NHTSA Complaint #10419275 — 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE; FRONT RIGHT TIRE LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS 5 MPH TO 70 MPH FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED TO ENSURE THAT IT IS NOT A PARTICULAR TIRE. I HAVE HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE SUV, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATES ALL RECALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, BUT OUR PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. MY WIFE DID AN 800 MILE TRIP LAST MONTH WITH NO PROBLEMS, THE FOLLOWING WEEK SHE COMPLAINED IT HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN ONE WEEK. THE ESC OFF LIGHT HAS TURNED ON IN CONJUNCTION WITH THESE EVENTS, HOWEVER THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN THE ESC OFF LIGHT WILL TURN ON, BUT NO INCIDENTS WITH THE TIRE LOCKING HAS OCCURRED. IN THE CASES OF HIGHER SPEEDS 50+ THE TIRE WILL LOCK, SPEEDS WILL DECREASE, OF COURSE WITH THE TIRE DRAGGING THE CAR PULLS. I WILL SWERVE THE CAR BACK AND FORTH TO SEE IF THE TIRE WILL UNLOCK. ONCE I WAS IN AN HOV LANE IT ALMOST BROUGHT US TO A STOP WITH NO SHOULDERS TO GET THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC. ONCE AT LOW SPEED (5 MPH) COMING OUT OF A PARKING LOT THE TIRE LOCKED UP AND DID NOT RELEASE BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, MY WIFE STATED THAT SHE HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO GET IT TO RELEASE. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, I CAN NOT GET IT TO FAIL ON DEMAND, OR KNOW WHAT CAUSES IT TO DO SO. IN THE EVENT FOR THE ESC OFF LIGHT, BUMPY ROADS WILL TRIGGER THAT, FOR EXAMPLE A PARTICULAR HIGHWAY IN LAS VEGAS WAS WIDENED THE WIDENED AREA IS NOT A VERY SMOOTH RIDE. 30 SECONDS INTO THE AREA THE ESC OFF LIGHT WILL APPEAR. THAT I CAN REPLICATE. BUT THE TIRE HAS NEVER STOPPED ROTATING IN THIS SECTION. ONCE ON RURAL HIGHWAY IN ARIZONA, ONCE IN HOV LANE IN LAS VEGAS, DOZENS OF TIMES ON LOCAL STREETS, 8 TIMES ON HIGHWAYS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. MY WIFE AND I ARE ALERT WHILE DRIVING, THERE ARE NO WARNINGS WHEN THIS WILL OCCUR, HOWEVER ONCE IT DOES OCCUR WE ARE ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO THE TIRE DRAGGING/PULLING (NOT SPINNING) HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE NO ACCIDENTS. *TR