NHTSA Complaint #10257556 — 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

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