NHTSA Complaint #10284445 — 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

I PURCHASED A 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 09/2007 WITH 78K MI. IN MAY 2009 I TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE & ASKED THEM TO CHECK IT OUT BEFORE I WENT ON A ROAD TRIP. I WASN'T HAVING ANY PROBLEMS, JUST WANTED TO BE SURE EVERYTHING WAS OK. SERVICE TECH RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION FLUSH, REPLACEMENT OF TIMING BELT, & REPLACEMENT OF CRANK SENSOR. I AGREED TO RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE I WANT TO DRIVE A SAFE & RELIABLE VEHICLE. SINCE MAY I HAVE RETURNED TO SERVICE DEPT. AT LEAST 4 TIMES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE NOW STALLS WHILE I'M DRIVING, NO WARNING, JUST QUITS. IT STARTS BACK UP AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THESE EVENTS ARE INTERMITTENT. THE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15 & 55 MPH, WHILE A/C ON, OUTDOOR TEMP 80+ & HUMID. SOMETIMES FAILURE OCCURS WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, OTHER TIMES AT HIGHER SPEED ON HWY. SERVICE TECH HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR GET A READ ON THE PROBLEM. HE HAS EVEN DRIVEN THE VEHICLE HOME & BACK (60 MI) AT LEAST TWICE, STATING HE HAD NO PROBLEMS. EACH VISIT I AM TOLD "NO PROBLEM FOUND" YET FAILURES PERSIST. HYUNDAI USA HAS ADVISED ME IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP SO THEY MAY DIAGNOSE/DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE PERSON I SPOKE TO AT HYUNDAI USA SEEMED VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE. TO ME, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. SO FAR I'VE BEEN LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. DO SANTA FE DRIVERS HAVE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE HYUNDAI MAKES THIS ISSUE A PRIORITY? I HAVE READ MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE, SOME DATING BACK TO LATE 2003. ALMOST ALL MENTION BEING TOLD ITS A PROBLEM WITH CRANK SENSOR OR RELATED COMPONENTS. ALSO, HYUNDAI APPARENTLY DID RECALL 2001 & 2002 MODELS WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. MY VEHICLE DIDN'T STALL UNTIL THE CRANK SENSOR WAS REPLACED, COULD BE A COINCIDENCE, BUT I DON'T THINK SO. BESIDES THE SAFETY ISSUE, THIS IS A FINANCIAL RIP-OFF. $90/HR LABOR ADDS UP QUICKLY. HYUNDAI KEEPS PROFITING FROM A DEFECT THEY SEEM TO BE AWARE OF, YET REFUSE TO CORRECT. *TR