING OIL ONTO ALTERNATOR. I CHECKED THE VALVE COVER IN THE LIGHT AND SAW THE LEAK IMMEDIATELY AND THE ALTERNATOR COVERED IN OIL. IF THE 2007 VERA CRUZ IS GETTING A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE AS OF AUG 1ST 2014, THEN THE 2007 SANTA FE SHOULD AS WELL AS OTHER YEARS OF SANTA FE'S. DEALERSHIP WANTS $900 PLUS TAX TO FIX THIS. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL SENDING UNIT -THAT WAS $700 IN JAN OF 2013 AND THERE ARE TONS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT ONE TOO. I STILL SMELL GAS WHEN I FILL THE TANK FULL AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON DUE TO THIS. I CAN AND HAVE PROVEN IT USING A OBD CODE READER TO RESET THE CODE, FILL THE TANK AND BINGO CODE IS BACK LIKE THE FUEL CAP IS LOOSE BUT IT IS NOT AND THE INTERIOR SMELLS OF GASOLINE TILL THE FUEL LEVEL IS REDUCED. *TR

IN AUGUST 2013, THE GAS GAUGE ON MY 2007 SANTA FE STARTED ACTING STRANGE. (61000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE). WHEN I WOULD FILL UP THE GAS TANK, THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD SHOW EMPTY. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 50 MILES, THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WOULD GO OUT BUT THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD SHOW PARTIALLY FULL. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND THEN MY SANTA FE WAS DUE FOR ITS ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA STATE INSPECTION. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WOULDN'T PASS THE INSPECTION WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND THE CODES SHOWED THE FUEL GAUGE SENSORS WERE BAD. BOTH FUEL GAUGE SENSORS WERE REPLACED BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC (NOT HYUNDAI) FOR ABOUT $290. I'VE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT HAVE SEEN NO RECALL FROM HYUNDAI. *TR

BOUGHT CAR AIRBAG WARNING CAME ON. NOTIFIED DEALER SAYS NOT RECALL. WHEN IN FACT AIR BAG HAS PROBLEM.

ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 30TH, 2014, I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN MY 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE WITH MY FAMILY AND CHILDREN ON BOARD AT 60 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD FLASHED ON AT THE SAME TIME. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE, THE ENGINE STALLED AND BOTH THE STEERING AND BRAKES SUDDENLY BECAME VERY HEAVY TO OPERATE. LUCKILY I MANAGED TO VEER OFF THE FREEWAY BEFORE IT COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN ON A LIVE HIGH SPEED LANE AND ORDERED A TOW TRUCK FROM MY AUTO CLUB. THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN ADVISE THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS BREAKDOWN WAS AN OIL LEAK FROM A VALVE COVER GASKET ONTO THE ALTERNATOR, CAUSING IT TO FAIL. THE BATTERY WAS ALSO AFFECTED BY CHAIN OF EVENT. THIS CASCADING CHAIN OF BREAKDOWN IS A SYSTEMIC FAILURE AND THIS DEFECT IS NOT PARTICULAR TO ONLY MY CAR BUT IS RAMPANT WITH THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE OWNERS. ANY INTERNET SEARCH WITH " SANTA FE 2007 LEAKING VALVE COVER GASKET " WILL TURN UP COUNTLESS RESULTS. IT IS ALSO THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FROM ANOTHER HYUNDAI SUV, THE VERACRUZ AS IT WAS BUILT ON A HYUNDAI SANTA FE PLATFORM. I WAS LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T COME TO A COMPLETE DEAD STOP WITHOUT WARNING ON A LIVE FREEWAY LANE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AS THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC FOR ALL INVOLVED. LINK TO HYUNDAI VERACRUZ RECALL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/CS/JAXRS/DOWNLOAD/DOC/UCM459247/RCDNN-14V415-5243P.PDF KIND REGARDS, *TR

I HAVE OWNED MY SANTA FE SINCE 2011 WITH NO ISSUES & I HAVE ALWAYS DONE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I CAME HOME FROM WORK WITH HALF A TANK OF GAS- GOT BACK IN MY VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR LATER AND MY FUEL GAGE READ THAT I WAS ON E, LIGHT WAS ON, AND MY TRIP METER READ 35 MILES REMAINING WITH THE GAS I HAD. I REFUELED THAT DAY, PUTTING 20 DOLLARS OF GAS AND IT FILLED IT ALMOST UP. MY GAS TANK REQUIRES $40-$50 TO COMPLETELY FILL SO WE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. MY HUSBAND, BEING A MECHANIC, CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY LEAKS OR HOLES IN MY GAS TANK THAT COULD BE CAUSING THE ISSUE. 4 DAYS LATER I ARRIVE AT WORK WITH HALF A TANK OF GAS. WHEN I LEAVE 3 HOURS LATER MY FUEL GAGE AGAIN SAYS I AM ON E, LIGHT IS ON, AND I ONLY HAVE 30-40 MILES LEFT WITH THE GAS I HAVE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER AND TURN IT BACK ON AND THE FUEL GAGE IS BACK TO HALF A TANK. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR WAS HANGING BY WIRES THEN CAME OFF AT 75,000 MILES NOW AT 114,000 MILES PASSENGER SIDE HANGING BY WIRES

THE FUEL GAUGE SENSOR FAILS TO MONITOR THE CORRECT FUEL LEVEL WHICH ACTIVATES THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. IF ANOTHER ISSUE ARISES WITH THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD ACTIVATE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT, I WOULD NOT KNOW BECAUSE THE FAILED FUEL GAUGE SENSOR KEEPS THE LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY. *TR

THE FUEL GAUGE SENSOR FAILS TO MONITOR THE CORRECT FUEL LEVEL WHICH ACTIVATES THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. IF ANOTHER ISSUE ARISES WITH THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD ACTIVATE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT, I WOULD NOT KNOW BECAUSE THE FAILED FUEL GAUGE SENSOR KEEPS THE LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR WAS HANGING BY THE MIRROR WIRES. LUCKILY IT WAS HELD UP SOMEWHAT WITH THE CLIP. THE PLASTIC ON THE PIVOT SIDE IS CHEAP AND CRACKED RIGHT OFF, THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR IT AND A REPLACEMENT IS 140.00. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA SUN VISORS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSES ALL POWER AND PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR DOESN'T REV THE ENGINE. THE "ESC OFF " & "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER STOPPING AND SWITCHING OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTING IT IS OK. THE AIR BAG "RED LIGHT" IS ON. *JS

THE SUN VISOR IS DEFECTIVE AND FALLS DOWN WHEN DRIVING CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD. THE FUEL SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AS WELL. *TR

NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE LOCAL DEALER FROM 2010 THROUGH THIS VISIT FOR CLUNKING AND BANGING OF THE SUSPENSION WITH CONCERNS FOR SAFETY. THEY BEGRUDGINGLY REPLACED A TIE ROD IN 2011 ON ONE SIDE, LINK ASSEMBLY STABILIZER ON BOTH SIDES, LOWER ARM ASSEMBLY ON LEFT - AND NOW THAT RIGHT CONTROLLER ARM IS FAULTY AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY. WHEN THERE ARE CONCERNS OF SAFETY FOR OVER 3 YEARS FOR THE SAME ISSUE I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO LAUNCH A FULL SCALE INVESTIGATION. HYUNDAI IS IN THE NEWS FOR OTHER SUSPENSION FAILURES. OBVIOUSLY FAULTY/POOR QUALITY PARTS ARE KNOWN. HYUNDAI NEEDS TO LIVE UP TO THE 60,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAD, AND THE 10 YEAR 100,000 WARRANTY I STILL HAVE. THE WEAR AD TEAR ON THIS VEHICLE IS MINIMAL (DRIVEN TO WORK 6 MILES ROUNDTRIP AND EASY FREEWAY DRIVING MAYBE ONCE A MONTH). IN ADDITION TO THE SUSPENSION MY PASSENGER VISOR FELL OFF THE CEILING AND DANGLES UNLESS DUCT TAPED. WAY TO GO HYUNDAI. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH I FLIPPED DOWN THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR TO BLOCK THE SUN. THE VISOR BROKE LEAVING IT DANGLING IN MY LINE OF VISION. STARTLED AND STOOPING TO SEE UNDER THE DANGLING VISOR I MANAGED TO HOLD IT UP AND OUT OF MY WAY UNTIL I COULD FIND A STORE TO PURCHASE SOME DUCT TAPE. TAPING IT WAS QUICK TEMPORARY FIX. HIGH TEMPERATURES KEPT THE TAPE FROM STICKING SECURELY AND THE VISOR CONTINUED TO FALL DOWN AS I WAS DRIVING. FORCING MY ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE STREET AND BACK TO THE VISOR. I AM 58 YEARS OLD, HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 6 YEARS, AND HAVE NOT ABUSED THE VISOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK GAUGE DISPLAYED INACCURATE FUEL LEVEL READINGS. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STALLED DUE TO LACK OF FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

'INTERMITTENTLY' HESITATES TO ALMOST STALL ON MOVING FORWARD FROM STOP, AND 'BUCKS' WHILE MOVING STEADILY AT CONSTANT SPEEDS BELOW 40MPH. AVERAGE GAS MILEAGE HAS DETERIORATED FROM 19 - 20 TO 15 - 16. CAR HAS ALWAYS RUN ON MOBILE ONE AND REGULARLY SERVICED. CAR HAS STALLED WHILE IN MOTION ON OPEN ROAD!

AS I WAS DRIVING THE CLUTCH PEDAL SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE FLOOR FROM UNDERNEATH MY FOOT. THEN THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE, EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND OVER THE CLUTCH. I WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO GET IT BACK UNDER CONTROL WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE, AND GET IT PULLED OVER, BUT IT WASN'T EASY. HAVING A FRIEND AND 2 BABIES IN THE CAR WITH ME, IT WAS FAIRLY TERRIFYING. WE GOT IT PULLED OVER AND STOPPED, AND FINALLY GOT THE CLUTCH MOVING UP TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURN IT ON AND OFF AGAIN, BUT WE NEVER DID GET IT BACK INTO GEAR SO WE HAD A TOW TRUCK COME CLEAR IT FROM THE ROAD. NEVER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED ANYTHING LIKE THAT, LET ALONE ON A CAR WITH ONLY 68000 MILES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON HI WAY 85 THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE BECAUSE OF A FAULTY THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THE VEHICLE QUICKLY DECELERATED AND CAUSED A LARGE TRUCK TO HAVE TO BRAKE AND NEARLY JACK KNIFE. THE FIX WHEN THIS HAPPENS IS TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THERE ARE MANY BLOGS ON THIS ISSUE WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. NORMALLY THIS IS A $50 PART 3.3L ENGINE, HOWEVER WITH A 2.7 LITER ENGINE HYUNDAI IS ONLY SELLING THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY WHICH IS A $500 PART. THIS FAILURE ON FREEWAYS AND MAJOR ROADS CAN AN MOST LIKELY WILL CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND DEATH IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY. *TR

THIS IS NOT THE 1ST TIME. MY PASSENGER SUNVISOR ARM BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND HIT MY PASSENGER IN THE HEAD. SEVERAL YEARS AGO MY DRIVER SIDE SUNVISOR BROKE AND HIT ME IN THE HEAD WHILE DRIVING, VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AN APPARENTLY THERE IS A DEFECT AND A RECALL FOR THE 2007 SONATA, BUT NOT THE SANTA FE. NOT SURE WHY BECAUSE IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AND A KNOWN DEFECT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

FUEL GAUGE INCORRECTLY DISPLAYED AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK. FUEL LEVEL SENSORS NOT WORKING. *TR

WAS AT DEALER HAVING WARRANTY WORK DONE ON CRANK PULLEY THAT FLEW OFF OF FRONT OF CAR. WHEN I PICKED UP CAR NOTICED GAS GAUGE WAS ERRATIC BOUNCING UP AND DOWN BETWEEN FULL AND EMPTY.TOLD SERVICE MANGER AND HE SAID MAY BE FUEL SENDING UNIT IF IT DOES NOT STOP BRING IT BACK. WEEK LATER CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON AND GAS GAUGE WENT TO EMPTY.NOW I HERE I HAVE TO REPLACE TWO SENDING UNITS IN TANK AND ITS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. WOULD LIKE SO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

5/14/14 31,509MI AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ON AFTER MULTIPLE IGNITION OFF-ON CYCLES. DEALER FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS IN BUL.07-090-003. CODE B1332 WAS SHOWN BUT "NOT DEFINITIVE". CODE WAS ERASED AND AIRBAG LIGHT HAS REMAINED OFF FOR 2 DAYS. AT THE OUTSET, DEALER REP SAID THERE WOULD BE A 119$ CHARGE FOR DIAGNOSTICS (OUT OF WARRANTY). I OBJECTED STRENUOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE LOW MILEAGE, AIRBAG SAFETY IMPORTANCE, AND 2 PREVIOUS UNEXPLAINED AIRBAG-RELATED INCIDENTS (REPORTED BELOW). HE ALSO SAID THAT IF THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN THERE WOULD BE A $900 COST FOR REPLACING THE JUNCTION BOX (WITHOUT MENTIONING ERASING THE CODE AGAIN AS AN OPTION). PREVIOUS AIR BAG ISSUES: 4/22/13, 28,289MI, PERFORMED RECALL 105 UPDATE PASSENGER AIRBAG SOFTWARE; 3/26/12 25,606MI 103CLOCKSPRINGREPLACEMENT TSB#11-01-053 COMPLETE CAMPAIGN DOES NOT APPLY(?) EVENTUALLY THE 119$ WAS WAIVED AFTER I STRONGLY OBJECTED TO ANY CHARGES FOR SAFETY RELATED ITEMS, AND PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE THAT HAVE A DEMONSTRATED TRACK RECORD OF PROBLEMS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT HYUNDAI AND ANY MANUFACTURER SHOULD STAND AIRBAG SAFETY AS A SEPARATE NON-WARRANTY ISSUE. ON THE 2007 SANTA FE, WHICH HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS RE AIRBAGS, I WOULD EXPECT HYUNDAI TO FIX THE PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL AND AT NO CHARGE. AS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A CLASSIC CASE OF "BUGGY" SOFTWARE AND/OR HARDWARE. THEY HAVE SIMPLY DODGED THE ISSUE AND CONTINUE TO DO SO, AND THEIR PERFORMANCE SUGGESTS THEY DON'T CARE FOR CUSTOMERS' SAFETY OR FEDERAL OVERSIGHT OF SAME. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF ~60 MPH, I NOTICED THE ARM ON MY FUEL GAUGE START TO DIP. IT DROPPED FROM ABOVE A HALF TANK TO WELL BELOW A QUARTER TANK OF GAS. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS CAUSED IMMEDIATE PANIC AS I WAS AFRAID THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK OF SOME SORT. AS I WAS PREPARING TO MOVE OUT OF TRAFFIC I NOTICED THAT THE ARM ON THE GAUGE BEGAN TO RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL SPOT. THIS CAUSED SOME COMFORT AS I WAS SURE THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL IN THE TANK BECAUSE I HAD FILLED UP THE TANK JUST A FEW DAYS PRIOR AND HAD NOT DONE MUCH DRIVING SINCE. EVER SINCE THAT INCIDENT, THE FUEL GAUGE HAS CONTINUED TO 'ACT UP' AND NOW I AM IN A SITUATION WHERE I CANNOT RELY ON THE FUEL GAUGE TO ACCURATE INDICATE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT I HAVE. THE NHTSA HAS RECOGNIZED THIS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD FOR GM ... "AN INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE MAY RESULT IN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND STALLING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH," THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) SAID ON ITS WEBSITE. AS OF YET THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THE SANTA FE. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT WITH THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE SEEN RELATED TO THE SANTA FE THAT THE NHTSA MAKES THE SAME CONCLUSION. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING IS A RAIN STORM, MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. I LOST MY WINDOW DEFROSTING CAPABILITY, MY LIGHTS DIMMED AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. I AM NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WAS AFFECTED AT THIS TIME AS I WAS JUST CONCENTRATING ON GETTING HOME ALIVE. WHEN HOME, I OPENED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND FOUND THAT THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY HAD COME APART. LUCKY, IT WAS LAYING ON A SMALL LEDGE IN THE CAR. THIS COULD HAVE FALLEN OFF, DAMAGED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FALLEN TO THE STREET AND BECOME A ROLLING PIECE OF METAL. IF A WOMAN HAD BEEN DRIVING(THIS IS ACTUALLY MY GIRLFRIENDS CAR), THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY HYUNDAI SANTE FE 2007 I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON... I NOTICED THE MILES AT LITTLE OVER 95000 SO I THOUGHT IT JUST NEEDED SERVICE. THEN THE GAS GAUGE LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING I HAVE NO GAS AND WAS EMPTY WHICH I KNEW IS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE I HAD FILLED UP A DAY PRIOR AND HAD NOT DONE MUCH DRIVING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THEN WENT OFF ABOUT A 2-4 MILES LATER. I WENT TO THE GAS STATION AND FILLED UP AND THE LIGHT WENT AWAY... BUT WILL ALWAYS COME ON OR AFTER HALF TANK OF GAS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND THEY INDICATED ITS THE FUEL SENDERS. THEY INDICATED NO WARRANTY ON MY CAR SINCE IT HAS PASSED THE 5 YEAR 60,000 MILES WARRANTY AND THE COST WOULD BE PAID BY ME TO FIX. I INQUIRED IF THIS WAS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THE SERVICE REP INDICATED HE HAS SEEN A FEW ON THIS VEHICLE, HOWEVER NO RECALL MADE. IM COMPLAINING SINCE I HAVE VIEWED THIS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL CAR ONLINE AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY THE COMPANY AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

WE BOUGHT THE CAR FROM ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON IT WAS MY GIFT FOR MOTHER'S DAY, THE SAME DAY WE DROVE THE CAR OF THE LOT THE CAR STALL FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WE CALL THE DEALERSHIP TO ASK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP STATED TO BRING THE CAR IN. AFTER A FEW HOURS I RECEIVED A CALL TO COME PICK UP THE CAR. MY HUSBAND WAS VERY SURPRISE TO KNOW THE CAR HAD STALL AND ASKED IF THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND WE WERE TOLD ALL IT NEEDED WAS A BATTERY CHANGE. MY HUSBAND PROCEEDED TO ASK FOR MANAGEMENT BUT THE SALES ASSOCIATE TOLD US THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR A CAR TO STALL ONCE IN A WHILE??? MY HUSBAND WAS FRUSTRATED WITH EVERYONE, THE SALES ASSOCIATE INFORMED US THAT THE CAR HAD 3 PREVIOUS OWNERS ONLY BECAUSE THEY HAD PURCHASED THE SAME CAR NEWER. WE DID NOTICE DAMAGE ON THE BACK BUMPER OF THE CAR BUT IT HAD BEEN PAINTED OVER AND ALSO MY HUSBAND NOTICE THE FRONT HAD ALSO BEEN PAINTED OVER. AGAIN WE ARGUED WITH SALES BUT GOT NO WHERE!!! SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS! A DEALER-SALES-ASSOCIATE SHOULD NOT PUT MY FAMILY AT RISK JUST TO MAKE A DOLLAR! THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG ABOUT THAT. SINCERELY YOURS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FUEL GAUGE WAS NOT REGISTERING CORRECTLY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK. WE WOULD FILL UP THE TANK AND THE GAUGE WOULD READ EMPTY. INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT GM VEHICLES HAD THE SAME ISSUE IN MANY MODELS FROM 2005-2007. THEY WERE RECALLED, THERE IS NO RECALL TO DATE FOR HYUNDAI VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THEIR TANKS AND THEY CAN INADVERTENTLY RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON RURAL ROADS. I HAVE THE SENSORS THAT WERE REMOVED FROM OUR VEHICLE. I AM GUESSING CAR MANUFACTURES PROBABLY BUY THESE PARTS FROM THE SAME COMPANY. SO WHY WEREN'T ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS SENSOR RECALLED? OR IF THEY DON'T BUY THEM FROM THE SAME COMPANY THEN AROUND THE 2007 TIME FRAME A LOT OF SENSORS WERE BAD. WE PAID AROUND $500 TO GET OUR VEHICLE FIX BECAUSE WE HAD TO TRAVEL 400 MILES AND DID NOT WANT TO RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE INTERSTATE, THAT HAS MANY SEMI TRAILERS TRAVELING IT. *TR

WHEN LOWERING THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR TO BLOCK SUNLIGHT FROM MY EYES, THE VISOR SNAPPED AT THE ARM AND FELL IN FRONT OF MY LINE OF SIGHT AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. MY SAFETY, ALONG WITH THE SAFETY OF OTHERS, WAS COMPROMISED WHEN THE VISOR BROKE AND BLOCKED MY VIEW. UPON SEARCHING FOR OPTIONS ON HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, I CAME ACROSS NUMEROUS FORUMS AND WEBSITES STATING THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THE HYUNDAI CARS AND SUVS. *JS

WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKES, THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ABS WILL ACTIVATE WHETHER SLOWING AT 10 MPH TO AND INTERSECTION OR SLOWING AT 50 MPH IN TRAFFIC. WHILE DRIVING, THE ESC AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AT THE SAME TIME. THE BRAKES AND WARNING LIGHTS COME ON ON ASPHALT STREETS IN GOOD SHAPE, ON BUMPY ROADS, OR GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS. THE ABS ACTIVATED WHEN COMING TO AN INTERSECTION PREVENTING THE CAR FROM STOPPING AT THE STOP LIGHT. SOUTH BAY HYUNDAI IN TORRANCE CA SAYS ITS THE ABS CONTROL MODULE AND WILL REPLACE IT FOR $2300.00 AND WE CANNOT HAVE OUR CAR BACK FOR 4 DAYS. THE VEHICLE IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. PURCHASED AUGUST 2007. HAS 90169 MILES.

WHEN TRAVELING BETWEEN 10-20 MPH, THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY WILL SHIFT AND ACCELERATE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT. THEN THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLICKER AND THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF, LOSING POWER STEERING AND POWER TRAIN CAPABILITIES. THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH THE BATTERY OR ELECTRICAL PANEL OR THE TRANSMISSION. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, ALWAYS WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

GAS GAUGE HAS STOPPED WORKING. IT WILL OCCASIONALLY REGISTER, BUT NOT OFTEN. MECHANIC CHECKED IT... SAYS ISSUE WITH FLOAT IN FUEL TANKS ... SAYS HYUNDAI IS AWARE BUT NO RECALL YET... HE PERSONALLY HAD REPAIRED 3 IN A 2 WEEK TIME FRAME!! IT HAS BEEN RECALLED ON NEW VEHICLES BUT NOT THIS YEAR / MODEL. COST TO REPAIR IS APPROX. $600!! I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR MY MILEAGE, TRIP ODOMETER SO THAT I DO NOT RUN OUT OF GAS. I HAVE TO MANUALLY CALCULATE MILEAGE.. EVEN IF IT DOES REGISTER, IT IS NOT ACCURATE AND FLUCTUATES FREELY. VERY FRUSTRATING. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT....... WHICH REQUIRES ME TO HAVE TO STOP BY MY MECHANIC OFTEN FOR HIM TO RUN THE COMPUTER TO BE SURE I AM NOT DOING ANY DAMAGE. HYUNDAI REALLY NEEDS TO ADDRESS AND RECALL THIS FOR REPAIRS. *TR

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE CONTROL ARM 3 TIMES, (2/2013, 4/2014, 3/2015) AND ABOUT TO DO IT A 4TH TIME (2019). IT GOES BAD AFTER ABOUT 20,000 MILES AND AFFECTS THE ALIGNMENT WHICH CAUSES THE TIRES TO WEAR INCORRECTLY. BRAND NEW TIRES ARE GET WORN DOWN ON THE INSIDE EDGE AND IS NOT VISIBLE. THIS CAUSES A SAFETY ISSUE. MY RELATIVELY NEW TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AND NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. I'VE SPENT $3000 IN REPAIRS AND ESTIMATE ANOTHER $1000 IN TIRES THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED PREMATURELY. I WILL FILL ONE OF THESE OUT FOR EACH OF THE INCIDENTS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

WHEN CAR IS TURNED ON "ESC OFF" DASHBOARD LIGHT REMAINS ON MAKING THE ESC USELESS. *TR

I OWN A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, AND THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2007 TO 2010 SANTA FE'S THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT. THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS TEND TO GO BAD WHICH CAUSES THE FUEL GAUGE TO READ EMPTY, AND ACTIVATES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AFTER CHECKING THIS INFO ON THE WEB, IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SANTA FE'S AND THE COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT IT BUT WON'T DO ANYTHING BUT CHARGE THE CONSUMER ANYWHERE FROM $500 TO $1000 TO REPAIR IT. I ALSO FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED ON THOUSANDS OF THESE VEHICLES. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY MATTER BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE WILL DROP TO ZERO AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING. IT'S SCARY NOT KNOWING IF YOU HAVE FUEL OR NOT OR HOW LONG YOU CAN DRIVE WHEN IT DROPS TO "E". PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COMES ON DUE TO INTERMITTENT FUEL GAUGE READINGS CAUSING THE CAR TO FAIL NY STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. FUEL LEVEL SENSORS MUST BE REPLACED WHICH APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HYUNDAI. PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR RECALL ACTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL SYSTEM GAUGE SENSOR WAS NOT READING THE ACTUAL FUEL LEVELS. WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED HALFWAY, THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE WOULD MALFUNCTION AND DISPLAY THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL SYSTEM SENSOR WOULD BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT ALERTED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

FUEL INDICATOR GAUGE IS BROKEN. DOES NOT PROPERLY INDICATE FUEL LEVEL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION. VERY COMMON PROBLEM ACCORDING TO ONLINE SEARCH. TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX WHEN IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER HYUNDAI RECALL WHEN IT IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM. I WILL NOT KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER ENGINE ISSUE WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALWAYS ON. DANGEROUS.