2001 Hyundai Santa Fe Body & Structure Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE, IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUBFRAME FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,592.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT TIRES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V435000 (SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

DRIVING STRAIGHT ON HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55 MPH. CAR HOOD BLEW WIDE OPEN AND WAS LAYING UP, OVER MY WINDSHIELD. LEFT ME ALMOST BLINDED; ABLE TO SEE OUT A SMALL OPENING, ABOUT 2-4 INCHES AT BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD WHERE HOOD IS RAISED UP BY HINGES. WAS ABLE TO GET TO SHOULDER OF ROAD SAFELY. BOTH HOOD LATCH AND SAFETY LATCH FAILED. CAR IS IN EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD CONDITION EXCEPT FOR MY NOW BENT AND DAMAGED HOOD. I AM VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. THANK YOU G-D. I HAVE ALSO REPORTED THIS HOOD FAILURE TO HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY. HOPE THIS HELPS TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM GETTING SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

AFTER TURNING A CORNER @ 15 MPH I HAD TO LEAVE THE STEERING WHEEL AT THE 9 O-CLOCK POSITION IN ORDER TO DRIVE STRAIGHT. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I THOUGHT I HAD AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM SO I SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE LOCAL TIRE REPAIR SHOP. ONCE THEY LIFTED THE VEHICLE UP FOR INSPECTION THEY NOTICED THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKE. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE MECHANIC I FELL VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THE 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IS CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM SO I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP STATED I WAS THE 3RD VEHICLE THEY HAVE REPAIRED FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP IS MAKING THE NECESSARY REPAIRS WITH NO COST TO ME. I FELL THAT ALL 2001 SANTA FE'S SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR AN INSPECTION AT THE LEAST. WE SHOULD NOT BE WAITING FOR A SEVERE ACCIDENT BEFORE THE NECESSARY STEPS ARE TAKEN. THERE ARE ONLY 30,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN THE TOWN WHERE I HAD MY VEHICLE TAKEN FOR SERVICE, 3 REPAIRS WOULD INDICATE TO ME THAT OVER THE ENTIRE USA THERE ARE A LOT MORE VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE I NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD SWAY TO THE RIGHT AND I HAD TO COMPENSATE BY STEERING THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT. A PRELIMINARY INSPECTION SHOWED THAT I NEEDED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND NEW TIRES DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE WEAR TO THE TIRES CAUSED BY THE VEHICLE NOT BEING ALIGNED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A LOCAL TIRE SHOP FOR TIRE REPLACEMENT AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT. UPON INSPECTION BY THE MECHANIC IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE SUB FRAME OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IS ATTACHED HAS A RUST HOLE WHERE THE RIGHT BOLT ATTACHES TO THE SUB FRAME. IN FACT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS ONLY ATTACHED WITH ONE BOLT. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A TIE ROD REPLACEMENT AND WHEEL BEARING REPLACEMENT CAUSED BY THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NOT BEING PROPERLY ATTACHED TO THE SUB FRAME. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO ALIGN THE VEHICLE OR CHANGE THE WHEEL BEARINGS DUE TO THIS CONDITION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE SUB FRAME NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. DAMAGE RESULTING = I AM UNABLE TO USE THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. COST TO REPLACE THE SUB FRAME IS APPROXIMATELY $2000.00 DOLLARS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IN THE EVENING ON THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY (55 MPH, LEFT LANE, PKWY TRAFFIC HEAVY BUT MOVING WELL), STEERING SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHIMMY, FOLLOWED BY GRINDING NOISE EMANATING FROM RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. ASSUMED A FLAT, PULLED FOOT OFF GAS PEDAL, PUT HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND BEGAN TO PULL OVER TO RIGHT LANE. STEERING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL AS STEERING WHEEL WAS WHIPPING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, GRINDING NOISE INCREASED - AS I SLOWED ENOUGH TO PULL ONTO DIRT SHOULDER, RIGHT FRONT OF CAR COLLAPSED, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BROKE OFF AND BOUNCED ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC BEFORE LANDING ON OPPOSITE SHOULDER OF PARKWAY. THAT THE WHEEL DIDN'T FLY OFF WHILE DRIVING AT FULL 55 MPH AND WHEN IT DID FAIL, THAT IT BOUNCED BETWEEN ONCOMING CARS, AND DID NOT HIT ONE OF THEM AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, WAS ASTOUNDING. THIS OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR HINT OF A PROBLEM, MY CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS. ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC, THE WHEEL LITERALLY RUSTED OFF - HE HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. MECHANIC STATES 3 OTHER WHEELS HAVE MORE RUST THAN HE HAS EVER SEEN ON A VEHICLE, HOWEVER, HE DIDN'T FEEL THERE WAS DANGER OF AN IMMEDIATE FAILURE. *TR

THE REAR TRAILING ARMS ROTTED AND ONE BROKE AS I WAS DRIVING. II TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC, WHO WAS TOLD BY HIS PARTS CONTACT THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE WITH HYUNDAI SANTA FE'S. BOTH THE REAR TRAILING ARMS NEEDED REPLACING. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY REFUSE TO LOOK INTO IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER, THEY COULDN'T CONFIRM IT AND THEY DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO INVESTIGATE IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE AS TO WHICH SERVICE PLACE I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO. THE BOTTOM LINE IS - THE VEHICLE NEEDED REPAIR. I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH HYUNDAI FOR NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. CLEARLY, STATING THAT IT NEEDED TO GO TO A HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER IS JUST AN EXCUSE FOR THEM TO DENY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE OR THE PART. I FEEL THERE IS A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN WITH THE VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT - OR WORSE. MY TEENAGE SON COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I WONDER HOW MANY OTHER VEHICLES ARE DRIVING AROUND WITH THE SAME DEFECT. I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION TO BE SURE THAT OTHER'S DON'T EXPERIENCE WHAT I EXPERIENCED OR WORSE. IF THE PART HAD BROKEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, IT COULD HAVE HARMED OTHERS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND HELP PROTECT OTHERS. *TR

AFTER DRIVING OVER A POT HOLE THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AS IT WAS DRIVEN. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE SHOP SAID THEY COULD NOT REPAIR IT AS THERE WAS A FIST SIZE HOLE IN THE FRAME WHERE IT HAD RUSTED THROUGH WHERE THE CONTROL ATTACHES TO THE FRAME. WHILE RESEARCHING THE INTERNET I LEARNED OF MANY SIMILAR DEFECTS REPORTED TO NHTSA I BELIEVE SOME HYUNDAI MODELS SHARE THE FRAME. *TR

THE PAINT FADES VERY BADLY ON THIS VEHICLE, DEPRECIATES THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE TREMENDOUSLY. ALSO THE DRIVER SEAT DOES NOT CLICK IN PLACE, IT MOVES AROUND A SMALL AMOUNT. *JB

THE DOOR LOCKS ARE ALL ATIVATED TOGETHER. YOU CAN NOT UNLOCK THE DRIVERS DOOR WITHOUT ALL FOUR DOORS AND THE BACK GATE BEING UNLOCKED. I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY CAR THAT A SINGLE DOOR CAN NOT BE UNLOCKED WITHOUT OPENING ALL THE DOORS. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLE. MY WIFE CAN NOT GO TO THE MALL AND EXIT OR ENTER HER TRUCK WITHOUT THE POSSIBLITY OF SOMEONE ENTERNING HER TRUCK USING A DOOR THAT SHE DID NOT WON,T TO UNLOCK. THERE WILL BE INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH INVOLVED WITH THIS FACTORY DEFECT. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS COMPLAINT POST-HASTE. THANKS; CHARLES WALSINGHAM. *AK