Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2006 and earlier)

minnbill · May 2003

A loose wire in the driver's side door was in contact with the metal door frame, causing the short. Dealership re-secured the wire, installed new fuse and everything is A OK. If that's the worst problem we ever have with this vehicle, we will have made our best car purchase ever!

kbirmingham1 · May 2003

I want to purchase a 2003 Santa fe v-6 gls all wheel drive. I have driven 7 of them and when on the freeway or at speeds of about 60 to 70 mph the steering wheel has a slight shimmy. This does not seem normal to me. Hyundai does not seem to know what it is. This is the only thing stopping me from purchasing this vehicle. Someone please respond with an answer. I want to purchase it this weekend, HELP!!

suvshopper4 · May 2003

Well, if you buy one and it does that, you can't argue with the service manager if he tells you "They all do that."

harry31 · May 2003

LOL.

taylor809 · June 2003

Recently I add a Check Engine Light come on. I have a 2002 Sante Fe, 4 cylinder-2WD. This happened 2 or 3 times. The dealership kept telling me it was that the gas cap was not tightened properly after I put fuel in. After a couple times of hearing this I told them to find the problem or replace the gas cap. The problem turned out to be the Fuel Check Valve in the top of the gas tank. This was determined during some kind of a smoke test the mechanic did.

Just thought I would pass this on for information purposes only.

wtap2 · June 2003

I have a 2002.5 Santa Fe (7700miles) with factory installed sunroof/moonroof.There is no interior noise until I drive with the roof open. Then there is a very noticeable "rattle" comming from the headliner area whenever I hit a bump.The service department have:
First Visit.
R&R Sunshade Assembly Reinstalled correctly.
Second visit.
1.R&R Headliner and insulated both drain tubes.
2.Resecured all hardware associated with sunroof and realigned glass.
I will be taking it in again next week for them to try again.Can anyone suggest what may be the cause of the rattle? They didn't completely drop the headliner.Except for this problem, the Santa Fe is one solid,comfortable driving suv!

jreidell1 · June 2003

I am now driving my second Santa Fe. My first one was a 2001 2WD. I do a lot of traveling, and put 50K+ miles on it in a little over a year. I had absolutely NO problems, never had it in the shop, etc...The second one, a 2002 4WD has 26K miles on it, and has begun making a terrible screeching noise.I took it in to be checked, and they say there is nothing wrong with the brakes. When the brake pad is depressed, the screeching stops. It is terrible. Has anyone else had these problems? The service dept claims the pads and rotors are fine. I am so upset, because I was so pleased with the first Santa Fe. I would appreciate any help. Thanks so much.

jimbeaumi · June 2003

A friend of mine bought a 2002 Honda Accord coupe new, and soon after the purchase I took it for a spin. The headliner in that car did the same thing -- a VERY noticeable rattle when the sunshade was opened.

mizzie · June 2003

I have this noise when I driving, but not often, it also goes away when I step on the brake. I've had my brakes checked and they are okay. Anyone know what this is?

tsberkey4 · June 2003

Mizzie, give us a better description, please. Is the noise continuous or spotty? Does it happen at all speeds? On the highway, in the city? Will try to help if I can.

mizzie · June 2003

The noise happens at all different speeds, it doesn't seem to start at any special time. If you just tap the brakes it stops. Sometimes it will start up again right away and other times it won't do it for days. It's very confusing. My husband thought it had to be the brake pad warning signal but the brakes have been checked and are fine.

stever · June 2003

Does the squeal get better for a little while if you wash the wheels? Mine do that sometimes and it seems that rinsing out some of the brake dust helps.

They also make an anti-squeal grease that you put behind the pads that fixes a lot of squeals.

Steve, Host

william49 · June 2003

Anybody know anything about why my 2001 GLS rear seats don't fold flat? Is this the way they all are? It makes it inconvenient, to say the least, and poorly designed. Generally happy with everything else after 37,000 mi.
Thanks

richsap · June 2003

I purchased my 2003 Santa Fe LX with moonroof just over a week ago. Cracked open the moonroof for the first time on the highway just the other day. Between 20 & 50 MPH I get this deafining low frequency vibration which only goes away if you slow down below 20, speed up over 50 or stick your hand out the opening and disrupt the air flow. I do not have an air deflector installed and would hope this would fix the problem. I am wondering if others had this same problem, and if you feel the dealer should install an air deflector (at their cost) to fix this? Your help is appreciated!

jmsbondage · June 2003

Richie, try opening the rear windows slightly to allow for airflow through the cabin. That should stop the disco beat in your ears.

meeeepster · June 2003

Just wondering if anyone else is disappointed with the reception of the radio. (I have the Monsoon radio in my 2003 LX) Especially the FM band?

richsap · July 2003

In a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) Hyundai informs that on earlier models of the Santa Fe they used a single pole antenna for both AM and FM reception. They have since changed to a double antenna setup, one for the AM band and one for the FM band. Both setups make use of an antenna amplifier mounted in the quarter panel beneath the window. TheTSB addressed the problem of insuring that the FM and AM antenna leads are not reversed on antenna or amplifier. You may want to address this with your dealer. The TSB # is 03-90-002. Copying and pasting this link may or may not work. It has all of the service info:

http://www.hmaservice.com/webtech/iindex.asp?id=394886672#_394886- 672

Good luck!

meeeepster · July 2003

I printed out the TSB and will bring it to the dealer when I have the service call.

richsap · July 2003

I contacted the Consumer Affairs department at Hyundai and told them of my problem with the moon roof and of my dealer's position that "they all do that" and that I would have to purchase a wind deflector myself to fix the problem.

They opened a file on this and agreed to reimburse me for the $50 cost of a Hyundai wind deflector upon sending them a receipt. It does not cover the installation, which I'll do myself anyway.

Two comments about this. One, my dealer will most certainly hear about this, at least from me if not from Hyundai as well. "They all do that" is not the right answer to give a customer when dealing with a vehicle problem, regardless if it is by mechanical failure or design flaw. Second, this is not the first time Hyundai has helped me out when a dealer either wouldn't or couldn't. One more reason to purchase a Hyundai.

richsap · July 2003

Anytime. I encourage everyone to visit the Hyundai technical website. There is a wealth of information there on 2000 - 2003 Santa Fe vehicles. Everything from Technical Service Bulletins to diagnosis codes to schematics. They haven't quite caught up to the 3.5L 2003 models though.

meeeepster · July 2003

I received a letter from Hyundai with the following suggestions on how to reduce wind noise.

1- Be sure the cross rails are not installed backwards.

2- Move the front cross rail rearward aprox 19.5 inches from the seam line on the factory side rail. Positioning them in this manner will reduce wind noise, especially in sunroof-equipted vehicles.

richsap · July 2003

While negotiating my purchase, my salesman kept assuring me that ALL Santa Fe vehicles came with the roof rack cross rails. When they had prepped the car, I noted that the cross rails were not anywhere to be found. He then back tracked and said that this particular one did not come with them. I guess the look I gave him was enough... he went into the shop and came out with a brand new set in a box (I had already walked away from the deal once).

Upon reading the directions, I noted that mounting in accordance with Hyundai's instructions would have placed the front cross bar right across the moon roof opening. Hence I have figured out that if your vehicle is equipped with a factory moon roof, you will not get cross rails as a factory supplied accessory.

Be careful if you actually use the cross rails to carry a load and hang on to your letter from Hyundai. If something happened while carrying a load on the roof that caused the center of gravity to contribute to a crash, you can bet Hyundai might try to use "improper mounting of the cross bar" as a contributing factor.

To contradict myself, if that were so why do they make the cross bars/roof rack in such a way as to allow random positioning of the cross bars?

robo13 · July 2003

Guys and gals, I found the reason for the drum-beating noise when the moonroof is opened.

On the tiny deflector in the front of the moonroof, there is a thin, blue protective covering (put there for when the Hyundai was shipped). Peel this off and and the problem will go away. This covering restricted the air flow by covering the openings on the deflector.

richsap · July 2003

I'm definitely going to check this out this afternoon. If that is the case, I'll let my service manager know. Thanx!

robo13 · July 2003

hopefully this is the problem because you can easily peel it off yourself. it's easy to see as well since it's blue. once i took it off, the difference for me was like night and day. now i drive with it fully open and it doesnt matter whether the windows are up or down - it's quiet.

12346931 · July 2003

can anyone give me the hyundai technical website and advise me as to whether I can access it through the web. (I don't have a compute, I am on the web) thanx in advance

stever · July 2003

This is the link I think you are looking for:

link (http://www.hmaservice.com/). Then go to the WebTech section I guess.

I'm not sure how you get there using your WebTV account.

Steve, Host

richsap · July 2003

I took the blue shipping plastic off of the factory wind deflector, and still have the deafening low frequency noise/wind noise. My plastic air deflector should be in at the dealer Monday and I should have it installed by Wednesday.

jreidell1 · July 2003

In reply to mizzie #487--I am having the same problem with screeching noises with the brakes of my Santa Fe. I have had it in for service, and they claim the brake pads and rotors are fine. The dealership was suppposed to get back to me after conducting a search to find out what can be done, but it's been 2 weeks, and no answer. It is very frustrating and annoying, so I can sympathize with you, Mizzie. Let me know if you hear anything. Thanks.

richsap · July 2003

For those that have developed noisey brakes... do you live or drive on any gravel roads? I'm wondering if there is a possibility that a rock chip got embedded on a brake pad. Some brake pads have a groove (water channel?) cut in them, and maybe a small rock has become stuck and is scraping against the rotor. Unfortunately if this is the case the damage won't be seen for some time, IF it stays there long enough to score the rotor. Did your service department take the pads off to look at them? It is a very easy thing for them to do, about a 15 minute job. Keep insisting that they at least examine the pads!

skrenze · July 2003

just purchased my Sante FE yesterday and already notice that there is too much wind noise! i have the roof rack installed but no sunroof. i'm thinking that there might be a problem with the rails as everything else seems tight.anybody else have this problem? the sound sounds as if it is coming from the back somewhere.
skrenze

jimbeaumi · July 2003

jmsbondage is correct -- physics will cause the disco beat. My previous car came without a sunroof, so I had one installed. Upon removing the glass, the drumming begins until the windows are cracked open. The air has to go somewhere.

earthscience · July 2003

Has anyone had the following problems with the Hyundai 2003 Santa Fe? by earthscience Jul 12, 2003 (2:20 am)
I bought my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe (New) three weeks ago with 25 miles on the odometer. Since then, it's been a nightmare. First, the transmission went out and a brand-new transmission had to be put in. Then, the Crankshaft Sensor malfunctioned and had to be replaced. Each time my car spent 2-3 days at the dealership while the authorization and parts had to be ordered and installed. The final straw came today when my insurance company informed me that the VIN the dealership gave me (which matches the VIN on the card dashboard) cannot be verified through DMV's database...hence...the VIN doesn't match my car...so....no registration....no license....no insurance! I'm very frustrated and wondering if I'm not supposed to be owning this car!

Thanks for any suggestions.

harry31 · July 2003

Sounds like your insurance company just wants to be rid of you.

richsap · July 2003

Make double sure that no letters/numbers are transposed on your paperwork. If the VIN on your paperwork is correct and it is still not in the DMV's database, I'd say the dealer has a problem to solve, not you. It could also be the insurance company is putting the VIN into the system wrong as well.
Sorry to hear you had so many serious problems right from the start. Look at the bright side... it's gotta get better, and you've got 10 years to get all the bugs worked out at Hyundai's expense!

richsap · July 2003

My 2003 LX w/3.5L engine sat in my garage for two weeks without being started. Yesterday when I took it out the engine had a tapping sound for the first 90 seconds, then it went away. I refused to buy one Santa Fe because it made a tapping sound like this, only in that one the noise never went away totally. Does anyone know what type valves the 3.5L engine has? It sounds like the valve tapping noise you get before a hydraulic lifter fills with oil, which wouldn't concern me if I knew for sure the car had hydraulic lifters.

wxjon · July 2003

Hey ALL!

Looking for some help here. Friends of ours have a 2002 GLS (that is what they told me). Our friends took it in to the shop because it kept stalling. The dealer told them that it is because they were running all the electrical stuff at once lights, Radio, AC. The dealer informed them that the alternator is too small for the Santa Fe and the dealer is in the process of installing a larger one.

We also have a 2002 GLS and are wondering if anyone has heard of this becoming a recall or anyone else had this problem?

We have not had any of the stalling problems, the only thing we have is sometimes when you push the AC button it does not respond. It takes a few times to get it going. (not that I believe that is in anyway related to the alternator)

Otherwise 15K miles and still love it!!!
Let me know if you know anything. FYI if you have had this problem.

gtlloyd · July 2003

I've been looking at the LX 3.5L Santa Fe for awhile now. Test drove one last week and it had what sounds like the exact same tapping noise. On a 15 min. test drive it never went away. On another Santa Fe forum this same behavior was reported in two other 3.5L engines. One of them had it's engine replaced. I'm sure this is of no help to you other than to know that it is happening elsewhere. As for my search, I'm waiting for a while to see if this is a design problem or just a fluke.

squeaky3 · July 2003

Hi,
I have had the same problems with the intermittent squeaky noise. Been to two different dealers. Same answer, brakes are fine. However, they did find leaky struts. Coincidence? I am having the struts replaced next week (warranty item), and will let you all know if that fixes the problem. But for the meantime, I am waking up various neighborhoods at random, lol.

squeaky3 · July 2003

412.
I have had the same problem. No leak diagnosed, but I have been 3 times in the last 6 mos. They charged it and it cost me the first time, the second time, they topped it off for free. Now, they filled it up and put dye in it and I am to go back in two weeks and have them check it. They think there might be a leak so small, it is unnoticeable. Between that and the squeaky brakes problem, I am about to go crazy. I love that car, but it is wasting alot of my time visiting the shop between oil changes.

richsap · July 2003

My LX came with stainless steel "scuff plates" mounted on the door sills. The one under the driver's door already has a couple dozen rust spots on it. So much for the 'rust resistant' stainless steel. The service advisor said replacement would not be an issue at all. I thought it would take longer than a few months for this to happen (assuming the car was on the dealers lot for a while... I've only had it for three weeks).

Any other LX owners have this problem?

ewis77 · July 2003

I have the same problem. The alternator is under powered. I am an electronics technician and can promise you that this is the problem. I hooked up some measuring equipment and found that when you have the A/C, headlights & fog lights on the amp draw is to high for this 95 amp alternator. Go for the LX if you are to buy soon, it has a 120 amp alternator. This problem is common with alot of Korean and Japanese vehicles. They don't expect you to need all of these accessories at once. Hyundai Motor Corp has informed the dealerships that if the lights dim and come back in 2 seconds or less, then that is normal. That is not normal. The alt. and voltage regulator combo should be able to handle this. Well, I have to say that the alternator and voltage regulator on these vehicles are a huge engineering blunder.

richsap · July 2003

According to Hyundai's technical website, the momentary lag between demand and supply in the Santa Fe's voltage regulator was by design. It keeps the voltage regulator from surging, increasing it's lifespan.

Call me old, but I remember the days with an 85 amp alternator was more than enough. I guess I lucked out when I purchased the LX, as I didn't know about the alternator specs and didn't even give it a thought. Like most, I assume that they design every system in vehicle to meet or exceed the expected "worst case" scenario.

richsap · July 2003

I purchased the 'GAP' insurance offered by Hyundai the day I purchased my LX. I later found out that I could get it much cheaper through my regular insurance agent.

I went in to my dealership and cancelled the GAP insurance, expecting that I would get the $500 premium back. WRONG! They made a principal payment on my loan with the money, and when I called the corporate office, they informed me that because the GAP insurance was financed with the car, they can not just give me the money back. It must 'remain' with the loan. What a crock of crap!

So now I don't have the money to pay my insurance agent for a GAP premium, and Hyundai will not allow me to reinstate the GAP insurance through them. The net result is that the money got tacked onto the END of the loan, and I probably save about $2 in interest because my last payment has been covered. I guess I'll appreciate this... 65 months from now. C'mon Hyundai, cut me a break!

stever · July 2003

The insurance industry is highly regulated, so it may be worth a call to your state's division of insurance and complain.

Steve, Host

a01sf6 · August 2003

Hello All... I'm a new user, but have been reading these posting with interest.

I have an '01 SF6 AWD w/42k on it now. It has a number of quirks, but overall a good buy I think.

Some comments and questions for you all:

1. I take my x-rails off the roof and store them in the back. It eliminates the noise and since they come off easily... I would rather have them when I need them.

2. I also have wheel vibration problem - in the 60 mph range. I've had two tires replaced free by my tire dealer. They now think the problem is with the alloy wheels. I plan to follow up w/ the dealer.

3. I haven't noticed the hot/cold air problem in the winter - but find that the fresh air vent in the summer seems to be warmed up from the engine - which forces the A/C to be used. Anybody know if the T-stat can be lowered?
Also, has anyone actually installed a filter in the vent system. Seems like alot of fumes come in through the vent system - more than any other car I've had, although this is my first SUV. Could it be because It's raised higher off the road?

4. Had the Crank Position sensor replaced after it wouldn't shift past second gear this winter. No problems since.

5. They need to improve the drivers seat/ manual adjustments. The lower part of the seat seems to "move" when cornering tight. Sometimes the lumbar adjustment pops back to off if leaned on too hard. Dealer can't replicate this problem... Maybe the later models are different?

6. Gas mileage seems to be in the mid 20's on trips. Not bad for AWD I think.

7. Rear speakers need to be raised - as w/full loads, they can get covered up.

8. Have been looking at the new ones with sunroofs. They seem positioned to far back into the rear seat area... comments?

9. And then there is the sulfer smell!! whew ! Never encountered this on any car I've owned. Not a good thing - when on a date!!! The dealer has adjusted the Oxygen sensor - which has helped, but I have adjusted my driving somewhat, especially getting on the on-ramps.

10. Have had the front-end bushings replaced three times also. Usually hear a "thumping" noise when going over bumps. Dealer hasn't given me any problems so far.

All for now... thanks for listening and the good advice!

shivelyt · August 2003

For a01s16--I had the bushings on the front steering replaced twice before they got it right. They have gone to a new type bushing now which seems to solve the problem. I know what the bumping noise sounds like. Ask your service manager if they are using the new redesigned bushings.

mizzie · August 2003

I asked if anyone else had this brake noise and what to do about it. Someone suggested it could be dirt/dust in the wheels. I washed the tires and sprayed with the hose and I haven't heard the noise since. Hope that is all it was...so far,so good.

hyundai35 · August 2003

My 2003 Santa Fe has about 7k with no problems until a few days ago. All of a sudden the blower fan for the AC, Heater, etc. started making a noise. It sounds like the fan blades are making contact with the plastic vent housing inside the dash. It is scheduled to go back to the dealer next week. Is this a rare problem?

richsap · August 2003

When I test drove my '03 Lx I could hear something in the blower similar to what hyundai35 describes when it was set on the high speed. The salesman told me he couldn't hear it, but I insisted that it be fixed before I took delivery. He later said they found a leaf in the blower assembly. I don't know how it could have gotten in there, but regardless of what it was they fixed it.

Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2006 and earlier)

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