Hyundai Santa Fe AWD Questions
Well, I have my new '07 Santa Fe about 2 weeks now. I had debated over getting AWD or not. Previously I had a 4Runner with 4WD and I had to admit I rarely used the 4WD feature. BUt when I did need it, it was a blessing. I live in the NY/NJ area and sometimes we deal with snowy conditions. Ultimately I did decide on the AWD for my Santa Fe.
Yesterday we got some snow ( Friday ). It was an icy, hail type of snow. I work evenings so I was leaving for work well into the messy weather. I saw many vehicles slide on the unplowed roads. Some hit the dividers and some hit each other. It might be a combination of bad driving and poorly handling vehicles.
I started my vehicle, got rid of the snow on the windows and pushed the "lock the AWD" button. I honestly have to say, from the moment I pulled out of my spot, the Santa Fe was nothing but confident on the road. I never drove a vehicle with traction control, stability control or AWD before ( just FWD and 4WD ). I couldn't believe how stable it was on the mushy and icy surface. I didn't want to push my luck, but when I had the chance, I did gas it a bit and was a little aggrsive with the steering. I just wanted to feel it slip and slide a little so I would know it's limits. It just wouldn't. I started to think maybe the road conditions were actually not bad. That was until I started to see other vehicles slide and skid. I did see many accidents yesterday and I am sure the insurance companies are frowning.
I have read a few articles about the Santa Fe and AWD. They never claim the Santa Fe AWD is an off road vehicle in the serious sense. But they do say it is one of the most capable in it's class. Any doubts I had before about it perfoming in adverse conditions are gone. I couldn't have felt safer on messy roads
I am now a very proud Hyundai owner
Yesterday we got some snow ( Friday ). It was an icy, hail type of snow. I work evenings so I was leaving for work well into the messy weather. I saw many vehicles slide on the unplowed roads. Some hit the dividers and some hit each other. It might be a combination of bad driving and poorly handling vehicles.
I started my vehicle, got rid of the snow on the windows and pushed the "lock the AWD" button. I honestly have to say, from the moment I pulled out of my spot, the Santa Fe was nothing but confident on the road. I never drove a vehicle with traction control, stability control or AWD before ( just FWD and 4WD ). I couldn't believe how stable it was on the mushy and icy surface. I didn't want to push my luck, but when I had the chance, I did gas it a bit and was a little aggrsive with the steering. I just wanted to feel it slip and slide a little so I would know it's limits. It just wouldn't. I started to think maybe the road conditions were actually not bad. That was until I started to see other vehicles slide and skid. I did see many accidents yesterday and I am sure the insurance companies are frowning.
I have read a few articles about the Santa Fe and AWD. They never claim the Santa Fe AWD is an off road vehicle in the serious sense. But they do say it is one of the most capable in it's class. Any doubts I had before about it perfoming in adverse conditions are gone. I couldn't have felt safer on messy roads
I am now a very proud Hyundai owner
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I have to ask... has anyone taken their Santa Fe on a mild off-road excursion? How did it do? Where you nervous?
Anyone taken their Santa Fe on the beach? Here in NC there are a few places along the coast that you can take 4X4's on the beach. We are not talking beach like Daytona. Soft, loose sand. I have seen CRVs and Escapes out there. Never noticed any Santa Fes.
Also... anyone used the tow hooks on the Santa Fe? Especially curious about the screw-in hook in the back.
My only fear was scratching the paint other wise it is very forgiving and nimble.
On one snowy night in PA I had to use the tow rope to pull my father in-law out of a ditch. He slid off the road and could not climb back out. ( s10 blazer ) heheheh. We still give him crap about that night. This Santa Rocks!
-Does the AWD disengage automatically above the indicated speeds in the manual (19-25 mph) even though you have activated the "Lock AWD" button?
-If this is the case then.......Does the dashboard "Lock" indicator stay on or go off?
-(presuming the automatic disengage functioanlity) If you reduce speed to less than the 19/25 does the AWD re-engage automatically?
Anything else I need to know about the AWD function on the Santa Fe?
Thanks in advance..............
Salestrainer in Kansas City
On 04Mar09, the car was sent to the dealer again. After several attempts to balance the tires and vibration not going away they road force balanced the tires but that the tech still felt the vibration and that he would contact a field rep. The service manager then said that field rep from Hyundai said it was due to the torque of the engine at 45 and 60mph. I then called another service manager at Hyundai in Allentown and he laughed. I was told by him that there was an issue with the tires on the 2008 limited and to request that new tires be placed on my car. He also told me to call Hyundai Customer Service and open a ticket to show documentation of the issues I then called back Limerick service manager and told him that this is what I wanted done. He said that he would have to speak to his representative about the new tires and get back to me. The car then had new tires placed on it with my original rims.
I drove the car for several days and found that the right rear tire seemed to be banging loudly after going over regular manholes or bumps in the road and bouncing like it would not recover from said bump. All the while, still feeling a vibration, when the speedometer hit 45, 60, and 70 mph. I again called the customer service hotline and took it back to the dealer and the service manager rode in the car with me. He agreed that he felt the same issues and thought it was the right rear strut causing this and that it may or may not fix the vibration issue but he would order the part . While I was there I also told the service manager and the tech that I felt and could hear a click in the front of the car when I made a turn from a dead stop. The tech stated that this was a tech service bulletin and that he would order the par to fix it. Again on Mar18, 09 the car went in for repair of the right rear strut and the front end click.
I picked it up that same day and drove away feeling the same vibration. A few days later I again called the customer service hotline and the service manager at Limerick Hyundai stating that I could feel the vibration and the there is now what sounds like a bead rolling around in the glove compartment area when the temp is around 30 degrees. The service manager stated that he was going to have to call his representative and give me a call back My husband drove the car for a whole day and he said there is a vibration still in the back.
When I go 70 mph the front seems to jump or vibrate for and extended amount of time after going over normal highway bumps and there is now what sounds like a bead rolling around in the glove compartment area when the temp is around 30 degrees and the original vibration is still there. When I had not heard back from Limerick service manager, I again called the customer service hotline, complained about the vibration, the bead noise in/near the glove compartment and the paint defect on the roof above the driver windshield of the car .A yellowish defect in the paint about 3” wide by 6” long and was told that my issue was getting escalated to higher supervisors. I got a call back the next day stating that a Hyundai Field Rep would be in contact with me in 24 to 48 hours after his call. On 31Mar09 I received a call from Hyundai Customer Service to inform me that the Field Rep denied my case regarding the vibration in the car since the tires were replaced with new tires. I told them that the field rep never contacted me and had never driven my car so how did he deny the case and they stated he reviewed my folder and since the tires were replaced, there was no case. Since then I took the car to another dealer and they found that the left front tire was wobbling secondary to the 'band' in the NEW tire was broke. They have told me that the carpet is suppose to be that way(pliable and creased) and they can not fix it. Oh and here is the best comment yet. I am to drive the car for a while because it is in the service managers experience that once a person has all these issues with a new vehicle. The new owner tends to start making issues up. IF I could have crawled throught the damn phone and grabbed his neck I would have. Vibration STILL THERE as well as all the other problems minus the paint issue, they buffed that out. CAN U SAY L_E_M_O_ N :lemon: :mad:
There are going to cover a new caliper rotor and pads for that side only. But at least it us covered.
I live in Pa. and with the storms we have had in the past week the car did well.
however, I did not go up steep mountains. The Santa Fe limited does have a stick shift feature on it that will help in the snow and ground clearance has never been an issue. We have had issues with the car ( bad tires, right back strut was bad) but they were finally all fixed. Overall I am happy
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The 3.3L engine to me wasn’t worth the added cost. The 2.7L has more than enough power, and with the AWD and autoshift, it is excellent in the snow. I have averaged on the highway anywhere from 18 to almost 24mpg. For a vehicle this size I feel it is pretty good. The newer models claim to get 28.
Some reviews have said the cabin noise is loud with the windows down. I think most cars at 70mph with the windows down have a lot of cabin noise. Adding air deflectors / vent visors around the windows helps keep the air noise to a minimum when the windows are open.
Financing all those add on items over time adds up. When you buy a vehicle you are paying a ton in interest for the mud flaps, fog lights, cargo cover, etc. being somewhat handy, I buy the aftermarket items as I can afford them, or get them on e-bay at a reduced price. As far as resale, after five years it’s a moot point after that, and if you plan on keeping a vehicle 7 to 10 years, who really cares about resale?
At 26,000 miles, I have had no major problems, and have not been back to the dealer for any repairs. Changing the oil, filters, rotating tires at regular intervals for any vehicle, along with regular maintenance is key to longevity of any vehicle.
If you’re looking for more power, heavy towing, or going from 0 to 60 in 30 seconds, this isn’t the vehicle for you. The Santa Fe is a great all around vehicle, quiet, comfortable, elegant and has plenty of storage, with the seats down it is more than adequate. It handles bad weather like a walk in the park.
Hyundai is underrated, and is a very versatile all-around vehicle. This SUV is very capable of handling rough, gravel, dirt, muddy and off the beaten path roads. It will hold your camping gear, ski’s, golf clubs, kids, soccer gear, and is able to tow your ski doodles, motorcycles or trailerable items such as moving furniture for your kids.
If you are looking to cross over 12” streams, boulders, tow a 40 foot Chris Craft, and drive across the Appalachian Trail, go purchase a Jeep or adequately equipped pickup. Or if you want to be gone in 60 seconds the minute the light changes green why are you looking at a Santa Fe?
I have a AWD, 2005 SF - 3.5L and which I had rear differential changed because of annoying winding noise and got it back today and the noise is gone. I have 248,000 km on it and they installed a used rear differential with 50,000 km (at least, that what they told me). When I pick up my SF the driving was totally different, like unstable/unsafe on snowy / icy roads; note that the driving was nice sturdy and straight before I brought it in for the diff. replacement Now, even on dry pavement it wants to pull left and my steering wheel is turned slightly to the right to keep it straight. I believe, changing the rear diff. is pretty straight forward and with no adjustment to the wheel alignment. When I started driving on my way back home, I immediately notice a difference; the SF is pulling toward the center lane with a slippery / swerving effect on icy/ snowy back roads, even worse when moving very slowly (5-15 km/hr); like its dancing side to side. I called the mechanic upon my return home and told him something was wrong or very odd and describe the driving. His response was that he thinks my rear shocks are done which I think makes no sense, they might need to be replaced although not the problem here. To me it seems like the gear ratio between to front and the back may be different with front and back wheels working against each other which would make more sense that the rear shocks; is there a way to test this/ration between front and back wheels? I was told that the used rear diff. they installed came from a 2005 SF - 3.5L. Is there a possibility that more mileage / wear at front trans-axle verses rear diff. would cause this? or are there different gear ratio in those 2005 3.5L SF model. Is it possible to put in 2.7L diff. on a 3.5L, would it fit? and do they have same gear ratio? Anyone else had this problem? I'm really baffled by this problem and don't feel good and safe driving my SF this way. Any tips or advises are welcome. Thanks in advance
Jo
:confuse:
Jo
Jo