This vehicle has developed a speed sensitive "whirring" sound while the transmission is engaged. We initially thought it was a tire noise, but did not go away when new tires were installed. The dealership told us it was the drive belt rubbing against the cover, but further investigation by another repair facility found no excessive wear on the belt, and no indication of contact with the cover. The noise is actually coming from the transmission, and is exactly as described in recall 102 which applies to 2010 models. I plan to start a fight with hyundai over this repair as the transmissions are the same on the 2008 models as the 2010.
2008 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 24 of 24, newest first, as owners wrote them.
9/19/12 valve cover gasket leaked oil on the alternator resulting in alternator needing to be replaced. 10/2/12 new battery needed due to being worn down from bad alternator. 10/3/14 76,589 miles valve cover gasket leaked oil on the alternator resulting in alternator needing to be replaced again!! New battery needed since could no longer hold a charge. Also multiple times the lumbar switch on driver's seat replaced: 2/3/10, 3/15/11, 9/19/12, 1/19/13, 10/3/14.
My vehicle experience a malfunction indicator lamp illuminated with the etc (electronic throttle control) system related dtc p2135 ( forced limited power) or dtc p0638 (power management).
While driving on I-95, the charging system warning light came on followed by a loss of engine power and then engine stopped completely. Was able to safely make it to the road side. Dealer diagnosed a defective valve cover gasket allowed oil to leak which dripped on and into the alternator causing it to fail. Second identical failure on vehicle in two years. V-6, automatic, 2wd. Found manufacturer just issued a recall on veracruz model which shares the same platform for identical symptoms and failures.
The santa fe gas gauge behaves erratically! As you drive, the fuel indicator needle moves up and down so that you do not know accurately how much fuel remains in the gas tank. The needle may also indicate a very low fuel level by illuminating the "low fuel" warning light on the dashboard as well. The problem appears to be getting worse as drive time goes on as the needle movements increase the longer time the SUV is driven and the volume of fuel decreases in the fuel tank. After a period of time the check engine light will also illuminate to warn of a vehicle engine / drive-train problem. In my case I have reset the check engine manually and after a number of trips the check engine light will reappear. This low fuel warning cycle has been repeated numerous times and may cause a driver to be distracted to see the low fuel warning light, when in fact there may be sufficient fuel in the gas tank. I find that this problem is very disconcerting as you don't know whether you may be running out of gasoline.
Throttle accelerated by itself and was stuck wide open. Could not get the throttle to disengage. I tried tapping the gas pedal several times and this did nothing. Managed to hold both feet on brake and downshift into low. I got vehicle onto shoulder and put it in neutral and the engine continued to run full throttle. I shoved it into park and turned the key off. The engine did not disengage until the key was turned off. Very bad for transmission to shove it into park but I had no other options. Very scary. I have been told that there is no recall. I called hyundai and filed a report but they have not called me back yet with repair options.
I went to put my car into reverse and it got stuck and wouldn't allow me to shift into drive or any other gear for that matter. The whole shifter is now being removed.
See attached email updated 06/04/2013*lj the occupant classification system (osc) does not consistently recognize small-statured adults, causing the passenger side air bag to deactivate when such person occupy the front seat. Also, there were problems with the transmission, a knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle, the vehicle shutting down, an issue with the throttle cable, and a whining sound upon acceleration.
2008 hyundai santa fe will not go over 20 MPH. After pressing on the brakes several times it starts to move again. I took the vehicle to the hyundai dealership because the check engine light also came during this ordeal. The dealership said they fixed the problem, but it has rear its ugly head again. The check engine light is on and it will not go over 20 MPH. I am not the only owner of a 2008 hyundai santa fe who has experienced this problem. Please contact the hyundai manufacturer to solve this problem, because it can lead to a serious traffic accident if it's not fixed. Let's be proactive this time instead of waiting until someone is in a fatal accident.
The rear differential caught on fire. I heard a clunk on entering reverse in the morning. After 35 miles other drivers alerted me that my car was on fire. After pulling off the road us 90 in newton ma the fire dept was called after the fire went out on it's own. The vehicle was not destroyed.
I was backing out of a driveway when the accelerator began racing. I was able to stop the vehicle and put it in drive while my foot was on the brake, when the car raced forward, accelerating out of control. I had my feet on the brakes but the brakes did not work and the car continued accelerating forward crashing into a neighbors yard and demolishing their landscaping before I managed to stop the vehicle and turn it off. I was not seriously injured, but it could have ended much differently as I crossed a main highway before the car came to rest. Because I have floor mats other than those issued by hyundai, I was told by the dealership that the floor mat caused the gas pedal to become stuck in the down position. This is not what happened and would also not explain why the brakes did not work at all.
In november 2010, vehicle at est. 29,000 mi. Car lost all acceleration. Was able to pull of on side of shoulder on highway. Car would not regain acceleration despite being turned off, etc. Throttle sensor changed. March 2011, vehicle at est. 31,000 mi. Same problem. While on highway, car lost all acceleration. Rpms jumped high, engine roared in response but car would not accelerate. Again, taken to dealership.
I have a 2008 hyundai santa fe with 35,000 miles on it. Last week I was driving at 25 miles/hr and it suddenly accelerated. I tried to brake multiple times but the car would not stop. I put the car in park and turned off the ignition and it stopped. Over the past two weeks I have had multiple incidences of sudden acceleration while pressing lightly on the gas and at other times while letting up on the brake. I brought my car to ther dealer in reisterstown, maryland. They tested the car and drove it and insist that the computer says that everything is fine and they drove it and of course it did not happen while they drove it. I was told there is nothing to be done. I am scared to death to drive the car and don't know what to do. I see online there are many people with the same complaint that have not gotten any help from their dealers or from hyundai.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, it would run rough and make a lot of noise. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the shaft assembly and the bearing failed. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 77,700. Updated 03/16/11 *bf updated 1/4/11
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