2011 Hyundai SANTA FE: complaints, problems and recalls

I PURCHASED A HYUNDAI, NOT EVEN ONE MONTH AGO. DECEMBER 12TH 2010. VIN [XXX] HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2011 IT IS SUPPOSED TO GET 20-26 MILES PER GALLON. WHILE DRIVING THE HIGHWAY FROM FLORIDA TO NC IT GOT 15 MILES TO THE GALLON. ON THE WAY BACK THE SAME THING. IN ADDITION THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT AND MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE SEVERAL TIMES. WE DID NOT THINK WE WOULD GET HOME. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER AND REPORTED IT TO HYUNDAI. THEY CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10373998 at NHTSA ↗

2011 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ NEW VEHICLE HAS DISCHARGED HEAVY FUEL FUMES AND ODORS OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE CREATING A POSSIBLE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE/EXPLOSION AND CAUSING OBNOXIOUS IF NOT HAZARDOUS BREATHING. 12/31/2010 SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED 01/01/2011 AT START-UP, THERE WAS A "POP" AND ENGINE STARTED. REPLICATED AT DEALERSHIP AND RAW GAS WAS SMELLED. DEALER KEPT VEHICLE FOR SERVICE SHOP TO OPEN ON 01/03/2011. 01/03/2011 DEALER REPLACED PURGE CONTROL VALVE (P/N 28910-3C100). TOOK VEHICLE, SMELLED GAS FUMES IN G…

Owner-reported narrative. 101 miles reported. Look up ODI 10375329 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT (THE SIDE I WANTED TO PASS ON) WHEN PASSING GEAR WAS USED. I CAME VERY CLOSE TO HITTING THE CAR TO MY LEFT. THE DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL DUE TO TORQUE KNUCKLE STEERING. (IT HAPPENED WHEN HE DROVE MY SUV AND HE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET USED TO IT!!! WE ALSO TRIED ANOTHER SUV AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, PLEASE NOTE; THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT BIGGER TIRES WOULD PROBABLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT THE SUV IS UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD NOT PAY FOR THEM HE DRO…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,375 miles reported. Look up ODI 10382013 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN PARKED ON A SNOW BANK, THE DRIVER SIDE BUMPER COVER POPPED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO FIX THE COVER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE COVER BACK IN TEMPORARILY BUT IT WAS NOT FULLY REPAIRED. UPDATED 03/29/11 *BF UPDATED 04/06/11 UPDATED 04/06/11

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10386657 at NHTSA ↗

NEW SANTA FE, 45 DAYS OLD, SCREECHING / METAL ON METAL GRINDING SOUND. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AT 3 MONTHS OLD, CAR ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. DO NOT TRUST CAR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10410037 at NHTSA ↗

ON MAY 26TH 2011 AROUND 6:20 PM WHEN I DROVE ON A LOCAL DOWN HILL ROAD WHICH IS ABOUT 400 YARD LONG, AT A SPEED ABOUT 20 MPH, MY CAR LOST BRAKE AND POWER STEERING. I SUPPOSED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN I PRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR CAN'T STOP AND THE PEDAL WAS VERY HEAVY, AND I CAN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER. MY CAR KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. I KEPT STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL VERY HARD AND MY CAR FINALLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET GRADUALLY. WHEN I LOOKED, I NOTICED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND OIL LIGHT WERE ON. I T…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10412636 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY A HEAVY RAINSTORM BEGAN. IT WAS VERY HUMID AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS MODERATE. WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS THE DEFROST BECAME OVERWHELMED AND OUR VISIBLITY DECREASED TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL. WE HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN IN ORDER TO GET ENOUGH AIR MOVING TO REMOVE THE CONDENSATION FROM THE FRONT WINDOW. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON TWO OTHER OCCASSIONS SINCE. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS US NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TT

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10432983 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 68 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EMIT A LOUD BANGING NOISE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. A STATE TROOPER APPEARED ON THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 673.

Owner-reported narrative. 673 miles reported. Look up ODI 10436180 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2010-12-09 (December 9, 2010)

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 SANTA FE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 28, 2010, THROUGH NOVEMBER 25, 2010. SOME OF THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY MACHINED.

Consequence: AS A RESULT, BRAKE FLUID WILL LEAK, FOLLOWED BY ILLUMINATION OF THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT INDICATING THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL IS LOW AND SHOULD BE CHECKED, THEN A SOFT OR SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL FEEL, AND IF NOT SERVICED, REDUCED BRAKING POWER WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR CALIPERS AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 17, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AT 1-800-243-7766.

Reported: 2013-04-01 (April 1, 2013)

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.