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
2001 Hyundai Santa FE complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2001 record →
VEHICLE WILL HESITATE WHEN IT REACHING SPEED OF 40 MPH, BEFORE SPEED CAN RETURN TO NORMAL. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.*AK
WHILE DRIVING WOULD NOTICE FUMES ENTERING VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, MECHANIC INDICATED THAT A SHORT IN IGNITION SYSTEM WAS CAUSING PROBLEM. ALSO, HAD ENTIRE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SYSTEM REPLACED.*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
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES BRAKING DISTANCE IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE. CONSUMER REARENDED A VEHICLE WHILE GOING ABOUT 10 MPH, HAD APPLIED BRAKES, ABS MADE NOISE, AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLIDE FORWARD. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER SHE JUST NEEDED TO GET USED TO ABS BRAKES. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
THERE IS A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING, FEELS AS THOUGH VEHICLE NEEDS A TUNE UP. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE.*AK *SLC
AIR INTAKE IS LOCATED LOW IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IN RAINY WEATHER WATER GETS INTO INTAKE AND SHORTS THE MASS AIR SENSOR.*AK
I WAS INVOLVED IN A AUTO ACCIDENT IN WHICH ANOTHER CAR HIT ME IN THE FRONT CENTER OF MY CAR AND THEIR FRONT RIGHT. MY SPEED WAS 40 MILES BEFORE BRAKES APPLIED THEIR SPEED WAS ABOUT 15. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BUT THEIRS DID. BOTH FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONAL VOICE CONCERN ABOUT THE NON DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS WITH VISUAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.*AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE → · Every Santa FE year → · How the figures are calculated →