2001 Hyundai Santa Fe Suspension

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT THE TIRES RUBBING AGAINST THE FRAME. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL DUE TO THE STEERING COLUMN VIBRATING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A TIRE SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINTS WERE RUSTED AND CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP OR HER RESIDENCE BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,785.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 HYUNDAI SANTE FE EASTBOUND ON INTERSTATE 275 IN WILDER KENTUCKY AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES PER HOUR AT APPROXIMATELY 10PM , WHEN I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN AGES 8 AND 11 WERE IN OUR SUV WITH ME. THE CAR SWERVED OVER THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC AND THE MEDIAN STRIP VEERING WILDLY FROM LANE TO LANE. THE VEHICLE ALMOST TIPPED OVER SEVERAL TIMES. FORTUNATELY, NO OTHER CARS WERE NEARBY AND I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEWPORT FIRESTONE STORE ON CAROTHERS ROAD. 859-491-1400. THE WHEEL WAS TURNED OUT APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES. THE SHOP FOUND THAT THE SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND HAD ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED INTO TWO PIECES. WE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. I SAVED THE PART. THE WHEEL WAS LITERALLY HANGING ON BY A THREAD. THE REPAIRS COSTS APPROXIMATELY $800. I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE. THIS IS NOT WHAT A CONSUMER WOULD EXPECT FROM A SIX YEAR OLD VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHER CARS OUT THERE ARE TICKING TIME BOMBS. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CRACKING SOUND COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND BECAME WORSE WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL, BUT GRADUALLY DECELERATED TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL LOOKED AS IF IT WERE TURNED AT A 15 DEGREE ANGLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM WAS RUSTED AND CRACKED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 103,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A THUMPING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED ON FOUR OTHER OCCASIONS AND THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED EACH TIME.

TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY TURN TO THE RIGHT AND LUNGED DOWNWARD TO A POINT THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO FLIP OVER. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND THE RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE PART IF NEEDED. WHEN THE REPAIR SHOP CALLED THE HYUNDAI PARTS DEPARTMENT THE PERSON ANSWERING THE PHONE SAID THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WAS COMMON PROBLEM WITH SANTA FE SUVS. THAT NEXT THING THAT MADE ME THINK THIS WAS A PROBLEM THAT HYUNDAI WAS AWARE OF, WAS THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART HAD BE REDESIGNED AND NOW HAS WEEP HOLES SO NOT TO RETAIN WATER OR MOISTURE. THE REPAIR SHOP TESTED THE REMAINING CONTROL ARMS ON THE VEHICLE TO FIND THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME DEGREE OF RUST ON THESE PARTS THAT A TEN YEAR OLD CAR WOULD HAVE. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN GARAGED DURING THIS TIME. HYUNDAI SEEMS TO BE AWARE OF THE DEFECT DUE TO THE REDESIGN OF THE PART IN QUESTION AND THAT HYUNDAI PARTS DEPARTMENT IS AWARE OF THE NUMBER OF FAILURES. IS HYUNDAI WAITING UNTIL THERE IS A SERIOUS INJURY OR A DEATH? *NM

THE WHEEL BEARINGS ON THE FRONT WHEELS WERE STRIPPED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED EVERY 6 MONTHS. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON 3 OCCASIONS, AND JUST RECENTLY RECURRED. *AK

FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS STARTED TO FAIL AFTER 42,000 MILES. *LA

NOISE IN FRONT SUSPENSION. WE HAVE GONE 3 TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR FOR SERVICE AND THE NOISE KEEP COMING BACK . THEY CHANGE MANY PARTS BUT THEY HAVE NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE ANY MOORE IN THE CAR. I HAVE CALL DIFFERENT PLACES BUT ALL THEY TELL ME TAKE IT BACK FOR REPAIRS, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK? OR THEY ARE JUST WAITING FOR US TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT TO DO SOMETHING. I NEED HELP. THANK YOU. *LA