Hyundai Santa Fe Reviews

On May 2010, I was running an errand when I came to make a right hand turn, and my vehicle started "bucking", almost like a horse, going fast, going slow and almost stalling out. I coasted into the gas station, where I called roadside assistance. I sat for an hour waiting, and I decided to fill up my gas tank, the tank took 52 liters, so this confirmed that I didn't run out of gas. I started my vehicle to move it to a more accessible place for the tow truck, and it ran fine. I drove it to the dealership in Burlington. At this time, they reset the adaptive learning on my truck. I reported this incident to Hyundai Canada, the representative I spoke with assured me that they would call Burlington Hyundai, and work with their technicians to help resolve the problem. I never received a return call from either party to know the outcome.

In the winter of 2010, I was concerned. I was stopped to make a right hand turn when my truck jumped forward, even though I was applying the brakes. It almost sent me into the oncoming traffic. I brought the car to Burlington Hyundai, and of course, they couldn't duplicate the problem. After several service visits, I was continuously told that they could not duplicate the problem. I began researching the Internet to see if anyone else have problems. That was when I found the technical service bulletin (TSB) on my vehicle. I emailed every email address I could find on Burlington Hyundai's website. I called another dealership in St. Catharine’s, where I spoke with their service manager. He confirmed the TSB.

After my emails to Burlington Hyundai, which included links to TSB’s, I finally got a call from the service manager. He did not admit to any problem with the Santa Fe, until I mentioned that I spoke with the service manager from St. Catharine’s. He finally admitted to the TSB, and told me if there was another problem they will change my transmission. I decided to take my vehicle to Hyundai of Oakville for service. The symptoms are always the same; loud clunk on a cold start, often it is a loud bang, my vehicle actually moves forward, hard shifting between second-third gears, and most recent event was a delay in acceleration.

I was changing lanes, when I pulled out into the lane. My truck didn't accelerate; I stepped on the gas harder and it finally jerked into gear. I was almost accidentally hit by another vehicle. Hyundai of Oakville has asked for my patience. They have encountered another Santa Fe with similar problems to mine, and they are investigating. The problem with my new truck is still unresolved 1and a half year later. I fear for my family's safety. I don't trust my Santa Fe, and I fear an accident will be the result to the above problems.

At my last oil change, my rear brakes had to be ground, which cost me $95.00, because they were stuck in the open position. I never would have even thought of having brake problems because, at that time, I only had 30,166 miles on it. Again, I was told, "We see this all the time." The mechanic had my tires off, and on a checklist that I got that day, all four of my tires were okay; they don't need to be replaced. If some wear was not noticed at that time, I cannot imagine how my tires wore the way they did in less than 4,000 miles. I only drive 12 miles to work and the rest are highway miles.

If the mechanics see these kinds of problems all the time, isn't it possible for this to be a manufacturer's defect and not due to New England Roads, my failure to rotate them every other oil change, or alignment problem? These were the reasons given to me for how the tires got as bad as they did. I had them rotated at 21,659 miles and my tires and brakes were fine at the time, but that still doesn't explain the amount of wear on my tires in that one area. It seems that my tie rods and ball joints are passable.

This is my third Hyundai, but this is my first brand new. My first was an Elantra, and when I traded it in, I had over 80,000 miles on it. It never failed inspection for anything, I never changed the tires, and I drove 40 miles to work every day. The only thing I had to fix were my front brakes once. My second Hyundai was a 2005 Santa Fe. I bought it with 13,000 miles on it, and again, when I traded it in, I had more than 86,000 miles on it. It never failed inspection and I never had a problem with my brakes or tires. The only major thing I had done was the timing belt at 60,000 miles, and only because it was recommended, not necessary.

It is now 15 Sept 11 and my control arm is rattling. I am afraid to take it to the Hyundai dealer because I know that they will find a way to blame me for it and charge me.

The Hyundai dealership told me that it had 94000 miles on it when I called them to check my mileage to call USA. When it got to another garage, I looked at the odometer it only has 92700 miles which is even lower than I thought. The motor is now knocking, which it wasn't before it went to the Hyundai dealership and sparks were coming off the wires, which were loose and not reconnected.

Everyone I spoke with said that it should have been under warranty and that it should have been a transferable warranty. Hyundai offers ten year, 100000 mile warrenty and that should be it. During the one phone call I received, I was told from one of the Hyundai representatives that Hyundai does stand behind its cars. She also said that they would research the issue and call the garage to see what can be done which they never even called.

I have taken great care of my car with regular oil changes, clean gas and regular maintenance and I bought it from a friend who also took great care of it.

This is ridiculous.

When they called me an hour later, they informed me that the subframe and trailing arms were completely rusted and that the bolt holding everything in place was "rolling around" because it could no longer hold in place due to the corrosion. I was told to immediately stop driving the vehicle due to safety concerns. They also informed me that there is a recall concerning this issue and told me to call Hyundai to inquire.

When I called, I was told that, yes, there is a recall, but that they can not approve me for an inspection until after the judge rules on the settlement that is in place for these vehicles. After calling the Hyundai recall information line, I was told by Cindy that my vehicle does qualify and that would need to have it inspected by a Hyundai dealer. She even gave me the number for the Hyundai settlement center and told me where the closest Hyundai dealer was located. I was then informed that my next step would be to call the settlement center and get a case number in order to have the inspection and repairs covered by the Hyundai recall.

So I called the Hyundai Settlement Center. After spending several minutes explaining that I am unable to drive this vehicle due to the damage to the subframe and the danger it poses to myself and other drivers, Holly (ID no. **) told me that I would have to wait for the ruling on the settlement in order for Hyundai to cover any repair, including the inspection to see if my vehicle indeed has this corrosion.

At least the mechanic (Jim) running the service department at Kerry Hyundai in Florence, KY was much more helpful. Jim was dumbfounded at this answer and told me he would call them every day and "raise hell" since I was unable to use my vehicle and it would be parked on his dealership lot until they are able to inspect it.

After siting for a half hour to 45 minutes the car rolled backward, across a busy road, went over an embankment and flipped over....fortunately no one was injured but a good deal of property damage was done. The car is a total loss. It is felt due to circumstances the car jumped out of gear. The shifting pattern in the car has reverse in the same position as 1st gear with a collar that must be disengaged to put the car in reverse...very dangerous in itself as it sometimes did not come out of reverse or did not go into reverse.

A moment into the acceleration, the car started to buck and it stalled out. I tried several times to start it and finally did but it was running very rough. We were on the main road so I pulled over to the side of the road where the car stalled and the engine light went on. I tried again to start the car but when it did start, it had limited power.

I had contacted my insurance company because I have free towing, but they would only tow the car to my home. I thought if I get it home, I will only have to call my mechanic to get it to his shop. So I decided to call my mechanic. He sent a tow truck to take us home and then brought it to his shop.

Two days later, my mechanic figured out what went wrong. He said that the catalytic converter's front and rear went bad at the same time. The sensors that monitor the converter shut down the car. Also when I tried to start the car, the timing belt jumped and put the car out of timing. The recommended replacement for those converters is 60,000 miles; my car had 47,636 miles on it.

Anyway, the mechanic also said that he thought the car should be under warranty. So he contacted one of the dealerships near him in Huntington New York. (The dealership where the car was purchased went out of business.) Well, he called me back furious because the dealer's first question was, where did he purchase the car, and just didn't want to cooperate with him at all.

This was the only car we have, so I said to my mechanic, please just fix it and I will deal with the dealer later. My car is a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe, the dealership where I purchased it went out of business two years after that. After which, I reverted to my own mechanic because when I went to different dealers, they would hassle me about not buying the car there.

On May 11, I got my car back. The bill was over $4,000. On May 18, I called Hyundai and spoke to a women named Donnalynn, who processed a claim for me. She said she needed some paperwork, which included copies of my license, and the bill for my repairs. I faxed them back the next morning, May 19. Also on that date, I was told to bring my car to a Hyundai dealership in Hicksville NY and they verified that my car was repaired the way it was supposed to be.

On Friday, May 27, I had received a call from a Brandon from Hyundai. I was out so I called back and spoke to a Jerry and he proceeded to tell me that my claim was denied because the parts that were used were not genuine Hyundai parts. I asked him if they were aware of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975. In it states that warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with the product in order to retain the warranty.

Not only am I looking for the cost of repairs. We suffered all these time without a car, and we depended on our daughter to help us out. I also purchased an extension on my warranty for the amount of 2,200, which I feel I should be compensated for and the repair of the timing belt and all the needed parts that go with it. When I spoke to Jerry(no last name), I asked if they could send me a denial in writing. He said positively, "No, you just get a verbal."

I know it has been some time since this happened but between family pitfalls and waiting for lawyers, and some local politicians to help, well that is why I am a bit behind. I do appreciate you looking over this misfortune of mine.

I have to keep pliers in my car now because it happens all the time. It happens with the middle rear seat and passenger side rear seat. I took it into Superior Hyundai which was a complete waste of time. They told me the vehicle was operating correctly. I would think a company would be embarrassed when their customers have to keep pliers in their car to pull out a seatbelt but I was wrong. They have the worst customer service I have ever dealt with.

This is my first and last Hyundai that I will every buy. My parents own 2 Sonatas and after this, you have lost them as customers. Also, don't believe the sales associate when they tell you that your phone will work with the Hyundai Bluetooth. We have Verizon and all 4 of our phones won't work with it. We have 2 Droids, an LG and Samsung, all smartphones. Buyers beware! Don't buy Hyundai, they don't stand behind their products and don't care that they have a safety issue with their seatbelts.

I stopped at a Jiffy Lube to have them run a diagnostic (as well as oil change) and they confirmed it was the throttle sensor. I talked with someone in the waiting area before the diagnosis who had just bought a 2011 and was having the same issues (mine is a 2005 bought new in 2006). We both agreed we would check it out online and I confirmed what we both suspected, this has been a known issue and a recall item. However, when I made the appointment at the dealership, he denied any issue and said there were no notations for such a problem and especially not with my particular car or year. That is not true. I continue to read of issues on Edmund's, etc. I had to get my car fixed and spent over 200.00 on a known Hyundai issue and part. I will be calling the corporate offices tomorrow, as today is memorial day. Be careful, this could be a very serious situation.

An accident happened on February 27, 2011. Sudden, unintended acceleration of a 2007 Santa Fe Hyundai. This time on a private road, car engine revved up, all brake systems failed, could not shift into neutral and mechanism would not move. The driver need hold on the stirring wheel and ride it out. I saw main thoroughfare coming up, swerved into a gas station, wall had thought to swerve into street. It would have toppled the vehicle. I saw small park went across thoroughfare unto park area. The car was airborne and when it hit the ground, went on two wheels on the right hand side and then came down unto the 4. It stirred straight into a clearing between trees, sampling and dirt stopped vehicle. The seatbelt did not engage and 1 passenger has cracked skull. The near fatality might have been to a plausible number of children, parents, adults, cars and tractor trailers on main road.

The after result is the nervousness that rides in one's soul when on the road. There was over 20 witnesses to this event. This is an ongoing epidemic, my case has been ignored and other cases have been ignored. Isn't it time that this is reviewed before real fatalities become actualized? Thank You.

On July 25, 2009, I was driving the Santa Fe and the engine light came on. Within seconds, the Hyundai stalled out. I immediately brought it in to Rick Case Hyundai Plantation, FL. Jim ** had a multi-point inspection done and did some computer thing, and then it ran fine, but the engine light was still on. He said he could not perform some update and to bring it back next week. I brought it back. He had some ECM update? And the engine light went out, and it ran fine. Prior to this, in February of 2009, I was in Del Ray Beach, FL at Delray Hyundai and had a multi-point inspection performed along with the electric seat fixed. They found half-dozen things that needed to be done. But they never mentioned anything about engine oil, or that an oil change was required.

Going forward to October 10, 2009, once again, the engine light came on. I brought it back to Rick Case Hyundai Plantation, FL. Jim **, after some time, he came back and said that a sensor had oil build-up on it and that he could not fix it under warranty. It was a Saturday afternoon; I had a lot of things to do. He said it would cost around $100.00, so I gave him the go-ahead. But I inquired what this meant and how it could happen. He mentioned that possibly, whoever was doing my oil changes maybe wasn’t really doing them. I was having them done at Front End Performance in Davie, FL, where I had all my front end alignments done. (Keep in mind, I do spend a lot of time on the road, so front-end alignments, tire expenses are very important to me.) Now, Front End Performance has a good reputation, and I have no reason to believe they were ripping me off on something like an oil change. Their only flaw is that they are not computerized, just old-fashioned filing cabinets.

So, back to Jim ** and Rick Case Hyundai in Plantation, FL Oct. 2009. I asked him what I should do. He suggested an engine oil flush. I asked him if he could do it. He said no. That was a bit confusing, that a Hyundai Service dept. could not do what he suggested. But once again, it was a Saturday afternoon and I had stuff to do. So he changed the sensor. The light went out; it ran fine. Jim ** did add that there were other sensors (that were not as easy to get to) that would probably need changing down the road and that they would probably have to be replaced at some point. So, I made mental note that at some point, I guessed, the engine light would be coming back on, and I would have to have these other sensors changed out. Also, at that point, while driving down the road, a few blocks, I saw a Pennzoil JF Xpress Lube and went in and had an engine flush and oil change done, based upon Jim **’s suggestion. This was just minutes after I left Rick Case Hyundai, Plantation. The Santa Fe ran fine until December 12, two months later.

On December 12, 2009, I was driving up the Florida Turnpike, and the engine just quit. After several tries, I got it started, but I was unable to actually give it gas, without it stalling out again. I called Hyundai Roadside Assistance; they came by and towed it to the nearest Hyundai dealer who happened to be Coconut Creek Hyundai. It was late afternoon, so they called me on Monday, after looking at the vehicle, and asked me to try and find my oil change receipts. Unfortunately, I have moved twice since I purchased the vehicle, and sadly, also gone through two marriages. So there has been packing and moving, repacking, moving, putting stuff in boxes to make room for each consecutive wife, coupled with their moving and taking things out quite complicated and confusing to say the least. So, after 4 hours, I was able to find records of 4 oil changes within the period from Sept. 08 through Oct. 09. But, prior to that, God only knows at this point. I have looked to no avail.

In summation chronologically: Sept. 2008, oil change (Front End Performance); Feb. 2009, multi-point inspection (Delray Hyundai); April 2009, oil change (Front End Performance); June 2009, oil change (Front End Performance); July and Aug. 2009, engine light (Rick Case Plantation Hyundai); Oct. 2009, engine light (Rick Case Plantation Hyundai) / sensor replaced at which time oil flush request was refused by Jim ** (manager), and he told me other sensors would have to be replaced in the future; Dec.12, 2009, engine shut-off on the highway and vehicle was towed to Coconut Creek Hyundai.

December 14, 2009, I produced what records I could find, along with two oil change receipts I found in the glove box while the car was sitting there in the service bay of Coconut Creek Hyundai. I gave the above records to Coconut Creek Hyundai and was told the regional rep would review my info and make a decision. I have found out that the regional rep never actually personally reviewed the records but was given some of the info over the phone and made a decision that the engine would not be warrantied by Hyundai.

I retold the facts as stated above and spoke with Mike ** of Coconut Creek Hyundai. He replied that yes, he acknowledged the multi-point inspections done by both Delray Hyundai and Jim ** of Rick Case Hyundai and that he was not responsible for their negligence. I told him, “Look, these are my only recourse when having a problem with my Hyundai Santa Fe - I bring it to a Hyundai Dealership. In my mind, that is like bringing my vehicle to Hyundai themselves. You guys are their representation, the only representation that I would know to go to as Hyundai themselves.” He informed me that each dealership, though representing Hyundai, is owned and operated independently; if one or both of them were negligent, it was not his problem, because now I am dealing with Coconut Creek Hyundai. Needless to say, extreme frustration came on me.

So now, I am sort of caught between a rock and a hard place. To try and find further oil change records will be very difficult (though I have not stopped looking). I have researched engine oil sludge and found that it could be from a variety of problems from improper engine ventilation; car manufacturers have raised engine operating temperatures and increased exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Fuel mixtures have to run leaner, and leaner mixtures cause higher combustion temperatures. When nitrogen in the air is raised to higher temperatures, it is converted into new contaminant cocktails causing sludge. For more fuel economy, car manufacturers design engines for lower viscosity motor oils. Lighter oils tend to break down faster under urban driving conditions; when an engine is cold - due to frequent stopping, standing and starting - the cool cylinder wall acts as condensers for these combustion products. The water, soot, resins, acids, and lead salts condense and adhere to the oil films on the cold cylinder walls, and then work down past the pistons into the crankcase oil.

Faulty head gasket, allowing coolant to leak into oil system; unburned gasoline contaminating oil; inadequate oil circulation; oxides of nitrogen from emissions system contaminate oil; engine runs too cool in spots, causing condensation buildup inside crankcase; engine runs too hot in spots, causing oil to break down faster; seal on oil filler cap fails, allowing moisture to enter engine through valve cover; mechanical malfunctions; subtle malfunction, like a leak from your cooling system into your crankcase can create big problems for your engine. The resulting oil and coolant mixture reacts to form harmful deposits. An improperly operating cooling system will cause problems, too. If your thermostat sticks and does not allow coolant flow when needed, your engine will run either too cold or too hot.

You might not even notice the difference on your temp gauge (if you have one). Constant elevated temperatures promote oil thickening after thousands of miles. This can create sludge. While engine that operates too cold will form a "black sludge", a clogged or defective PCV valve can contribute to sludge formation. If this valve does not operate properly, harmful exhaust gases remain in the crankcase. These gases, which contain water, acids, soot, etc., promote sludge. Excessive amount of fuel due to leaky fuel injectors, malfunctioning choke mechanism, or failed oxygen sensor can also contribute to sludge formation. When your check engine (MIL) light comes on and stays on, have your vehicle checked by a professional mechanic with proper computer diagnostic tool - the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light).

My opinion, un-mechanical as it is, says this should have been either picked up during multi-point inspections, or at worst, back in July when the engine light came on, at extreme worst. In October, Jim ** of Rick Case Hyundai should not have refused an oil flush and change, and the trouble could have been either stopped then or at least minimized rather than (Dec.12) a complete shut-down of the engine. I mean, what was he doing? Seriously? Simply to tell me other sensors would have to be replaced down the road was a complete failure on his part as a diagnosis.

So moving forward from Dec.14-15, they have quoted me $4,500.00 to replace the engine with a used engine. This would be out-of-pocket monies that I am really not convinced, to say the least, is my responsibility. So, since then, I asked their sales dept. if they would take it as a trade, but the best they have offered me is $9,000.00 as a trade. I did an Intelliprice Trade-In Appraisal prior to the engine sludge issue, and the very least I should get, now I said, once again, the very least I should get is $ 13,635.00, and I could get as high as $ 16,690.00. This is one of those stories that I can’t help but sense that if I could get a hold of Mr. Hyundai himself (right?), he would either warranty the engine or give me full book trade on a new Hyundai along with all of the other year-end specials and incentives.

After the repairs, totaling over $3000, were done, I wrote a 3-page letter to the Consumer Affairs department at Hyundai. They contacted me and basically said there was nothing that could be done. Their excuse was that I did not use genuine Hyundai parts when I had the regular 60,000-mile maintenance work done. In the letter I wrote to them, I did not ask for anything but just stated that I thought they should do something. They did not so much as apologize. Perhaps, they were afraid that I would take that as an admission of guilt. The attitude of the person I spoke with ticked me off so bad that I then called and asked for a supervisor. The supervisor assured me that she would look into the situation and call me back. I faxed her additional paperwork that she requested. I never heard back from her.

After waiting over two weeks, I called again and was told that the records reflected that she had left me a message telling me that Hyundai refused to do anything. I never received any such message. I purchased a Hyundai after a lot of research and because the warranty was one of the best available. The warranty is worthless if they refuse to honor it. The car had about 91,000 miles on at the time this all took place and was still under their supposedly 100,000-mile warranty. Totally worthless obviously. If anyone is thinking Hyundai, I encourage him or her to think again. A great warranty is not worth the paper that it is written on if the manufacture refuses to stand behind it.

From the inspection of an auto repair shop in Toronto, the man showed me the brake pad on the rear right was rubbing metal on metal. He was scared and surprised that the dealership man did not even take a look after I described the problem to him and to stop me from leaving the dealership. Anyway, the auto shop changed the rear brake pads for me on both sides and now the noises are gone. I called to the customer affair today and Terri told me there is nothing they can do because the brakes are "wear and tear," which is not covered after 1 year.

I used to think American cars are a lot worse than Korean or Japanese cars. Along with the advertisement of best warranty, I thought I made a very good choice of purchasing this new 2008 Santa Fe until this happened to me. I understand the brake pads are wear and tear items; however, does it even make sense to you that the brake pads could go down metal on metal after 1 year/23K mile of use? I had my Dodge Neon for 5 years before I purchased this Santa Fe. I'd never needed to change the brake pads for that vehicle.

The repairs I did authorize resulted in $1,338.66 for parts and labor. The repairs that I declined at the time were quoted at $711.63 including parts and labor. I have documentation for all these repairs. I decided to submit this complaint after reading the article stating that similar problems had occurred to other drivers with the same vehicle as well as the Hyundai Sonata, which is supposedly built on the same frame. I asked my auto mechanic what could have caused this as I had not been in any accidents. His reply is that nothing should have caused that. I thank you for your time.

This could have been the cause of the other vehicle to burn up. I am being brushed aside by my insurance company Geico, as well as Edmond Hyundai in Oklahoma City. CarFacts.com indicates 6 issues related to the vehicle prior to the incident. Please work with me in good faith as I have been doing. This should be taken care of in the manner as stated in the warranty. Geico is telling me that my bodily injuries were not covered under bodily injury nor uninsured driver, but was not warned of full coverage not covering an insured driver from injuries.

Supervisors are not being made aware of my complaint and also my complaint that my vehicle was purchased at $23,000 and Geico only wants to refund $18,000. Plus I was charged for several insurances by Edmond Hyundai that made my vehicle skyrocket to over $26,049.50. This is outrageous and instead of being compensated, I am being raised prices for issues not my fault. I am paying for the company's mistakes. Hyundai Motor company has not even contacted me.

I live in Rhode Island and my Santa Fe broke down in Vermont. I had to get a ride home and now I have to go get my Hyundai in Vermont because I do not have $4,800.00 to have them fix it. The mechanic said that the Hyundai Corporate will not sell them a whole engine, but they will sell them the parts to fix it. They want me to pay $4,800.00 for parts! I have owned 6 Hyundais and I purchased them because of the warranty. Now they won't honor it. Why should I pay for the engine when the warranty is not over until 2013? I followed all the maintenance schedules and did all oil changes as scheduled by a certified mechanic. I feel that the Hyundai Corp should replace my engine according to the warranty.

Three months later, the airbag light was on again, so they replaced another sensor. At the same time, the car was shaking when the brakes were applied and the dealer said that there was abnormal wear so they replaced the pads and discs. Three months after that, the front end was banging and the dealer replaced both link assemblies as they were failing. One month after that, the airbag light was on again and, once more, they replaced the sensor. The next week, I got in my car and the windshield was cracked along the bottom from one side to the other.

Two months later, the airbag light was on again and I could not lock my car as the alarm would keep going off. So this time, they replaced the fuse box and wiring harness. They also discovered that my air conditioning was leaking in the ceiling of the truck so they had to run all new lines in the ceiling of the vehicle. They also replaced the gear shift as the vehicle was clunking when it was put into gear. They also replaced my temperature control unit in the dash of the vehicle.

I found a lot of complaints on the American NHTSA complaints page about 2007 Santa Fes. There are a lot of other people having the same problems that I am, from airbags to front suspension to broken windshields and faulty rear brakes. The scariest complaint was that a 2007 Santa Fe was involved in a rollover crash and none of the air bags deployed. I have wondered if the air bags would function properly with so many electrical issues on these vehicles. I am also upset that the chemical in the air conditioning has been leaking into the passenger compartment of my vehicle. These chemicals can be harmful to people.

I have contacted Hyundai consumer complaints and they refused to even extend my warranty. They said just keep taking it to the dealer until it is fixed. I don't have the time to continue dealing with this car and I also have no confidence in the reliability of this vehicle any longer. My warranty worksheets all say that all of the parts are faulty. Well, are they not still putting the same parts back on the car? As far as I am concerned this is a poorly built vehicle and Hyundai has no standard of quality control. I am going to sell this car (I feel bad for whoever buys it) and I will never, never, never ever buy a Hyundai product again.

I'm currently waiting for a part for driver's side airbag because right now that is not working either! Also, my steering wheel makes a screechy electronic noise and both dealerships state it's a characteristic of the car? All this and the car were bought brand new back in March 2009. Oh yeah, the tires were all flat on the bottom but I did not have a problem getting them to replace them. What I don't understand is why Hyundai recalled the Elantra's for airbag problems but refused to do so for the Santa Fe after all the complaints? Are they waiting for someone to die first because of their stupidity?

The vehicle is normally driven by my wife and although it was purchased new, it has been garaged mainly and driven few miles because of my wife's illness. We drove it about 1-2 times per week, but we kept up the necessary maintenance or so we incorrectly thought. I approved the repairs and when the vehicle was ready, picked it up and talked to the service manager who reiterated that the power steering had failed. The warranty expired at 5 years - 3 months prior - but still had a long way to go on the mileage. However, the warranty expires whichever comes first - time/mileage.

Anyway. thinking that Hyundai America might want to "do the right thing" for a customer and reimburse some portion of the cost to repair the power steering, I wrote the letter. I had a call from a company representative, Angie, who had talked to the local dealership service manager. According to her, the service manager said he had told me that he had talked to me about the "rotten seal" on the power steering. I certainly did not recall any such conversation. But, now what makes me wonder is how come it cost $577.13 in parts for a gear and linkage assembly when the problem was a "rotten seal". This fact was not discussed by the Hyundai representative who stated that they had to take the word of the dealership and I asked did they not ever take the word of the customer who buys the product?

Anyway, long story shortened, is that their position was that inadequate maintenance had been performed on the vehicle (even though my records from Five Star Hyundai shows that on 8/8/2008 and 2/19/2009) they performed a multi-point vehicle check on the vehicle. Guess they missed the power steering check - makes me wonder also why the power steering worked just fine for me when I drove the vehicle. Guess since I am not a mechanic, I won't understand. Found out also if a Hyundai owner does not perform the "R" maintenance outlined in the Owner's Manual and has repair records to support same, the warranties will not be supported by Hyundai. That specifically includes getting the timing belt changed out at 4 years or 60,000 miles or your power train warranty will not be extended to 10 years/100,000 miles. Wished I had been able to view all these previous comments before I bought the Santa Fe! Never would have been a Hyundai owner! Our other vehicle is a Honda and when we go in for maintenance, the representative makes us aware of any required "R" maintenance - a big difference in customer service.

Since purchasing my Santa Fe, I have moved and desire to get a new vehicle with 4-wheel drive (I didn't have it on my Santa Fe). I will not be buying another Hyundai - they do not stand behind their product. They don't even have an email address for customer service - just a phone number. Maybe it was just a lousy dealer (Ettleson in Countryside).

The service individual was rude and notified them that he could not accept the vehicle for service until Monday or Tuesday. The vehicle was towed to Arbor Place at the behest of the Hyundai Phone Representative. It cost $250.00. The vehicle is currently in the shop for replacement of a blown power steering pump, and for total replacement of the rack and pinion structure within the front end of the vehicle. I thought I purchased a new car that I could entrust my family's safety. Is this vehicle a lemon??? Now I am told today that the parts for my vehicle won't be in until Tuesday, 17 February 2009. I drive this vehicle each day to work a total of less than 15 miles. How is it that so many devices can fail in less than 8000 miles or four months???

I believe this is a very dangerous situation. It should be addressed as a national recall of this problem with Hyundai finding a solution to correct this problem without anyone getting hurt. This may have caused numerous accidents throughout the United States that could have been avoided if the problem was addressed by Hyundai.

I was so shaken from the experience that I didn't call roadside assistance because there was a tow truck already there. I paid for the towing myself expecting to be fully reimbursed from Hyundai. They refuse to reimburse me because the car was towed to my house and not to the dealership, even after their product almost killed me. I am disgusted at their lack of concern for their customers.

I will never buy a car from this company again. Not only that, but they never found out what was wrong with my car. They told me they were unable to replicate the problem and that I had no choice but to take the car back. This is a horrible company who could care less about it's customers.

After picking up the car again on the way home from the service dealer the same exact problem occured again and the vehicle was taken back into the shop. In the first 10 days I owned the car it has spent 7 of those days getting repaired. It has broke down a total of 3 times and needed to be repainted. This has all occured with under 150 miles on the vehicle. Disgraceful! After speaking to the cooporation and inquiring about the lemon law the response was simply we don't deal with the lemon law. The dealer it's self has been working vigorously with us to get us a new vehicle. The dealer Atlantic Hyundai has been great through this diffucult process but the coorporation has failed to live up to their standards.

This vehicle has cost me 3 days of work returning the vehicle over and over again and a signficant amount of money in gas driving back and forth to the dealer wich is 40 miles away. Not to mention the stress of breaking down 3 times on the side of the road, and spending countless hours on phones expressing my concernes and complaints to Hyundai with no satisfaction. This vehicle is unsafe and im worried could lead to a severe injury while driving.

Today (7/15/08) when I called to check on the status of my car I was told by tech Brian that there was a problem with the purge control valve and purge control canister and it would cost $1300.00 to fix my car but he talked to his boss and got it reduced by discounting the parts to $950.00. I told him that the amount was still extremely costly and attempted to question him further regarding the problem--he was abrupt and stated that he would fax me information regarding the matter. I received his fax and discuss it with 2 male co workers who also felt the price that I was quoted was excessive. I called tech, Brian back to let him know that I would be in to pick up my car and I would be getting a second opinion. When I picked up my car tech Brian stated that this item would have been covered under my extended warranty but it expired 4 months ago. He also stated that he gave me a technical service bulletin regarding this problem (enhanced evaporative emission control diagnosis and repair for P0446)and he said that even though it a common manufacturer defect no recall was order since this problem does not pose any known danger. I stated that if this is a commonly known manufactured defect than I should not have to pay anything to have it repaired even if my warranty has expired.

He stated that although only the 3 of 6 items listed on the Tech Service bulletin needed to be replaced ..he will not work on my car unless I replaced all 6 items which would cost $950.00 for the repair.He also stated that they would apply the $105.00 fee that I paid today towards the balance if I get the work done there. The amount is inflated and I express that to tech,Brian. He gave me the phone number for the manufacturer. I asked for an estimate for the breakdown of the cost of parts and labor. I was advised that they just give a flat rate and don't generally provide what I was requesting. This made absolutely no sense to me!!! I called the manufacturer& spoke with Chantel id#54333 in the customer service dept-regarding the technical service bulletin-she stated that since this problem did not pose a known danger the manufacturer chose not to fixed it for free if the warranty has expired. She suggested that I contact consumer affairs since no supervisor or manager there can do anything to help me. Thank you in advance for your review of my complaint and assistance.

Three days after that, rain storm and again, lights come on, belt noise, and brakes dragging. Back to service dept again, this time am told that they have had to adjust my pully, and am questioned by Clifford in service why my Santa Fe has a Kia belt on it. Explained to Clifford that I bought my SUV from them and why did I have a Kia belt on my SUV. I call back to service and speak with the manager who tells me this happens all the time, and that it is the same part, Kia and Hyundai are made by same company. He is rude and not understanding of my concerns. I am also told if the belt needs to be replaced that I will need to pay for it. I go back down to pick up Santa Fe, and make them document that belt is not a Hyundai belt, since it did not state this on the paperwork.

Four days later go to slow down and pull into gas station,put my foot on brakes and antilock brakes lock up on me, lucky for me there was no vehicle in front of me and that I had my seat belt on, otherwise I would have gone thru the front windshield. I have spoken to Hyundia America, to Kathy who was very nice, but never got answers, then with another female and finally to a male who was just as concerned as myself, and he sent the information to the regional office for this area. Regional service rep answered the phone today as yeah, correct that is how she answered the phone. Nice way to start off, then with a smart tone of hello.. She was rude. I explained to her that if I wanted a kia, would have bought a Kia, and per my Hyundai manual, my SUV parts are to be Hyundai parts, not Kia.

I explained that I was not happy with the service, nor the way I was treated at Crown Hyundai, or the fact that I have vehicle that is just over two years old, with these type of problems. Every time, I have brought my vehicle in, I have had to get rides to work, don't dare driving vehicle more than five miles, scared that it will brake down. The only answer I got from her was Kia and Hyundai are made by same company and that she will notify me when parts person is going to Crown Hyundai and he can take a look at it.

I was unable to move after the accident. I was paralyzed from the neck down. I was treated in an ICU trauma unit for 4 days. I laid in the hospital for a total of 24 days at which time I slowly had to learn to walk again and learn all the basic daily living skills. I was Diagnosed with Central Cord Syndrome. I had to undergo major neck surgery in April 2008 which now I have a collar bone in my neck with a titanium plate and six screws which hold my neck together. I still have strength problems along with numbness and tingling in both my arms. I'm a master carpenter by trade and have been told I will never be able to perform these duties again. Why put in air bags if you have to hit the sensors just right before they deploy? No one plans an accident let alone most people don't even know about air bag deployment sensors. Hyundai needs to do more extensive research on their air bag systems or not offer them. Everyone I've talked with cannot believe the air bags did not deploy.

Very disappointed in product. Will never buy a Hyundai again and don't recommend them to anyone. P.S. Interesting side-note, I live in Montgomery, Alabama, their U.S. headquarters for manufacture of Santa Fe.

This is crazy. there is a problem and it need to be recalled and corrected before i or someone else is seriously injured due to this problem. If anyone can help me please do!

This needs to be corrected. too many other people are suffering form the same problem and Hyundai needs to own up to it and correct it.

¨

It came in on Oct.31st. and was installed on Nov.2nd. When I drove out of the dealership the exterior temp indicator started at 68 and went to 140 again. I returned to the dealership and they made a call to the technical department who told them it was a short somewhere. I set up an appointment for Nov.27th. since I had to go out of town. I took the car back on the 27th. they did not have a loaner so I waited for six hours until they said they found the short and fixed it.

The car worked fine until today, I have been away for eight days, the temp indicator started again 68 to 140 and the interior temp is hard to control. I went to Sport Hyundai told them the problem is still happening and that this will be the third time they are going to fix the problem. I have an appointment for Dec.27th. at which time I told them I want a loaner car and that they are to keep my car until the problems is fixed. This will be the third attempt.

The salesman said not to worry, and that he had me all fixed-up; and got me financed through another bank. He had the new contract waiting with every signature line conveniently high-lighted. He did not point out that the new interest rate was higher than the first, and that the payments were now stretched out over six additional months! These were not the terms I had agreed upon when I bought the car. It was also not the third day yet following the business transaction. When I said to forget about it and that I wanted my old car back, they shuffled my fiance and me into an office. That's where we renegotiated the price of the car (to off-set the new interest rate).

That's also where we purchased the extended HPP (Hyundai Protection Plan) Warranty which extended my bumper-to-bumper coverage to 100 thousand miles. Later on Hyundai made amends for overstating the power of my car by offering different warranty products. I opted for the 120,000 mile extended power-train warranty because I already had the bumper-to-bumper coverage to 100,000 (one of the other settlement options). As it happens, beyond the 60,000-mile mark (at about 72,000) my car required a service beyond the maintenance schedule that my car had to date enjoyed. The dealership told me that I was out of warranty (beyond 60,000 miles).

Four years after purchasing my car and the HPP, Hyundai had no record of my extended warranty. When I called the Hyundai Customer Assistance Center regarding my missing HPP enrollment, the representative could issue me either a warranty card, or any sort of proof that my car carried the HPP. She told me that the only proof I had was contained in the original purchase contract on the car.

She did give me a file number referencing my problem. (I did find a copy of my HPP contract following that phone call, and contrary to what I had been told on the phone, the contract does in fact, have a number!) Meanwhile, at the dealership/shop where my car was being serviced, the computers were down, but finally we got it straightened out. I had to sign an affidavit and submit a copy of my driver's license when I picked up my car, but at least it was covered, right? That brings me to my motivation for writing this. About a month after my car was serviced.

I received a call at work from the Hyundai Dealership which performed the warranty work. They said that Hyundai (The BIG Hyundai, not the dealership) was demanding a copy of my marriage license or they would not (will not) honor my extended warranty. They want a copy of my marriage license, and a brief note explaining why my name changed. My name changed from my maiden name to my maiden name hyphenated with my husband's name. (My driver's license reflects that name change.)

The IRS believes me, the Social Security Administration, the Kentucky State DMV and my employer believes me, but Hyundai doesn't believe that I am now (hyphenated) who originally purchased my car, and it's extended HPP warranty. Hyundai never told me that I would have to disclose this sort of information upon getting married, and having my hyphenated.

I can send my marriage certificate in, but I do want their request in writing, because first of all this is the first I have heard of such a policy. I re-read my contract, and I could find nothing indicating that I might have to submit this personal information. When I asked the Hyundai Customer Assistance Center if they could put this request in writing, they declined stating that it would be not possible;. When I asked to whom a lawyer might be able to talk to get the request for this information in writing, they said Hyundai Legal Division, but they had no contact information. They could only suggest that I do a search to find that information. This would not happen to man simply as a result of marriage. As a result, a female has to do more work to exercise her right to use of this product than a man.

Back and forth with Reedman and Hyundai and still, neither will pay. Can't afford a lawyer, especially since I still have four years of payments left on my used car loan. Called Lemon Law, they won't help because I got my oil changes from a local garage and my receipts aren't computerized (said they believe me that I took care of the car, but don't think my receipts will stand up in court.)

I am begging rides to work every day and can't afford a new car because I'm still paying on the one that's broken down. Also, Hyundai charged me $93 to diagnose the problem, and I've paid twice to have it towed.