2001 Hyundai Santa Fe Transmission Problems

Your vehicle has an open recall related to front coil spring protector installation that was never completed. You're asking whether Hyundai will cover the repair for free at a dealer, or if you'll need to pay for it yourself since you just purchased this used vehicle.

TL*THE CONTACT HAD A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH DOWN A 60 DEGREE INCLINE WHEN THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL AND LIGHT POLE. THE SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK SINCE THE SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS MALFUNCTIONED WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

OIL LIGHT CAME ON .SO I CARRY TO THE PEOPLE THAT DID MY OIL CHANGE THEY CHECKED IT OUT THEY DID NOT SEE WHERE IT WAS LEAKING FROM. THEY REFILL IT AND THEN THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ,SO THIS TIME I CARRY IT TO THE DEALER ON THAT MONDAY THEY GAVE ME AN APP. FOR THAT WEDNESDAY THE 13TH KEPT IT OVERNITE AND RETURNED BACK THE 14TH MAN IN PARTS DEPT SAID IT WAS BLOWING OUT THE TAIL PIPE. NO LEAKS ON THE GROUND. OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND NOW THEY SAID THE B.B.B.SAID MY CAR IS TO OLD AND THAT THE PEOPLE THAT DID MY OIL CHANGE DID NOT PUT OIL IN ,WHICH IS A LIE. START TO BURN OIL AT LITTLE OVER 85000 MILE. I CARRY IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT BUT THEY DID NOT. *TR

VEHICLE- HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2001 2.4L 58000 MILES SUDDEN CLUTCH FAILURE DUE TO EXCESSIVE SLIPPAGE CAUSED BY HYDRAULIC PROBLEM IN THE CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER. INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A PERVASIVE PROBLEM WITH HYUNDAI CLUTCHES IN GENERAL. MANUFACTURER APPARENTLY IS IGNORING THE PROBLEM. IN EXCESS OF $2000 IN QUOTED REPAIRS. *JB

I HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT AS MANY SANTA FE OWNERS. PROBLEMS OF ACCELERATION AT 40, ALONG WITH SHIFTING ISSUES. ON SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALER, LEAVING THE CAR THERE FOR SOMETIMES 7-15 DAYS AT A TIME. IT HAS HAD 4 THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS, AN ALTERNATOR AND 2 BATTERIES. MY MILEAGE IS 100,386 AND THE VEHICLE NEEDS 3000.00 WORTH OF TRANSMISSION WORK. HYUNDAI SIMPLY STATES MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THESE ISSUES DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY TRANSMISSION. I HAVE A SIGNED STATEMENT FROM THE TRANSMISSION SHOP MANAGER THAT STATES A TPS PROBLEM ABSOLUTELY WILL AFFECT THE TRANSMISSION. *NM

MY CAR IS A 2001 4-CYLINDER 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE ENGINE IS TOO SMALL FOR THE CAR'S WEIGHT. I HAD TO HAVE THE CLUTCH REPLACED AFTER ONLY 24,000 MILES, WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY (COST WAS OVER $1000). THE DEALER INSISTED THAT I CAUSED THE PROBLEM BY "BAD DRIVING". I HAVE DRIVEN A STICK FOR WELL OVER 12 YEARS, AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH ON ANY OTHER CAR. *JB

DT: 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS AUTOMATIC/STANDARD TRANSMISSION WHICH WOULD DOWNSHIFT ON ITS OWN. THE CONSUMER FIRST NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WHEN GETTING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR. WHEN CONSUMER EXITED THE HIGHWAY HE NOTICED HE ONLY HAD SECOND AND THIRD GEARS. HE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHS APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH IT STUTTERS. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS I TAKEMY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND THEN PUTTING YOUR FOOT BACK ON THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM. IF I PUSH THROUGH 40 MPH THEN I DO NOT GET THE STUTTER. I HAVE TAKING THE CAR IN TO HYUNDAI AND THEY FIXED THE BALL JOINT ON THE DRIVERS FRONT WHEEL, THEY SAID THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM; BUT HAS NOT FIXED IT. I WENT BACK UP TO HYUNDAI AND NOW THEY SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT COULD BE. ANYTHING FROM TRANSMISSION FLUSH TO THE BALANCE OF THE WHEELS.*AK

VEHICLE TENDED TO GO INTO NEUTRAL AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE BEING DRIVEN, AND DID NOT ACCELERATE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR TESTING, AND TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

COMPLAINED OF CLUTCH NOT BEING RIGHT 10-3-01 15000 MILES, NO PROBLEM FOUND, ALWAYS FELT WRONG, CLUTCH/PRESSURE PLATE/FLYWHEEL IN PIECES NOW AT 64000 NOTHING COVERED UNDER "AMERICA'S BEST WARRANTY" CAR ONLY 3 YRS OLD. WAS TOLD FLYWHEEL COST IS $1114. + $975 +TAX TO REPAIR AT DEALER BUT DIDN'T TRUST SALES PITCH SEVICE REP WAS GIVING ABOUT FLYWHEEL NOT BEING ABLE TO BE RESURFACED BEFORE CAR WAS EVEN LOOKED AT ONLY CAN BE REPLACED. DECIDED TO HAVE CAR FIXED ELSEWHERE FOR A COST OF APPROX. $2000. *AK

DURING VEHICLE INSPECTION DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AXLE SNAPPED AND OIL LEAK ONTO THE ALTERNATOR. *AK *SC *JB

VEHICLE WILL DOWNSHIFT TO THIRD GEAR AT HIGH SPEEDS CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK AND SWERVE. DEALER CHECKED CPU AND SHOWED NO FAULTS. SENT BACK TO HUYNDI FOR CHECK UP. SAID THE PROBLEM WAS IN A SPEED SENSOR. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DAMAGE TO TRANSMISION AFTER THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. WILL TRADE IN ASAP.*AK

NAR 05/21/2003 *MR WITH OUT NOTIFICATION THE CONSUMERS PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRANDED AS A LEMON. PROBLEMS OCCURRED WITH THE TRANSMISSION, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR, HEADLIGHT DIMMERS, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS FAULTY. THEY'RE REQUESTING THE DEALERSHIP TO BUY BACK THE VEHICLE. *CB

SPPEDOMETER OUT BY 7.75% , O2 WAS A RECALL NEVER CONTACTED BY MFG HYUNDAI REPLACING WHEN OWNERS STOP IN FOR SERVICE, ALSO OWNERS ON SANTA FE FORUM HAVING ALTERNATOR PROBLEMS NUMEROUS ALTERNATORS BEING REPLACED (ECU REPROGRAMMING)ON CASE BY CASE BASIS?

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS, INSTEAD IT WOULD STAY IN THIRD GEAR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RUN, AND WHEN IT DID, IT WOULD RUN VERY SLOWLY, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *YD

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS, INSTEAD IT WOULD STAY IN THIRD GEAR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RUN, AND WHEN IT DID, IT WOULD RUN VERY SLOWLY, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *YD

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

WHILE DRIVING OWNER HEARD A CLICKING NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HAD VEHICLE TOWED. WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT PROBLEM WAS IN TRANSMISSION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

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

AT APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 45 MPH, WHETHER ACCELERATING OR SLOWING DOWN, THERE IS A SEVERE "DOWNSHIFT" WHICH JERKS THE TRUCK, IN THE ENGINE AS THOUGH THE ENGINE IS CUTTING OUT BEFORE IT CATCHES UP WITH ITSELF. I HAVE HAD IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND AM ALWAYS TOLD WHEN I GO TO PICK UP MY TRUCK THAT NOTHING SHOWED UP ON THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS RUN ON MY VEHICLE AND THAT THEY CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT MAY BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.*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