2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Vehicle Speed Control Problems

GAS PUMP PROBLEM KEEPS CLICKING AND I'VE REPLACE MANY PARTY BUT STILL LIKE ITS FULL OF GAS BUT I BE ON EMPTY.CAR ALSO JERKS LIKE I'VE BEEN REAR ENDED WHILE DRIVING LIKE IT HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND I'VE REPLACE TRANSMISSION 2 TIMES. GEARS ONLY WORK MANUAL IT'S LIKE THE CAR HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN .ALSO MY TIRE FLEW OFF MY CAR ON THE BACK AND HAD TO TAKE TO DEALER SHIP AND THEY WAS SAYING IT'S SOME PROBLEM THEY CAN'T HELP .

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY AND THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED TO OVER 100 MPH WHILE THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. THE MECHANIC RE-CRIMPED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 143,000

WHEN APPROACHING A STOP (<5MPH) AND BRAKING, THE CAR ENGAGES IN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE ENGINE WILL TACH TO OVER 3000 RPM AND IF YOU ARE NOT HARD ON THE BRAKES, THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE. AT LEAST ONE TIME THE CAR HAD TO BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE IGNITION TURNED OFF TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. *TR

Mileage: 113,000

I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO A PROBLEM WITH A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. I BORROWED THE CAR FROM MY GIRLFRIEND TO RUN AN ERRAND. BEING 6 FOOT TALL AND HAVING A SIZE 13 FOOT I MUST SAY THE CAR WASN'T VERY COMFORTABLE EVEN WITH THE DRIVERS SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK. IT SEEMED TO RESPOND AND HANDLE SMOOTHLY BUT AS I EASED ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW FOR A RAILROAD CROSSING, THE TOE OF MY WORK BOOT BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATOR. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LAUNCHED LIKE A ROCKET AND MY IMPULSE WAS TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MY FREE (LEFT) FOOT. THIS ONLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR FURTHER TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO SPEED OUT OF CONTROL. IT WENT FROM 30 MPH TO NEARLY 90 MPH IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND IN A MOMENT OF CLARITY I REACHED FOR THE IGNITION KEY. I SWITCHED THE IGNITION OFF LOSING ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKING CAPABILITIES BUT WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THIS POINT I WAS ABLE TO FREE MY RIGHT FOOT FROM IT'S TRAPPED POSITION BETWEEN THE TWO CONTROL PEDALS AND SAT IN A STATE OF SHOCK. IT WAS 2 DAYS LATER THAT I REALLY CAME BACK TO A SOMEWHAT LOGICAL STATE OF MIND AND DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND HOPEFULLY ALERT OTHER DRIVERS TO THIS POTENTIAL DEADLY PROBLEM. MUCH TO MY HORROR, I FIND THAT I'M NOT THE FIRST ONE TO EXPERIENCE THIS AND BEING MECHANICAL MYSELF CAN SEE THAT THESE CARS ARE NOT DESIGNED BY 6 FOOT ENGINEERS WITH SIZE 13 BOOTS. I FOUND A SIMILAR COMPLAINT ON THE ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM FORUM WHILE SEARCHING THE 2001 SANTA FE ( COMPLAINT NUMBER 754795) AND AGREE THAT THESE VEHICLES HAVE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE BRAKE / ACCELERATOR PEDAL CONFIGURATION. FOR A PERSON OF MY STATURE, THEY CAN BE POTENTIAL DEATH TRAPS ! *TR

Mileage: 120,295

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AND AS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE DRAMATICALLY ACCELERATED. THE RPM'S SURGED TO APPROXIMATELY 3,000. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT REMEDY. AS OF OCTOBER 8, 2008, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

Mileage: 80,000

I WAS COMING TO A RED LIGHT AND LET OFF THE GAS TO COAST BEFORE PUTTING ON MY BRAKES(MY DAD TAUGHT ME WELL TO DO THIS INSTEAD OF BEING A QUICK BRAKER TO MAKE MY BRAKES LAST LONGER). AT ABOUT 25MPH MY CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE BACK UP TO 30, THEN 35, THEN 40. I PANICKED. I PRESSED THE BRAKES VERY HARD BUT THE RPM'S WERE STILL RISING AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE STILL ACCELERATING. I TRIED PUTTING IT INTO PARK, NO LUCK. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF WHILE IN PARK. SCARY!!!! MY KIDS WERE WITH ME. HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO STOP WE'D HAVE BEEN KILLED WHILE PLOWING INTO CROSS TRAFFIC TRAVELING AT 55MPH OR MORE! AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, IT SEEMED BETTER. THEN 5 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT DID IT AGAIN. I DROVE IT BACK HOME (8MILES) WITH NO INCIDENT. 2 DAYS LATER WHILE DRIVING MY SON HOME FROM SCHOOL, THIS EPISODE REPEATED 4 TIMES. WITH EACH "RESTART" IT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO START THE CAR AND I HAD TO WAIT (YES, IN TRAFFIC) 5 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING THE CAR AGAIN. I NEEDED TRANSMISSION WORK, TOOK IT IN, $2000 REBUILD. TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING BUT HOT MAYBE AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WORK WAS DONE IT WOULD RESOLVE. NOT A CHANCE. THEY ARE STUMPED AS TO WHAT'S WRONG. THEY'VE CHECKED THE THROTTLE BODY AND PARTS. NO CODES COME UP. THEY'VE UNHOOKED THE CRUISE CONTROL. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT HOME THIS PAST WEEKEND SO A FRIEND COULD LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT HE THOUGHT AND MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON A LONG STRETCH OF ROAD WITH NO STOPS AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING AT 50MPH WITH HIM NOT PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. HELP!!! THIS IS GOING TO HURT OR KILL SOMEBODY. *TR

SUSPENSION /CHECK ENGINE LIGHT /LOWER BALL JOINT: DEALER REPLACE @54,353 MILES, LOWER ARM IN 2004 AND 8/2006 REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED I HAVE TAKEN MY 2001 SANTA FE TO DEALER 8 PLUS TIMES FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WAS TOLD FOUND TETHER ON GAS CAP NOT LETTING CAP CLOSE TIGHT ENOUGH /MOVED TETHER AND RAN EVAP TEST AND CHECK OUT OK . I WAS TOLD CAP LOOSE 8 PLUS TIMES THIS PROBLEM IS ON GOING. RETURN TO DEALER FOR JERK TRANSMISSION ISSUES I HAVE TO PUSH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT TAKES OFF SLOW AND ONCE GETS POWER THE CAR JERKS STARTS AS IF THE GEARS OR NOT SWITCHING OVER. DEALER SAID DO THE PRESSURE IN GAS CAP AND GAS CAP NOT CLOSED TIGHT ENOUGH EVAL TEST WAS DONE. BACK AT DEALER AFTER ROAD TRIP MY CAR WAS RUNNING AFTER BEGIN PARKED WITH A/C RUNNING AND I TURN CAR OFF AND CAR WOULD NOT START THOUGHT MAY BATTERY CHECK AND NO WATER WAS IN BATTERY I PUT WATER IN BATTERY AND LET CAR SIT FOR ABOUT HOUR AND CAR RESTARTED BACK AT DEALER EXPLAIN THIS ISSUE MY BATTERY WAS REPLACE I WAS TOLD FACTORY BATTERY WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH WAS FOR SANTA FE THIS IS 3RD BATTERY WITH IN FIVE YEARS. *NM

Mileage: 54,353

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE THEN DRIVE AND THE TACHOMETER WENT TO THE RED ZONE. ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE MOVED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET FORWARD IN 30 SECONDS. THEN, HE THEN THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON, AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. THIS REPEATED A WEEK LATER. HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY WAS RUN DOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY RULED OUT A CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE IT HAS NEVER BEEN USED. *AK UPDATE 1/4/2006 - *NM

Mileage: 34,650

THROTTLE STUCK ON VEHICLE IN A FAST IDLE POSITION. CONTROL OF VEHICLE WAS MAINTAINED BY USE OF FOOT BRAKE. VEHICLE HAD 23020 MILES AND IS A GLS WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE, DATE OF MANUFACTURE WAS 13 JAN 01. NO INJURIES, NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. DEALER REPLACED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE AND STATED THAT THE CAUSE WAS THAT THE CABLE WAS MISROUTED. ACCORDING TO DEALER THE CABLE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ROUTED THROUGH A METAL CLIP AT RIGHT REAR OF SURGE TANK/INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS CLIP IS ADJACENT TO THE CLIP USED TO SECURE THE GAS PEDAL CABLE. THE REPLACEMENT CABLE APPEARS TO BE SHORTER THAN THE ORIGINAL CABLE AS IT IS NOT LONG ENOUGH TO BE PLACED IN THE METAL CLIP. THE REPLACEMENT CABLE USED WAS PART #96430-26110 AND HAS A YELLOW LABEL WITH "TO2" ON IT.

Mileage: 23,020

MY CAR LURCHED (DUE TO TRANSMISSION) OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF A MAIN ROAD AND LURCHED ALMOST INTO ANOTHER CAR AT A SEPARATE TIME, AND NOW THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK. *AK

THIS VEHICLE ACCELERATES WHILE BRAKING. WHEN PRESSING ON BRAKE PEDAL YOU CAN ACCIDENTLLY PRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. THIS CREATES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN THIS HAPPENS SINCE YOUR FIRST REFLEX IS TO PRESS HARDER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE MORE. VERY SCARY WHEN THIS HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEDESTRIANS ARE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THIS IS CAUSED BY THE POSITION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL IN RELATION TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT BUT MORE OF A DESIGN FLAW. AS A MECHANIC FOR 31 YEARS AND DRIVER OF NUMEROUS FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC VEHICLES I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANYTHING QUITE AS UNNERVING. IF ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED PLEASE DO CONTACT ME. *AK

VEHICLE HESTITATES ON ACCELERATION,AND CUTS OFF. HARNESS, THROTTLE BODY, THROTTLE BODY SENSOR, COMPRESSOR, EGR GASKET, PLUGS, VALVES, ETC., ALL REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP CAN'T FIX PROBLEM. THEY HAVE HAD NO OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM, PER STEVE HICKMAN (MAN. REP) AND DEALERSHIP. AFTER REPLACING HARNESS, STEVE HICKMAN ASSURED ME THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE FIXED, THE VEHICLE STILL CUTS OFF AND THE RPM BOUNCES UP AND DOWN WHILE THE TRUCK IS BUCKING AND THEN IT WILL CUT OFF!! SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD!! *AK (DOT NUMBER: HMA010900 TIRESIZE: P225/70-16)

WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHS APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BUCKS, STUTTERS, HESITATES, DOWNSHIFTS FOR A FEW SECONDS. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS IT IS LIKE YOU ARE TAKING YOUR FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND THEN PUTTING YOUR FOOT BACK ON. WE NO LONGER FEEL SAFE IN THE VEHICLE AND ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION BREAKS LEAVING US STRANDED OR EVEN WORSE CAUSING A FATAL ACCIDENT. AMERICAS BEST WARRANTY IS A MEANINGLESS SLOGAN WHEN A COMPANY CHOOSES TO DENY THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS DEFECT IN A VEHICLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL JERK FORWARD , ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN DEPRESSED WILL SLOW DOWN. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, ACCELERATOR WILL RESPOND AGAIN. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION, DID NOT REMEDY. CURRENTLY, DEALER INSISTED IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. *AK