Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2007+)

travelgrrl · May 2008

Thanks to another driver, my rear quarter panel was nailed by some sizable gravel this morning. Checking my car over, I found three small chips that went right through the paint and down to the body. Is this something that can be touched up easily? Should I just leave it alone?

js06gv · May 2008

Has anyone else noticed problems with the quality of the carpet in their Santa Fe? For the second time, I've noticed carpet fibers that are coming loose in small patches on the passenger side front floorboard. The result is visible spots of carpet backing where the fibers are missing. I patched up the first spot by pulling some fibers from under the seat and gluing them in (didn't look perfect but good enough) but I'm concerned as the second spot is larger. I think the fix will end up replacing the entire carpet, which means the interior will be gutted in the process and I'm uncomfortable that this will be done properly.

rileyd · May 2008

Any ideas why after driving for around 20 minutes the car starts to squeal (like a Pig) tapping the brakes temporarily stops the squeal. When on a straight away and going into a curve squealing stops. Weather conditions not an issue. Started after I had the brakes checked at the dealer. Said they were fine. Having a car mechanic look at the problem. but wondered if anyone else has experience this and what the cause? It started at around 19,000 miles

jcwsbltd · May 2008

The obvious choice is the brakes - hope it wasn't incompetence at the dealer.If they checked wear indicators then it can't be those. Try getting them to clean the pads. I did have a small stone particle/debris caught between the rotor and pad once,which made that noise and they had to turn down and smooth the scoring it had made in the drum.

It could be a bearing going, especially if you've hit a curb or deep pothole - that's what it turned out to be when the noise happened at certain speeds on my old vehicle, but that was at 65,000 miles on a Pontiac Aztek. It gradually got worse and became louder and louder.It took 'em a while to figure it out.

vlad36 · May 2008

I just passed the 6k mark on my 2007 Santa Fe Limited, and I live in New York City. Should I go ahead and get the tires rotated, or is there some other schedule I should be on for that?

lucky15 · May 2008

The rule of thumb for tire rotation that I have followed all my life, is every 7500 miles give or take, I believe the owners manual will say about the same thing.

m2lr · May 2008

My ESC Off light seems to be coming on, going off intermittently. nothing happens when I push the button. Sometimes I start the car and it's off, sometimes it's on, etc. Should I take it in?

It's a 2007.

Thanks.

jcwsbltd · May 2008

Yes, you should take it in. The ESc is showing a malfunction if it is coming on , or not going out.

My ESC light came on not long after I purchased my S.Fe LTD and it turned out to be a faulty brake switch - I had no brake lights or EBD control - switch had to be replaced.

It could be anything to do with the tranny and brake system so make sure they do the proper OBD test for error codes. They will probably try to reset the sytem to see if it does it again, but make sure they tell you the error codes they saw, in case they blow you off, which they usually do.

ntymidtr · May 2008

I recently bought a Fuel Saver magnet to try on my '08 Santa Fe. Figured it would be worth the $17 and if it didn't work at least I tried. The problem is I am having a hard time determining where on the 3.3 L V6 the fuel line is located. I see the metal lines that split the top of the engine and run on top of the plenim but am not sure if those are fuel lines or vacuum?

Anyone have feedback on where the fuel line can be located or looks like?

Thank you!

larry571 · May 2008

The mister on my wipers suddenly quit woking. It's a 2007 se and this is the first fault of any kind I've had so far. Thanks to any one with info.

denvertrakker · May 2008

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't even bother putting it on. This is a notorious scam that's been around for years. I'm familiar with the supposed "technology" it relies on - I used to sell an actual product designed for water filters on commercial equipment. It did prevent the formation of calcium deposits, but it isn't going to do a thing for your mileage. Search on Google for "fuel saver" and "scam" and see what you get.

Can you get your money back?

angel20 · May 2008

I just wanted to let you know ... you are not the only one with this engine light problem.. I have it NOW even after year and half of the light coming on, sluggish performance, almost staling, the dealer telling me it is fixed....etc.
Anyway, I just won a lemon law judgement against Hyundai last week... TRUST me it doesnt make me feel any better, cause I may have a cash check, but still have a vehicle that does not work properly. Now my only option is to trade it, and get something else.... Still loosing out cause I will not get for it what I owe on it... GOODLUCK

nextmoon · May 2008

Last weekend while driving my new 2007 limited touring AWD with 300 miles on the odo, the rubber trim around the windshield blew off on the passenger side. We were cruising around 60mph with a strong cross wind and suddenly the exterior rubber trim blew off dangling in the wind. I've never had that happen with any other new or used cars. My wife reached out and secured it by rolling up the window with it inbetween until we got off the next ramp.

Has anyone else have this happen?
The windshield appears to be fine and secure and this trim looks more cosmetic.

bramble1 · May 2008

Yes this happened to me last summer with my 2007 Santa Fe.
Dealer just said poor laminate was originally used and he reglued it.

nextmoon · May 2008

Good to know I'm not the only one. I bought some automotive epoxy and glued it back instead of trying to bring it into service.

Hope that's all the problems.

hmavison · May 2008

I have a 2007 Santy SE 3.3L engine.
I want to remove the roof cross rails and need someone
to tell me how to do it.
Is this a major job or is it easy?

Thank You
HMA

angel20 · May 2008

removing the rails is very easy... My dealer just did it for us just this week..
Move rails all the way to back of vehicle where you will remove the end caps of the side rails, then you remove rails by sliding off the end. Hope this helps

hmavison · May 2008

I will try this.
Thanks for your help!!

HMA

hmavison · May 2008

Did you see how your dealer removed the
end caps?
I can't figure out how to remove the caps without
causing damage to the paint.

Am I missing something?

HMA

staceyschoony · June 2008

- I had the same thing happen -- over and over. I was quite frustrated and ready to blow up. Finally they found the following technical service bulletin: TSB08-FL-004 - REPLACE THROTTLE BODY FOR CODE -P2135.
I've had no problems since then. I believe in earlier posts ( like in January/february -- you will find a couple of others that had the same thing -- and since he had our throttle body replaced, we've had no problems. Good luck -- hope this helps you out.

oscar_gata · June 2008

There are two ways. The bubba way - if you have strong hands, you can simply squeeze the end cap with both hands as if you are trying to pinch it off. Grab it slightly above the bottom, squeeze hard and twist slightly. The other way is to use nylon bike tire removers to pry it off. One problem with both is that you might break some little clips that hold the cap tight onto the roof. A dealer might have new clips, but I sure didn't.

dlfisher1 · June 2008

Sorry for the delay in answering. They didn't offer any documentation or much of an explanation. However, the CEL continued coming on. Today they said it coded that the O2 sensor was bad and replaced it. So far, no light and my gas mileage increased from 18 mpg to 21.5 mpg average. Don't know if that is a fluke or not but will post any new developments.

I found this today ... HYUNDAI SANTA FE Technical Service Bulletin

HOME » H » HYUNDAI » SANTA FE » 10023629
NHTSA Item Number: 10023629
Service Bulletin #: 0736008
Replacement #:
Vehicle/Equipment Make: HYUNDAI
Vehicle/Eqipment Model: SANTA FE
Model Year:
Mfg Component Code: 118000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: SOFTWARE
Date of Bulletin: 2007-11-01
Date Added: 2008-01-15
Summary: ECM UPDATE - MIL (MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP) ON WITH DTC P0110 OR P0300, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NO SYSTEM FAULTS. *NJ

Maybe that will help somebody but it didn't solve my problems.

hmavison · June 2008

No problem here yet.

What model do you have CAR or SANTY?

dtwicks · June 2008

This has happened to me. What is the name of the epoxy and where did you purchase it.

rick2456 · June 2008

For those of you who want to replace the cabin air filters, car-stuff.com sells them for $20 each, as opposed to the $80 or so the dealer wants. Easy to do yourself.

http://www.car-stuff.com/carparts/hyundaisantafe20072007npnw0133-17807521.html

nextmoon · June 2008

I don't remember the name of the epoxy. But it was an automative expoxy that's suited for glass, metal, plastic and rubber. It was also waterproof which is important. It's comes as two tubes that connects at the opening (flows together) when you push on the syringe-type handle.

I applied on the edge of the windshield (passenger side for me) starting from about a 1/3 from the top and all the way down to where the trim tucks under the plastic piece near the base. Push the trim back firmly against the windshield and hold for at least a minute for the expoxy to set in. I used something like a ruler to make as much contact as possible.

It hasn't come off since for several highway driving and rain storms.

Your local automotive store should carry something similiar.

pelican19 · June 2008

Average price in New York dealerships is around 35 dollars. Anything above that is pure robbery and should be reported to Hyundai Corporate...

dz302 · June 2008

Mountain Hyundai, here in Hamilton, ON, wants $99 for a CAF. I told them "No thanks" and went on ebay. Found them in California for $14.99 each. With delivery to Canada, the total was $41.00 for 2. I replaced the old one with one of the "California" models and it works great. My old one was brutal! Almost 2 years on it.
$99, eh? Talk about highway robbery. More like robbery, assault and battery.....
Maybe I should have used a furnace filter. A good 3M Filtrete is only $12 for a 16" X 25". I could cut it into 6 pieces! But I digress.....

stever · June 2008

Maybe I should have used a furnace filter.

That's what I did on my van. There's no activated charcoal in the big box store filter but I haven't had any complaints from my wife either, and she has a few allergies. CAFs for the van run from $60 to $80 around here.

denvertrakker · June 2008

"Anything above that is pure robbery and should be reported to Hyundai Corporate..."

...who will immediately do one of two things:

A) Have the dealer flogged and cancel his franchise,

Send you a form letter very close to the following:

"Thank you for your communication. Our dealers are independent businesses who set their own prices at their discretion. We welcome the opportunity to be of service."

Care to place a bet on which of these will likely occur? Ahem....

wsibi04 · July 2008

HMA, have you been to the dealer yet? Our's is a 2007 SE with third row and front seat backs squeak as well. Seems to happen more on the driver side and during turns. Thanks for any help anyone can offer!

hmavison · July 2008

I didn't take it to the Dealer but the Squeeking seams to have corrected
itself, that's a good thing as I don't like taking it to the Dealer
for anything, I even change my own oil.

HMA

wsibi04 · July 2008

Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear that your squeak is gone. We'll probably get it checked out at the dealer soon as our's seems to be getting worse...or maybe it's starting to annoy us more!

stuckinpark1 · July 2008

Bought used 04 Santa Fe in March 2008. Anyone have any problems getting out of park mode when parked at any kind of hilly angle? (and I live in a pretty flat area). Took it to mechanic - not sure what the problem could be (thinks in the transmission area). Have to rock car back & forth to get it out of park. Any help/suggestions please.

lucky15 · July 2008

Try putting the emergency brake on first before you put it into park and when you are leaving take it out of park first then release the emergency brake. It sounds like you are doing the opposite and the weight of the car is leaning on the transmission while it is in park, and it is too much strain.

mpuzach · July 2008

This is the 2007+ Santa Fe forum. You might want to try this one:

klik

stuckinpark1 · July 2008

Thanks for your help. I have been putting putting the emergency brakes on first and it seems to help. Is this suppose to be the way to park this type model because since blogging on I've been told this by a couple of people.
I also took it to the dealership and they said it's going to run around $2,600 - $3,000 to fix it.
If parking this way for a while won't hurt anything then I may just have to for a while. I like everything about this vehicle but not sure if it's worth soaking more money into it or get out while I can after 3mos?

I appreciate all your help I was just informed that I'm in the Hyundai 2007+ blog section. Now I just have to figure out how to get to the older Hyundai section....

tidester · July 2008

mpuzach already gave the link but here it is again: Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2006 and earlier)

You could also have a look at Hyundai Santa Fe Basic Maintenance Questions.

Good luck!

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

toycam11 · July 2008

My 2007 santa fe has 26000 troublefree miles,i took it in for a schedule oil change
at my dealer where ive had all my maintenance done since new and i was told i needed brakes front and rear,its an 07 SF SE MODEL AWD.I realize that peoples driving habits differ so im not concerned that i need brakes but rather the cost to replace them would be $625.00 plus tax.This isnt a case for major repairs such as calipers or rotors to be replaced,just brake pads.Im curious to know if any else has had to replace the brake pads on an 07 SF SE,and whether this cost is to much or not.

hmavison · July 2008

Were are you located?
This price sounds high to me for just replacing the
brake pads.
I would also question that it needs pads at
this mileage.
I would get a second opinion.
I had a 2002 Santy with 28000 miles on it
and the brakes still looked like new.

Just my thoughts

HMA

sprintrps · July 2008

My Dealer is quoting $379.00 for the 30,000 mile service on my 2007 SE. According to Edmunds this should cost around $145.00. What have you paid for this service? Also, Hyundai recommends changinging the transaxle fluid, but it is not included in the Edmunds price.

30K..no real problems...great car.

rileyd · July 2008

I have a 2007 Sante Fe Limited and had to replace the rear brakes @19,000 miles. Hadn't had the car a year. Since they were not under warranty I had them replaced at a local car repair shop. Cost $176 and still get the warranty on the brakes (12,000 miles/year) because repair service used "Genuine Sante Fe Parts"

stever · July 2008

Are you sure it's Hyundai recommending the transaxle fluid and not the dealer?

If it's Hyundai, you need to let Edmunds know so it can be added to the maintenance guide. If it's the dealer ... well, it may be a good idea or not, but it's for sure going to help the dealer's profit.

Instead of asking for a "30k service" you could just ask the service writer for a quote for doing x, y and z and nothing more. X, y and z being the items that Hyundai recommends in your owner's manual.

sprintrps · July 2008

The Owner's Manual clearly shows to replace the transaxle fluid at 30K. The dealer has been excellent so far, and I believe they are honest. (The sales manager is my neighbor). I pulled in last Friday at 4:00 with the engine missing...they replaced the O2 sensor and had me out in 45 minutes. They are "warranteeing" the rubber weatherstrip (cost $212.00) which has fallen apart, which could or could not be my fault. I am 6'5' and rub the strip when I exit the vehicle.

stever · July 2008

Ok, thanks, I'll pass the info along and the data people can check it out and fix the guide.

If you have that kind of personal relationship with the dealer, you may want to grin and pay a bit extra for your service. It sounds like you are ahead on the weatherstripping as it is and who knows what kind of "after-warranty" help they may give you on a future wear and tear item.

Easy for me to say since it's your money.

tenpin288 · July 2008

Owner's Manual clearly shows to replace the transaxle fluid at 30K

I just looked it up online at Hyundai's website and while it does say replace at 30K, it is under the category, "If Necessary". Now who decides when it is necessary is a very open-ended question! :confuse:

stever · July 2008

lol, now that's covering the bases. The maintenance guide says to inspect the transmission fluid and drive shaft and axles at 30k. I'm assuming that means the transaxle is covered for fluid inspection - parts is parts. :shades:

So, an "automatic" recommendation of a fluid change looks more like a profit motive for the dealer than calling you up after it's on the lift and reporting a problem with the fluid color or odor.

toycam11 · July 2008

Thanks for your reply I will get a second opinion,and will post my findings..BTW I live in northern nj,and most of my driving is highway driving so im very suspicious of the need to replace front and rear.Thank you.

stever · July 2008

Ok, our crack data team notes that the automatic transmission fluid change is listed under the if necessary column in the Edmunds Maintenance Guide and here's why:

Maintenance schedules are typically separated into two types based on your driving conditions: normal and severe. A maintenance schedule using normal conditions have less frequent suggested checks/inspections and less frequent fluid/filter changes. All of the maintenance schedules listed in our maintenance guide currently use the normal condition.

In this case, the 2007 Santa Fes transmission fluid change at 30k miles is required in the severe condition but not in the normal condition.

----------------------

The normal vs severe service is another can of worms - it sounds like you would fall under normal service since you aren't towing or idling or driving on dirt roads. The dealer may suggest otherwise.

leftcontact · August 2008

My driver's side floor mat keeps coming loose from the anchor; aside from that there's no other carpet issues on my '07 SF Limited.

Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2007+)

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