2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Engine Problems

Your engine shut down completely while you were driving on the highway and had to be towed. The timing belt was damaged and severely worn. This appears to be a recurring issue affecting multiple 2.4L engines in this model year.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, A LOUD SPUTTERING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE FRONT INTERMITTENTLY AS THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN SHAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,807.

MY CAR JUST STOPPED WHILE DRIVING THE LIGHTS STILL WORKED AS DID THE RADIO IT THEN RESTARTED AFTER A FEW MINUTES....I CHANGED THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR AND THAT SEEMED TO FIX IT FOR A TIME THEN IT STARTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN AFTER A HEAVY RAIN...I LOVE MY CAR THAT I JUST GOT USED BUT IF IT KEEPS DOING THIS IT IS NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE ON THE ROAD...PLEASE HELP *TR

OVER THE LAST 4-6 MONTHS NOTICED DRIVER AND PASSENGERS GETTING VERY TIRED AND DEVELOPING HEADACHES WHILE DRIVING OUR 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD DISCOVERED BY OWNER. *TR

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED HYUNDAI SANTE FE (2002). I'M STILL ON MY FIRST TANK OF GAS AND TWICE NOW I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. BOTH TIMES I WAS PULLING UP TO A STOPLIGHT AND GOING VERY SLOW WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT BOTH TIMES BUT THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE AND THE PASSENGERS, INCLUDING A CHILD, WOULD DEVELOP HEADACHES AFTER DRIVING SHORT DISTANCES. THE VEHICLE TESTED POSITIVE FOR CARBON MONOXIDE; YET, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A LEAK OR DETERMINE WHERE THE GAS WAS EMITTING FROM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE TOXICITY OF THE GAS AND ITS AFFECTS ON HER AND THE PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

MY 2002 HYUNDAI 2002 SANTE FE HAS A 2-PART CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HYUNDAI HAS A WARRANTY--REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW, I UNDERSTAND--THAT COVERS THIS FOR 8 YEARS, 80,000 MILES. MY CAR IS WITHIN THAT CRITERIA. THE SECOND CONVERTER BROKE OFF, AND NEITHER NOW WORK. HYUNDAI AND ITS DEALER, MARHOFER HYUNDAI OF CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, REFUSE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY, BECAUSE THE MAIN CONVERTER WOULD WORK IF THE SECOND, AND AN ENTIRELY NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM, WERE INSTALLED. THE CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE, SOUNDING LIKE A TRUCK AND SPEWING EXHAUST. ANOTHER SHOP IS REPLACING THIS, AND THE OWNER TOLD ME HIS VENDOR HAS JUST SOLD FIVE OF THESE CONVERTERS/EXHAUST SYSTEMS. THE SHOP JUST PUT ONE IN ON A HYUNDAI SANTE FE, AND MINE WILL MAKE SEVEN IN A SMALL CITY (AKRON) IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. YET HYUNDAI WILL DO NOTHING, AND MARHOFER WANTS $2,000 FOR THE WORK. THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE EXHAUST FROM THE BROKEN CONVERTER COULD ENTER THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE TACHOMETER READ ZERO AND THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY JERKED AND THEN RESTARTED ITSELF. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY AND OFTEN TIMES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR HAD FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 132,000.

STARTED MY CAR, IT DIDNT FEEL RIGHT, PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND STARTED TO DRIVE WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO STALL BUT DIDNT AND BETWEEN 1 ST AND 2 ND GEAR THE CAR WAS JERKING. I PULLED OVER SHUT CAR OFF AND TRY IT AGAIN, SAME THING. I DROVE FOR A FEW BLOCKS SEEM TO DRIVE BETTER AFTER 2ND GEAR. SO I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2002 SANTA FE REGARDING THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WHICH WOULD CAUSE A ENGINE STALL AND THE SENSOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. BUT I WAS TOLD THAT MY 2002 SANTA FE DID NOT MAKE THE RECALL LIST. WHY WONT THEY FIX THE PROBLEM THAT WAS RECALLED ? BUT THEY WILL FIX IT IF I PAY FOR IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE DROVE ABNORMALLY ROUGH AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ON ONE OCCASION, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT REMEDY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. IT WAS SUDDEN, AND CAUSED COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF THE ENGINE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY DURING A BUSY TIME OF DAY. WE WERE TOLD BY HYUNDAI THAT THE 6 CYLINDER HAS A RECALL AGAINST THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, BUT THE 4 CYLINDER WHICH WE OWN DON'T HAVE THE RECALL, YET THE SAME PART FAILED CAUSING THE SAME ENGINE SHUTDOWN. I SEE THE 6 CYLINDER RECALL ON YOU WEBSITE. SO FAR, AS OF THE TIME OF WRITING THIS EMAIL AND A WEEK OF THE CAR IN THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP, THERE HAS BEEN NO REPAIR, AND MY MOM IS STILL WITHOUT A CAR. THEY ARE MAKING HER PAY THE LABOR CHARGE FOR THE REPAIR, AND CONTINUE WITH EXCUSES AS TO WHY THE CAR HASN'T BEEN FIXED YET. *TR

MY 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC SEVERAL TIMES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. THEY CALLED ME AND SAID I HAVE A BAD CRANKSHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2002 SANTA FE FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. BUT WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT , THEY RESPONDED WITH MY VIN # NOT BEING ATTACHED TO A RECALL. I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS. I FEEL THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, WHAT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED DURING TRAFFIC WHEN MY CAR STALLED. THE COMPANY SHOULD WARRANTY THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY WON'T. *TR

PURCHASED A NEW 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 11/2001 WITH 11 MILES ON IT. IN 3/2007, THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN REPLACING IT, 2 MAJOR SAFETY DEFECTS WERE DISCOVERED - NO SAFETY/PROTECTIVE FOAM IN THE FRONT BUMPER AND THE SAFETY/CRASH BAR WAS BENT - I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR MUST HAD BEEN IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER AND THEY ACCEPTED NO RESPONSIBILITY - THEY SAID I MUST HAVE DONE IT. I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS OR TICKETS AND MY DRIVING RECORD PROVES THAT. I PURCHASED A VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT, WHICH SHOWED NO ACCIDENT HISTORY. THE ONLY CONCLUSION IS THAT THE DEFECTS WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF SALE. THE CAR SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS OF THE SAFETY INSPECTIONS. *JB

TL* - WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH THE ENGINE ON A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE COMPLETELY LOST POWER. CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST THE POWER STEERING AN THE POWER BRAKES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WEATHER CONDITION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS COLD AND THERE WAS LIGHT SNOW ON THE ROAD. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND CAN PROVIDE A COPY OF THE INVOICE ONCE THE REPAIRS ARE DONE ON HIS VEHICLE.

WE HAD PURCHASE A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTE FE ON 07/05/05 MOTOR WAY AUTO GROUP. THE CAR STARTED TO RIDE ROUGH. SO WE TOOK IT TO OUR REPAIR GUY, AT THIS TIME WE THOUGH IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. BEFORE HE COULD CHECK ANYTHING I TOOK MY CAR HOME AND IT JUST STOPPED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. AT THIS TIME HE CHANGE THE CRANKSHAFT ASSEMBLY-WATER PUMP, TIMING BELT. A LOT OF COSTLY REPAIRS. HE TOLD US THAT IT IS RARE THAT ALL THOSE SENSORS WENT BAD AT ONE TIME. SO I CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THAT SYSTEM AND I GOT THIS REPORT. HOW DO I GO BY GETTING MY CAR FIX RIGHT.*JB

DT: 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE - VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEED AND UNDER ANY CONDITION. AS A RESULT VEHICLE LOST POWER. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART BACK UP, AND AT TIMES THE CONSUMER HAS TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES TO RESTART VEHICLE. THE CAR IS AT DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS CRANK SHAFT SENSOR. A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE SIX CYLINDER ENGINES OF THE HYUNDAI SANTA FEE. BUT THIS VEHICLE, NOT A FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, ASKED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW WHY. *AK