Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2007+)

leftcontact · August 2008

I had this happen - had the car in the shop 5 times in first 5k miles - kept replacing different things, and the light kept coming on within 15 miles or so. The 5th time I told them I don't want the car back without at least 20 more miles on the odometer and no engine light... it hasn't come on since.

Sounds like it was this issue.

staceyschoony · August 2008

I just had my brakes (07 santa fe) looked at because I suddenly started feeling/hearing a grinding -- they have 26K on them. My mechanic took them apart and cleaned them-- said everything looked brand new ( I do a lot of highway driving too-- between buffalo and rochester ny). He told me that they were just "frozen" in place-- and once he cleaned them all up -- they were back to normal. ( A lfriend recommended the santa fe-- and she has over 50K without replacing the brakes -- I believe she has an 06)

js06gv · August 2008

Anybody out there with problems with the power lumbar support on 2007+ SF? I had the mechanism inside the seat replaced once due to malfunction, and last night when I went to adjust the support it failed again. When it deflates I'm hearing a loud crackling sound inside the seat and then it won't inflate again.

shmshen · August 2008

Hi, I got my new 2008 Santa Fe in the middle of this May. I do not drive it a lot. Now it has passed 3 months, but it only has around 1200 mile in ode. Should I go to oil change now? Or can I wait to 3000 miles? If I do wait till 3000 miles, will it hurt my warranty?

Thank you very much for your input!

srz948 · August 2008

Just got my new Santa Fe and love it. I was reading in the owners manual about windshield wiper deicing. Are these heated wiper blades? Just curious about the feature. Thanks.

denvertrakker · August 2008

Sigh...if only! All it is, is a heater wire embedded in the bottom of the windshield. Basically all it does is keep the wiper blade from sticking to the bottom of the windshield in icy conditions. Not a true heated wiper blade.

jcwsbltd · August 2008

There have been several posts already about oil changes - the owners manual gives recommended intervals for service, depending on driving conditions, i.e. normal or severe (extreme temperature,towing,mostly city driving in heavy stop and go traffic)

I personally am in a similar position where I don't put too many miles on the car, but I live in extreme heat, so I did my first oil change after the "break-in" period of 1000 miles and then do them at 3000 mile intervals because it's mostly city driving.

in the old days,they used to put in a special high viscosity "break-in" oil when the car was new, but now-a-days, with the better piston rings and better tolerances on moving parts, they effectively did away with breaking in the engine.

The break-in period of the S.Fe's engine is more for the adaptive transmission learning, but I still changed the oil after the first 1000 miles to get rid of any particles that may have accumulated from the wear-in of the moving parts.

Most service departments,of course, will recommend every 3000 miles using regular oil- synthetics last longer without breaking down.

srz948 · August 2008

My new SF has navigation. Does anybody know if the mp3 player can display the playlist of the cd? If so, how. Thanks.

tonyflan07 · September 2008

I am also new (just today) to this forum and I think it's great. I am having the same problem with my 2007 Sante Fe. Air bag light indicates it is "off" while my passenger, of "adult size" is sitting in the passenger seat. The dealer replaced the seat and it's been in the service department three times. Sometimes it works properly then for no reason, it malfunctions. The dealer said they can't do anything more so now we are having a hearing with the Better Business Bureau. So I need some help to show that I'm not the only one with this problem. Is there anyone else out there that has this problem or :lemon: an answer or can help me. Thanks

jcwsbltd · September 2008

Hi - there are two things you can do :

In the search box on the front page, type in front air bags and it will bring up the previous posts about this well known issue and what others have experienced.

Also go to the website of the Government Office of Defects Investigation complaints page(www.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints) and check out Hyundai Santa Fe 2007 - there you will see on the first page 21 claims for front airbag sensor complaints.

Unfortunately, these have been happening since the first vehicles were made in 2006. No-one seems to know whether it is just a malfunctioning sensor, or if it actually does keep the airnags from deploying, or if it is badly postioned seat weight sensors, or even at what design weight the sensor activates.

For instance, if it is a 100 lbs. then that brings up safety questions for small adults and children in the front seat.

Hope you get it resolved.

jjrn11 · September 2008

Has anybody ever had a problem with any hyundai vehicle just rolling when parked and with the emergency break on and no keys in the ignition?

wtnlvr · September 2008

Are you driving a manual?? What gear are you leaving it in? I've never had an automatic in Park do this, but manuals left in neutral will. I put the manual Elantra in 1st gear when parked and the break on when on a level surface.

tidester · September 2008

A car will not roll if the emergency brake is properly engaged. You're not pulling the lever hard enough. Also, putting it in gear with the engine off is good advice.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

drwoodr · September 2008

There has been a lot of posts here about the emergency brake cable not being adjusted correctly. Mine didn't hold either when I first got my SF, but the dealer adjusted it. Might be what you are experiencing.

srz948 · September 2008

Just purchased a new SF. I think I read somewhere that you can extend the 5/60 bumper to bumper warranty to 10 years for $1500. This was not offered to me by the dealer. Is this true and is it a Hyundai warranty?

lucky15 · September 2008

The 5/60 bumper to bumper warranty on your 2008 isn`t really bumper to bumper coverage, read the fine print, as for the extended warranty to 10 years for $1500 I wouldn`t get it if it is available, it really isn`t bumper to bumper either and it is overpriced at $1500, I paid $800 extra for the extended warranty in 2007 from Hyundai Motor Co. and I`m sorry that I wasted the money, my 2007 is running fine but I`m not sure I will keep it longer than 5 years, I don`t think Hyundai Motor Co. carries extended warranty coverage any more. I hope this helps.

jjrn11 · September 2008

my car is an automatic. I would put the car in gear while the car is off but the car will not shut off until the vehicle is in park. the company put a re-manufactured transmission in my car even though they never diagnosed the cause of the accident.

rick2456 · September 2008

I have the 2007 SE AWD SF, with the power lumbar (1 1/2 years, 23k miles). Thus far, no problems or unusual noises...knock on faux wood.

shmshen · September 2008

I bought my 2008 Santa Fe in the middle on this May. Now it has 1650miles. It was great until yesterday (September 20). When I started, turned the transmission to D, pressed the gas pedal. Then I can feel the car was jerking. Apparently the transmission was working not smoothly. It used to work very smoothly until yesterday. After the first incident, I tried the R and it also had the same problem. The problem usually happens when I start the car and sometimes at the stop sign after a full stop.

Then I try something in the uphill (but it has a very small grade): drive to a position in the uphill, stop and park it. Then switch to D again, the car CANNOT stop and start retrogress. At this time, I push the gas pedal harder, then the car begins move forward with jerking.

This is a brand new car and I did not drive it a lot. I do not do oil change or any maintenance yet.

Went to my nearest dealer this morning and they said there IS a problem in the transmission:
No codes in system - internal mechanical concern - low pressure at idle possible pump failure in trans.

But they refused to work on it and advice me to bring it to the dealer where I purchased it. So I drove to the dealer where I bought and still waiting for their test.

That is bad, it only has slight above 1600 miles :mad: .

Does anybody have the similar problem?

mmiille · September 2008

nope

rick2456 · September 2008

I haven not had any similar problems, but the fact that the Hyundai dealer told you to take it back to the dealer you purchased it from is so wrong. All Hyundai dealers are required to honor warranty repairs regardless of where the vehicle was purchased. At the very least, I would let Hyundai Motors America know about this conduct. Good luck.

wachsf · September 2008

My (wife's) new SF has the RSE instead of navigation, and I have yet been able to get it to display the playlist from any MP3 CD. I burned 4 CDs using Nero with a variety of UDF/ISO settings, but still no luck. What bugs me is that the owner's manual clearly states that it can display song title and artist info from MP3 and WMA files, as well as navigate through directories. Instead, it always displays "TRACK 1" regardless of which track it's playing.

Has anyone else been able to see title and artist info on MP3 discs?

drwoodr · October 2008

Just asking, but are you burning a regular CD (playable in any CD player) using MP3 files, or are you creating a data CD consisting of MP3 files? I have a 2007 SF, and the MP3 song titles do show. I burn the CD as a data CD, and I save each album in a separate directory using "Artist-Album" as the directory name. Each MP3 file in the directory I named using the track and title (e.g. 01 SongName.mp3). Don't include a playlist file (some programs add a playlist for MP3 disks for use in a computer). Works fine, displays the directory and the song on the display, and you can navigate from directory to directory and song to song within a directory.

wachsf · October 2008

Thanks for replying.

I burned data CDs. I even tried CDs made using Windows Media Player 11 and iTunes. iTunes puts all files on the root folder, while WMP retains the folder structure organized by artist and albums. WMP also includes a playlist on the CD. CDs made using Nero were pure data CDs with only MP3 files, and no playlists.

All have the same problem - no song titles, and worse yet, all songs say "TRACK 1" no matter what song is playing. I can skip forward and back, but the display seems like it has lost all of its intelligence.

On a slightly related note, it has problems skipping over songs on regular audio CDs. It will play though, but once I skip a song, it gets stuck and loops at the first 1 second of any song indefinitely. I find it hard to believe this and the MP3 problem are related, but maybe they are.

Looks like I need to make a trip to the dealer to see what the other SF's do with these same CDs.

shmshen · October 2008

Thanks for your information.

After the transmission replacement, I notice the MPG is lower than before. For all highway drive, I can get 24mpg now while it was 25mpg before. I get 16mpg in the city while it was 19mpg before. I went to the dealer and they said the car's computer needs time to adjust to the new transmission and I should get better MPG after several thousands miles.

And there is a small dent in the door after the replacement. I do not notice that when I picked it up after they replaced the transmission. Should I report this to Hyundai customer service?

I also notice that the noise is higher than before when driving on the highway. But it is not very significant. Maybe it is just psychological effect?

danprtr · October 2008

Sorry to hear your transmission problem. It's good to keep an eye out for small changes in the cars behavior because dealers usually don't have equipment and never have the expertise to do a big job like that. You might get them to agree to replace the car.... if your willing to put forth the time and effort.

Are you in the USA? What city, state if so?

Thanks for alerting others to this.

shmshen · October 2008

I heard it is really really hard to get the dealer replace the car. Almost impossible.

I am in Chicagoland, IL.

rick2456 · October 2008

If you burn the CD as a data CD, the player will only show the track number. If you burn it as an MP3 (or WMA) CD, the player shows the song title.

drwoodr · October 2008

I always burn as a data CD, and the directory and file names are listed fine. Could be differences in software, but I've found when burning a MP3 CD, a playlist gets added, so when you put in the CD in the car, the first file that comes up is the playlist, and you have to advance to start the music.

vlad36 · December 2008

I have a 2007 Santa Fe Limited, and the manual states that the rear windshield wiper blade of the style I have should only be replaced by a dealer. Does anyone have experience with this? In addition, does anyone have a source other than a dealer where I can purchase one? Even if the dealer has to install it, I still prefer to buy it on my own as I'm sure it will be more reasonably priced. Thanks so much for your responses!

somedai1 · December 2008

yeah - it seems the way they designed it you can only get the part from the dealer - i did mine by dismantleing a new wiper and cutting the ruber to fit - all it is is two metal slats to keep the rubber firm and slide it into the blade assembly - take it apart and you'll see

torscotty · December 2008

Has anyone got any further updates on this? Anyone been able to get Hyundai to fix this issue, or perhaps they have fixed it themselves? Or is everyone just living with it?

Thanks

torscotty · December 2008

I notice the same thing in my 2008 Limited. I wouldn't say its gets as cold as the outside but it definitly cools down to become more temperate. Which sounds normal to me but what I really find odd is that when it does cool down and its on the (Floor Mode) the air coming out of the floor vents is warmer then the air coming out of the windshield vents. Again its not outside temp, just slightly cooler then the floor vents. Since a few others have commented with similar symptoms perhaps this is just another quirk but I will put a thermometer into the car to confirm.

Another weird one is that air comes out onto the windshield in floor mode (says so in the manual as well) so let me ask, then why have a Bi-mode windshield\floor when the floor mode does the same thing???

jcwsbltd · December 2008

The outside temperature sensor only measures temps. outside ....there is another sensor inside that reads the temp. separately. The difference in temp. between floor and windshield is because the windshield vents are activated on Auto mode because of the risk of condensation from cold outside air and warmer cabin air.Whenever the de-fogging vents are activated the A/C is also activated to remove condensate. Likewise the heated strips front and rear are activated when the temp.difference between o/side and i/side temp setting is too great to prevent fogging.

In other words the Auto Climate Control is attempting to kill two birds with one stone - heat up the the cabin from the floor (hot air rises) and use the A/C to de-fog the windshield and side windows, as well as turn on the heated mirrors and heating strips for a while.

rick2456 · December 2008

Remember when heating and cooling your car used to be simple (simple twist of a knob). That is why I chose the SE instead of the Limited. I absolutely hate auto climate control. To me, this is a huge step backward and just a gimmick to increase the profit margin.

denvertrakker · December 2008

I'm with you there 100%. My '08 SE has the sunroof, heated seats, power driver seat and HomeLink - so the only things a Limited would have added are auto climate control (I'll adjust my own heat & A/C, thanks), leather (I much prefer the cloth), the seemingly disastrous Infinity stereo, and such irrelevancies as chrome around the grille, a metal scuff plate and a spoiler. The SE gives you the important stuff without the sticker-bumping sillyness. Just my opinion.

chutzpa · December 2008

Can you explain in detail how you dismantled the rear wiper blade without breaking anything? I have looked everywhere, but could not find anything on replacing the rear wiper blade on my 2007 Santa Fe by myself.

Thanks!

srmc · December 2008

I posted a message a couple of weeks ago concerning a knocking noise in the engine of my 2007 Santa Fe. The dealer has now diagnosed this as "piston slap" and after talking with Hyundai field engineers states that this is normal for a car with 14,000 miles. I don't agree, but now I must take this problem to Hyundai because the dealer cannot do anything. Supposedly, the "piston slap" will not cause any damage to the engine. Can anyone comment or advise?

Mr_Shiftright · December 2008

It's not necessarily harmful but excessive "slap" is not normal either. I can't hear it so I can't say if this is excessive, or even if they diagnosed it correctly. You might have to get on the horn to the District Office (from which the field engineer is dispatched) and start complaining. It would be interesting if you could drive another '07 Santa Fe and see how "normal" this noise actually is.

somedai1 · December 2008

if it's a knock - it's a roblem - if it's a tick - no big deal - you can complain if you like but i think this will be one of those things where every one of them will do this - at how many miles? who knows... what kind of oil are you using? have you ever had the engine flush done? what kind of gas do you use? i would try an additive and see what happens. when i went to buy - i had my eye on the outlander - the engine was so noisy with no miles on it i was turned off. my 07 santa has 40k and the tick is not bad but i noticed it and didn't bother to trouble the dealer. i know mechanically they can't do anything. replace every engine with a tick or perform some elaborate repair? i don't think so but more power to you...

Mr_Shiftright · December 2008

Piston slap isn't really a "tick", it's a heavier, dull sound. Basically the piston is wobbling a bit in its "slack" position prior to combustion. Sometimes pistons that have too short a "skirt" may do this. Subaru had this issue for a while.

hmavison · December 2008

Is this the 2.7L or 3.3L engine?

ksmigel · December 2008

If you can hear it under acceleration with the windows closed, this is definitely not normal.

This is especially true if pedestrians can hear it as you drive by at slow speeds on quiet, smaller roadways.

I know this because General Motors settled a class action lawsuit regarding V8 model pickup trucks over this very same issue (years 1998 through 2002, I believe).

Of course, Hyundai may not settle, choosing instead to contest it. But General Motors even settled with owners who had 100,000 miles or more on their vehicles and admitted that there was an issue with the tolerance of the piston chambers.

rarasek · January 2009

I did the same thing recently and ever more cheaply. I got 16" Trico ExactFit blade insert, cut out the 2" end with the "locking" metal "teeth" on the metal guides to have only smooth ones, cut the orignal insert with snips, and inserted the whole thing back to the original arm while that was on the car. It took about 15 minutes and a little bit tricky. However, after reading the manual that the device preventing the blade to be completely lifted from the windshield was optional and apparently not installed on all versions, I looked closely on the whole assembly. It was very easy to remove the whole wiper in about 5 seconds without any tools. There is a trick to it, but easy to figure out. The replacement wiper is Trico ExactFit 14-A, as listed on their web page. It goes for somewhere in between 8 to 12 USD.

cars66 · January 2009

Our friend has an '08' with 5K miles. Occasionally the pedal goes all the way to the floor and she has to pump it to stop. The local dealer says they cannot recreate the problem and refuse to replace the master cylinder 'or anthing else' until they can prove what the problem is. This after keeping the vehicle all day, of course. This vehicle is dangerous to drive.
Anyone else going thru this?

NY_Maverick · January 2009

Anyone know of an issue with the Driver's side Rear Quarter Panels not fitting properly?

I'm aware of a TSB article documenting a rear creaking sound, but I read on another thread that one owner had to have this Sante Fe replaced because of this underyling problem.

What gives with the rear quarter panel?

NY_Maverick · January 2009

After much deliberation and contemplation (not to mention anxiety), I had the dealership implement the corrective fix for the creaking sound in the driver side rear quarter panel.

This problem is documented in TSB 08-BD-008-1. The documented fix involves boring holes into the sheet metal around the storage area and adjusting the welding between two panels, essentially prying one panel away from another.

To my relief, the fix has addressed the problem without causing additional issues. I was afraid such an invasive procedure would result in additional noises from the rear of the vehicle.

torscotty · January 2009

I have a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited built in February 2008. I have a question on the heated seats as they have been driving me nuts and I have been searching everywhere to find out if mine are operating "normally" or there is something wrong.

The passenger seat will heat up when set on high or low just fine (takes awhile) but it does heat up, however after 10 minutes or so it turns off and will not come back on again (switch stays on though). Took it into the dealer who claimed they replaced the seat pad or something (seat looks the same to me) but it still works the same.

The drivers seat will heat up fine then will turn off for about 10 min then turn back on and continue to cycle like this until the button it turned off. I am also not sure if this is normal, but it is much better then my passenger seat.

Any insight would be appreciated before I am back to the dealer again. Can anyone tell me if their Santa Fe leather seat heaters work in the same way so I can confirm?
Thanks.

NY_Maverick · January 2009

Torscotty, I typically turn off the heated seats once the Climate Control comes up to temperature. On my vehicle, the seats get too warm if you leave them on beyond six or seven minutes.

As far as the cycling you mention, I would think this is a normal function of the heating element, as it needs to regulate itself from overheating. This is easily observed in any toaster or toaster oven. The heating element "glows" for a a few minutes, disengages, then re-engages.

torscotty · January 2009

Thanks NY Maverick. This is interesting as it seems either there is a huge differentiation in the product quality of the seat elements made by Hyundai or people are all really that different. In my car on a cold morning it can take up to 15 minutes before the seat gets warm to what I would consider high, but it never gets hot enough for me to turn it off out of discomfort (unless I just don't want it on). I guess I was expecting the seat on high to be more like the temp of a heating pad, to me its more of a general warmth. Its truely amazing all the different responses I get to this question.

As for the cycling, that I can understand, I have observed it on other cars too, what bothers me is the passenger side does not do this, it just turns off after one cycle while the switch remains on. If the passenger side cycled on-going as the drivers side does I would have assumed it was normal, it does not.

If anyone else can comment on the operation of there seats it would be most appreciated.

Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2007+)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles