Anyone experience Sudden Unintended Acceleration in a Santa Fe?

143 messages,  Last post on Apr 14, 2013 at 1:20 PM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Santa Fe, SUV

#88 of 143 Re: 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Sudden Unintended Acceleration [bettieb1] by grooveline88

Mar 09, 2011 (7:38 am)

Replying to: bettieb1 (Mar 08, 2011 10:23 pm)
How many miles were on the car when you replaced the engine? Did you buy the car new and if not how many miles had you driven it? I'm not a mechanic but I don't think this is an engine problem, especially if the car was still accelerating even after putting it in neutral. This could very well be a computer problem or a cabeling problem as someone suggested previously. Did you have the work done at a Hyundai dealer? Make sure you document this with Hyundai and the NHTSA.

#89 of 143 SUA Update on Santa Fe by santafelemon

Mar 13, 2011 (7:14 am)

This is an update to my post regarding my December 18, 2010 SUA experience. I called NHTSA and filed my report after never receiving a response to report I filed online back in December. I did receive a confirmation of my report this time, via mail, along with a cover letter. I checked over the report, made a few additions, made a copy for my file and will mail it in the morning. I also took my 2009 Santa Fe back to the dealership last week, for the second time since December, along with 27 pages of Blogs. They checked the car over again and said they could find nothing wrong, but have offered to keep it for one week in order to run more tests and drive it in an effort to recreate the experience I had. Upon completion, they will offer us a few options. None of which are appealing since the only comfort I will have is returning the car. The dealership's response to the Blogs was that you can find the same testimonals of SUA for many manufactuers. The underlying theme was that in most cases these experiences are due to "driver error." My conclusion is that computerization has made cars so complex these days, that it does take a rocket scientist to figure out the design flaws. I will post an update once the dealership has finished their latest inspection this coming week.

#90 of 143 Re: SUA Update on Santa Fe [santafelemon] by grooveline88

Mar 13, 2011 (12:21 pm)

Replying to: santafelemon (Mar 13, 2011 7:14 am)
Thanks for the update. I agree with your rocket scientist comment. I took my Santa Fe to the dealer last week for transmission fluid flush and complimentry 30 point inspection. Everything checked out fine. All we can do is report what happens and hopefully nobody gets hurt or killed in the mean time. I have to wonder now about all of the fatal accidents out there where there is no one alive to say what really happend. It's scary.

#91 of 143 Re: SUA Update on Santa Fe [grooveline88] by santafelemon

Mar 13, 2011 (4:46 pm)

Replying to: grooveline88 (Mar 13, 2011 12:21 pm)
Thanks for your kind response. I wish you continued good luck with your Santa Fe. No telling if there have been any fatal accidents. It would take a survivor to report the conditions surrounding the accident as in the tragic Toyota fatality. That's why we need to keep reporting and documenting these incidents to keep the pressure on. Kia just reported a recall this weekend. Something to do with a transmission malfunction. No fatalities reported so how did this recall come about? Interesting ...

#92 of 143 Re: 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Sudden Unintended Acceleration [bettieb1] by wwest

Mar 25, 2011 (9:03 am)

Replying to: bettieb1 (Mar 08, 2011 10:23 pm)
Modern day engines/transmissions are a "MATCHED SET", they should be installed as if PAIRED and the correct model year and firmware revision engine/transaxle controlling ECU included.

#93 of 143 Re: SUA Update on Santa Fe [grooveline88] by santafelemon

Mar 25, 2011 (9:36 am)

Replying to: grooveline88 (Mar 13, 2011 12:21 pm)
This is an update on my situation that took place on December 18, 2010. After a week-long inspection and test driving, the dealership could not find anything wrong with my 2009 Santa Fe that would cause the SUA that I experienced. We were scheduled, last Friday, to return the loaner they had given us for the week and pickup my unwanted Santa Fe. After much discussion and insistence, the used car department of the dealership agreed to buy back the vehicle for what we owed on the car. We still loss some money, but I now have the peace of mind that I was hoping for. I wish anyone else out there who is wrestling with this problem, not to give up. The squeaky wheel does get the grease! Good luck!

#94 of 143 Re: 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Sudden Unintended Acceleration [wwest] by ray147

Jun 01, 2011 (1:09 pm)

Replying to: wwest (Mar 25, 2011 9:03 am)
More Sudden Unintended Acceleration angst! I've been going around with my Hyundai dealership regarding my 2009 Santa Fe and getting no where.
 
As soon as I mentioned that I opened a case number with the NHTSA I received a call from Hyundai Corporate asking me to drop the car off again which was useless.
 
I'm filling out the paper work now and emailing back to the them for investigation.
 
The most important thing we can all do is contact the NHTSA and open up case numbers. Also, continue on with Hyundai corporate.
 
I had two episodes in the same day. I may actually dump this thing which is sad because we bought it brand new and will take a $8,000.00 bath.

#96 of 143 Re: 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Sudden Unintended Acceleration [ray147] by twinster

Aug 29, 2011 (12:21 pm)

Replying to: ray147 (Jun 01, 2011 1:09 pm)
We have been having this problem with our 2010 Sante Fe and our daughters are learning to drive on this vehicle and they have experienced this surging as well. I just had the vehicle in last week to have a part replaced for the surging as well as the tie rod. We drove the vehicle on the weekend and it surged twice. I will give this a week and if it continues I will be complaining about it again. At least they didn't say there was nothing wrong or that it was driver error! We have thought about trading this vehicle in but the price has dropped so much in 1 1/2 years that we would lose way too much. Our bath would be more that $8000.00 - so sad!

#97 of 143 Re: 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Sudden Unintended Acceleration [twinster] by santafelemon

Aug 30, 2011 (5:12 am)

Replying to: twinster (Aug 29, 2011 12:21 pm)
Since you had the surge experience more than once, I would recommend that you insist that the dealership's service department keep the Santa Fe for a minimum of 3 days and have someone drive it consistantly. Insist on a loaner car for the time period. I only experienced one unintended sudden acceleration, but that was more than enough for me. After several months the dealership did agree to take the care in for several to test drive it. Of course, nothing happened so they said there was nothing to repair. But in your case, there's a good chance it would occur while it's in their hands. My husband was very insistant. We finally dealt with the regional sales manager who visits our area once a month. My surge experience happend in late December 2010. It took until March for us to get any satisfaction. I refused to drive the car or even ride in it. We armed ourselves with all of the Internet Blogs to confirm that many other people shared the same experience. They were sympathic but insisted that this condition does happen occasionally in many car model just not Hyundai's. The bottom line was that we made a deal with their preowned department. They paid off the remaining loan amount on the 2009 Santa Fe. Yes, we were out the 16 payments, plus initial downpayment, but I had to have peace of mind. I use my car for transporting people and couldn't perform my job if I was constantly worrying about a possible accident due to SUA. Since you have two teenagers driving your Santa Fe with the understanding that they will often have their friends in the car, do you want to place their lives in jeopardy? I would suggest insisting on the dealership driving your vehicle for several days; print out as many of these Blog discussions as possible; insist on a face-to-face meeting with the Hyundai regional sales manager; and finally, talk to the preowned department about a buy out. Yes, you'll be out a chunk of cash, but you can't put a price tag on the lives of your family. Good luck to you!!
(P.S. I purchased a preowned 2002 BMW with low mileage and I couldn't be happier!)
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