2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Speed Control & Cruise Problems

1.) Throttle Control failure, and is available for inspection 2.) My and the public saftey was put in risk, as I lost control of the vehicle an almost had an accident, and could have hit another vehicle or person or building. 3.) The problem has not occured again other than the multiple times on 10/10/2023. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I had O'Reilly Auto Parts check for failure codes on 10/10/2023 and found none. 4.) The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. 5.) There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The next morning when I started the vehicle the "Cruise" lamp was on. While idling in heavy traffic, vehicle throttle began over revving with my foot on the brake, I was not using Cruise Control, I had not used Cruise Control for over a week. I did not see the Cruise indicator on. I had to push hard on the Brake to keep the vehicle from lurching forward, I almost could not keep the vehicle from ramming the car in front of me. I pulled off of SR 32 in Eastgate, OH into a parking lot and it did it again, I put the vehicle in park and turned off the ignition. After a minute I started the vehicle again and it did it again, I turned off the ignition and waited longer. I started the vehicle again and within an hour, vehicle did it again in Covington, KY, I had to pull into a Motel parking lot and stomp on the Brake and throw the vehicle into Park with Throttle Running away. I turned the Ignition off and waited. Vehicle then acted normally.

I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR SPEED UP, CRASHING INTO A STORE FRONT, BREAKING THE GLASS WINDOW AND KNOCKING OUT SOME BRICKS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE UNINTENDEDLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HYUNDAI OF NEW PORT RICHEY LOCATED AT 3936 US-19, NEW PORT RICHEY, FL 34652, (727) 477-8644, WHERE AN UNKNOWN REPAIR WAS PERFORMED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,053.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR MORE THAN TWICE WHEN DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE TACHOMETER INCREASED AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABOVE 90 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO QUICKLY PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO REDUCE THE SPEED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DEALER (HUFFINES KIA MCKINNEY, 1201 N CENTRAL EXPY, MCKINNEY, TX 75070, (888) 450-2260) WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED AGAINST A BUILDING. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BROKEN WRIST THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CAMELBACK HYUNDAI (1500 E CAMELBACK ROAD, PHOENIX, AZ 85014) AND WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,600.

MY 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 4D SPORT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. I APPLIED THE BREAK AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW. LUCKILY, I DIDN'T WRECK. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER WITH MY HAZARDS ON, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP.

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE TURNING ON TO A BUSY INTERSECTION, TWO OTHER INSTANCES OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ON CITY STREETS. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. VERY LEARY OF DRIVING CAR.

THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR AND HAS INCREASED IN FREQUENCY THE LAST 2 MONTHS. AT RANDOM TIMES, IN TOWN OR ON HIGHWAY WITH VARYING SPEEDS, THE RPM WILL JUMP WITHOUT ME USING ANY MORE PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL, WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THEN, THE RPM WILL GO BACK DOWN IN THE SAME MANNER JUST AS QUICKLY.

I WAS PARKING MY CAR IN A SPACE AT A LOCAL STORE. THE CAR TOOK OFF. SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WENT FORWARD PROBABLY A GOOD 15 FEET BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO STOP. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE BOTH FUEL TANK SENSORS REPLACED. MY GAS GAUGE WOULD NOT REGISTER PROPERLY. FLUCTUATED UP AND DOWN AT RANDOM MOMENTS. COST ME $364.51! SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE SLOWED WITHOUT WARNING ON FREEWAY AT FREEWAY SPEED, THEN WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. WENT TO IDLE MODE. BEFORE SLOWDOWN, HAD MILD SURGING AT SPEED. PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AT TPS OR THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. PROBLEM WITH SAME SENSOR REPORTED TO HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP PREVIOUS, DIAGNOSED AS LOOSE CONNECTION REPORTED FROM PERIODIC SURGING WHILE DRIVING. AFTER RECENT PROBLEM WITH ALTERNATOR, WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF PART, WITHIN ONE WEEK, TPS PARTIALLY FAILED. FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AS KIA DEALERSHIP (SISTER COMPANY TO HYUNDAI) WHEN UNDERWENT FIRST REPAIR. FAILURE REQUIRED HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP TO BE TOLD EXACT PROBLEM, WHEREBY THEY CONFIRMED DIAGNOSIS. PART REQUIRED REPLACEMENT WITH SOFTWARE UPDATES. PART PROBLEM LEADING TO FAILURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED UNDER FIRST ROUND OF TESTING, AND UNDER FIRST REPAIR A WEEK PRIOR. PARTS UNPREDICTABLE FAILURE IS BELIEVED TO PRESENT A SIGNIFICANT RISK WHILE VEHICLE IS OPERATING. *TR

I ENTERED A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WILDLY WITH NO CONTROL OVER SPEED. I TRIED TO BRAKE THE CAR BUT IT KEPT ACCELERATING. I PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ENGINE WAS OVER-REVVING FRIGHTENINGLY SO I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION.I FELT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL COME UP OFF THE FLOOR AND TAP THE SOLE OF MY RIGHT FOOT. AT THIS POINT I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND PUT ON MY 4 WAY FLASHERS. I ESTIMATE MY TOP SPEED TO BE ABOUT 75 MPH DURING THIS INCIDENT. FORTUNATELY I DID NOT CONTACT ANY OTHER VEHICLES OR OBJECTS. MY WIFE WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. AFTER A FEW MINUTES,I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT BEHAVED NORMALLY. WHEN I REACHED HOME I CALLED THE DEALER AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY. *TR

I WAS LEAVING TO GO TO WORK, MY HUSBAND WALKED ME OUT OF OUR HOUSE SAYING GOODBYE, I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY, TURNED MY WHEEL TO GO AROUND OUR OTHER CAR, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SANTA FE FORCEFULLY ACCELERATED (NOT BY ME HITTING THE GAS ON ACCIDENT) HITTING MY HUSBAND THROWING HIM TO GROUND (WHICH HE IS A STURDY GUY) AN THEN HITTING MY OTHER CAR, IT WOULD NOT STOP I HAD BRAKE PEDEL DOWN AND PUT ON EMERGENCY BRAKE ON PUT IN REVERSE AND YET NOTHING JUST GOING FULL FORCE IN THE BACK OF MY OTHER CAR. I EVEN TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO MAKE SURE IT WAS NOT THE GAS PEDEL. IT WAS SO SCARY I DID NOT KNOW IF MY HUSBAND WAS BEENING CRUSHED BETWEEN CARS. I WAS SO SCARED THAT MY KIDS WOULD COME OUT AND GET RAN OVER TRYING TO HELP. I TURNED OFF THE CAR (WISH I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT SOONER) AND FINALLY AFTER PUSHING MY OTHER CAR AT LEAST 5 FEET IT FINALLY STARTED WINDING DOWN AND MAKING A LOUD HISSING SOUND. I FOUND MY HUSBAND LYING ON THE GROUND THANKING GOD I DIDNT KILL HIM . I CALL THE POLICE TO REPORT WHAT HAD HAPPEND, TOOK PICTURES OF ALL THE DAMAGE THAT THE SANTA FE DID. WE TOOK THE SANTA FE BACK TO DEALERSHIP STILL UNDER WARRENTY JUST PURCHASED 8 MONTHS AGO ONLY 63,000 MILES ON IT, THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. ONLY THING THEY SAID WAS POWERSTEERING LINE CRUSH AND WHATEVER DAMAGE DONE FROM THE INCIDENT, AND TRIED TO CHARGE ME $120.00. SO NOW ITS AT A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP, BUT SEEMS NO ONE CARES WHAT HAPPENED. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THIS PROBLEM, WHERE I WORK I PARK IN A COLLAGE CAMPUS AREA WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND ALL THE TIME, I"M AT MY KIDS SCHOOL AT LEASE 8 TIMES A WEEK, WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS AT THE SCHOOLS? SO WORRIED THAT THEY WILL SAY ITS OKAY NOTHING WRONG,( WHICH ALREADY HEARD THAT!) BUT NEXT TIME MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. NEED HELP PLEASE!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTE FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 90 MPH. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHUT OFF. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,900. UPDATED 09/15/14*LJ UPDATED 1/7/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOOR AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS CARBON BUILD UP IN THE THROTTLE BODY CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO STICK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,956. UPDATED 8/12/14*CN

DRIVING MY WIFE'S CAR AROUND 40 MPH AND FOR NO REASON THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING TO A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND I HAD TO LAY ON THE BRAKE BUT WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE IT AGAIN STARTED ACCELERATING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE WAS RACING VERY HIGH I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND STARTED IT AGAIN AND IT WAS BACK TO NORMAL. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. TALKED TO HYUNDAI SERVICE AND THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME AN ANSWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BECOME STUCK AND IN ORDER TO RELEASE IT, THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE ENGAGED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 01/07/14*LJ

I WAS ON A RETURN TRIP OF 5 HOURS OR SO EACH WAY WHICH I TOOK AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, AND NOTICED A VERY PRONOUNCED DROP IN POWER AND ACCELERATION CAPABILITY QUITE SUDDENLY. IT WAS AS IF SOME WIRING OR HOSE HAD COME LOOSE UNDER THE HOOD. A FEW MONTHS LATER, WHEN THE PROBLEM HAD NOT CHANGED AT ALL IN OVER 3000 MILES OF DAY-TO-DAY DRIVING, INCLUDING A DAILY STINT (TO WORK) OF MAYBE 12 MILES EACH WAY ON THE FREEWAY WHICH ENTAILS ACCELERATING UP THE ON-RAMP INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, I STILL COULD FEEL THE DIFFERENCE IN ACCELERATION AND RESPONSE TIME WHILE ACCELERATING. WHEN I TOOK THE SANTA FE IN FOR A NORMAL OIL CHANGE, I REPORTED TO THE DEALER THESE SYMPTOMS, AND ASKED TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY CHANGED THE OIL, AND CHECKED OUT THE COMPUTER READOUTS FOR THE VEHICLE, AND SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS DETECTED BY THE COMPUTER AT THAT TIME, BUT WHEN THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR ON THE VEHICLE OCCURRED, IT WAS MOST OFTEN DUE TO THE FUEL FILTER BEING ALL CLOGGED UP, ALTHOUGH THAT STILL MIGHT NOT BE THE PROBLEM. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $270 TO CHANGE THE FUEL FILTER, AND AFTER I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY COUPON DISCOUNT FOR THIS SERVICE EVER THRU THEIR DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE MANAGER GAVE ME A COUPON BOOK FOR A FLAT RATE OFF DEPENDING UPON HOW MUCH WAS BEING PAID FOR. (IT AMOUNTED TO MAYBE $25 OFF THIS SERVICE.) THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME THAT DAY TO CHANGE IT OUT, SO I DECIDED TO CHECK OUT BOTH WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN ANY COMPLAINTS, SERVICE REPORTS, OR RECALLS ABOUT THIS FUEL FILTER, AND THAT IS WHAT LED ME HERE TO MAKE THIS COMPLAINT ABOUT BOTH THE COST OF THIS REPLACEMENT AND THE POOR PROGNOSIS OF IT SOLVING THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM. I AM GOING TO CHECK WITH A REPAIR PLACE I FEEL CONFIDENT IN ABOUT THEIR COST TO DO THIS REPLACEMENT. HOPEFULLY, IT WILL BE MUCH LESS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED. THE POLICE WERE PRESENT AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A HEMATOMA AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, ESC LIGHT & CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAR LOST POWER. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES, CAR RESTARTED AND RETAINED POWER FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. THIS YEAR, THE CAR HAS DUPLICATED THE SAME PROBLEM 4 TIMES WITHIN A MONTH, AND WHEN FOOT ON BRAKE IN DRIVE, THE CAR SURGES SO BADLY THAT AT TIMES I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD BUMPED THE REAR OF CAR. I TOOK TO DEALER TODAY AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR UNDER WARRANTY. THIS WAS VERY MUCH A SAFETY CONCERN , WOULD OFTEN HAPPEN THIS YEAR WHEN VEHICLE WAS SLOWING, SO THAT MAKING A LEFT TURN PUT ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.THE REPLACEMENT OF THE THROTTLE SENSOR SEEMS TO HAVE REMEDIED THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND NOTICED THAT THE PEDAL HAD BECOME STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. IN ORDER TO STOP THE FAILURE THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE HER FOOT UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND LIFT THE PEDAL OFF OF THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 20,000.