Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - REAR | ||||||||||||||||
| 09V123000 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | from 03/31/2000 to 01/27/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 83355 | 07/17/2009 | ODI | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 04/16/2009 | 04/16/2009 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Hyundai is recalling 83,355 my 2001-2003 santa fe vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the rear trailing arms, which could lead to thinning or perforation of the rear trailing arm steel. owners may see or feel slight to moderate changes in vehicle operation which will increase if the vehicle is not repaired. these changes include a lowering of vehicle height that can lead to tire misalignment and steering pull. owners may also notice a creaking sound. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the corrosion is allowed to progress, the rear trailing arm may fracture while driving, thereby increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect the rear trailing arms for internal corrosion damage. if specified levels of corrosion damage are found, the rear trailing arms will be replaced. rear trailing arms that do not require replacement will have drainage holes added and will be treated with rust-proofing material to arrest the corrosion process. inspection, treatment and replacement procedures will be conducted at no cost to owners. the recall is expected to begin during may 2009. owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Hyundai recall no. 090.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 0450008 | 06/01/2004 | 10009149 | Alignment specifications shop manual correction. *tt | 09/14/2004 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 0250010 | 08/01/2002 | 633794 | Subject regarding front stabilizer bar bushing and bracket replacement noise repair procedure. *jg | 09/24/2002 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||
| PE08040 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 07/02/2008 | 10/29/2008 | REAR SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM FAILURE | ||
| In response to an information request letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi) during this preliminary evaluation, hyundai provided odi with 15 allegations of corrosion failure of the left- and/or right-rear suspension trailing arm.three of the 15 consumers alleged a loss of vehicle control as a result of a rear trailing arm corrosion failure.similarly, odi has received 12 complaints of rear trailing arm failure (one is a duplicate of a complaint filed with hyundai).of the 12 odi complaints, 4 consumers allege a loss of vehicle control. in total, odi is aware of 26 consumer allegations of rear trailing arm corrosion failures and 7 allegations that the failures affected vehicle control.all of these vehicles have been operated primarily in salt belt states (connecticut, district of columbia, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, massachusetts, maryland, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, virginia, vermont, wisconsin and west virginia).hyundai implemented a design change in the model year 2003 production to address the corrosion issue.thus, the scope of the engineering analysis will be vehicles manufactured in mys 2001 through 2003 and sold in salt belt states.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-023) to further assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences of the alleged defect. | ||||||
| EA08023 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 10/28/2008 | 04/17/2009 | REAR TRAILING ARM CORROSION FAILURE | 09V123000 | |
| In a letter dated april 14, 2009, hyundai-kia america technical center, inc (hyundai) notified nhtsa that it will conduct a safety recall of approximately 85,000 model year (my) 2001 through 2003 hyundai santa fe vehicles manufactured prior to january 27, 2003, that are registered and operated in the following salt belt states and the district of columbia:connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin.hyundai is recalling the vehicles to remedy a condition where internal corrosion of either the right or left rear trailing arms may result in fracture of the affected arm while driving, which could result in loss of vehicle control and a crash.the rear trailing arms will be inspected in the recalled vehicles using a procedure developed by hyundai to measure metal thickness.parts with perforations from corrosion or with metal below the specified thickness will be replaced with redesigned trailing arms.if the minimum metal thickness is met, drainage holes and and rust proofing material will be added to the existing rear trailing arms.although not subject components of this investigation, hyundai noted it would perform a similar procedure for the front subframes of the subject vehicles. odi's analysis of complaint data revealed that 99% of all consumer complaints related to trailing arm corrosion were from vehicles either originally sold or operated in saltbelt states. similarly 92% of the warranty claims were from vehicles originally sold or operated in saltbelt states.odi identified 30 rear trailing arm fracture incidents through analysis of complaint and warranty information and consumer interviews.twenty-nine (29) of the fracture incidents involved vehicles in states covered by the recall.based on hyundai's decision to conduct a safety recall this engineering analysis is closed. | ||||||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | ||||||
| EA08023 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 10/28/2008 | 04/17/2009 | REAR TRAILING ARM CORROSION FAILURE | 09V123000 | |
| In a letter dated april 14, 2009, hyundai-kia america technical center, inc (hyundai) notified nhtsa that it will conduct a safety recall of approximately 85,000 model year (my) 2001 through 2003 hyundai santa fe vehicles manufactured prior to january 27, 2003, that are registered and operated in the following salt belt states and the district of columbia:connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin.hyundai is recalling the vehicles to remedy a condition where internal corrosion of either the right or left rear trailing arms may result in fracture of the affected arm while driving, which could result in loss of vehicle control and a crash.the rear trailing arms will be inspected in the recalled vehicles using a procedure developed by hyundai to measure metal thickness.parts with perforations from corrosion or with metal below the specified thickness will be replaced with redesigned trailing arms.if the minimum metal thickness is met, drainage holes and and rust proofing material will be added to the existing rear trailing arms.although not subject components of this investigation, hyundai noted it would perform a similar procedure for the front subframes of the subject vehicles. odi's analysis of complaint data revealed that 99% of all consumer complaints related to trailing arm corrosion were from vehicles either originally sold or operated in saltbelt states. similarly 92% of the warranty claims were from vehicles originally sold or operated in saltbelt states.odi identified 30 rear trailing arm fracture incidents through analysis of complaint and warranty information and consumer interviews.twenty-nine (29) of the fracture incidents involved vehicles in states covered by the recall.based on hyundai's decision to conduct a safety recall this engineering analysis is closed. | ||||||
| PE08040 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 07/02/2008 | 10/29/2008 | REAR SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM FAILURE | ||
| In response to an information request letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi) during this preliminary evaluation, hyundai provided odi with 15 allegations of corrosion failure of the left- and/or right-rear suspension trailing arm.three of the 15 consumers alleged a loss of vehicle control as a result of a rear trailing arm corrosion failure.similarly, odi has received 12 complaints of rear trailing arm failure (one is a duplicate of a complaint filed with hyundai).of the 12 odi complaints, 4 consumers allege a loss of vehicle control. in total, odi is aware of 26 consumer allegations of rear trailing arm corrosion failures and 7 allegations that the failures affected vehicle control.all of these vehicles have been operated primarily in salt belt states (connecticut, district of columbia, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, massachusetts, maryland, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, virginia, vermont, wisconsin and west virginia).hyundai implemented a design change in the model year 2003 production to address the corrosion issue.thus, the scope of the engineering analysis will be vehicles manufactured in mys 2001 through 2003 and sold in salt belt states.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-023) to further assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences of the alleged defect. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 10/06/2009 | 149000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the rear driver's side tire was abnormally leaning inward. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the trailing arms were rusted and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 149,000. kmj | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 118000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the vehicle started to shake and the tires began to make a loud noise. the contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the control arm was bent into the frame. the contact believed that the failure was due to corrosion. the dealer was contacted. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 118,390. pmb | |||
| 09/10/2012 | 120000 | ||
| My teenage son was driving his vehicle, when it suddenly felt like he was driving on black ice. the wheels felt like they were all over the road, and he heard some type of loud noises coming from underneath the car. luckily he knew better and pulled over onto the side of the road. the wheel on the left hand side looked completely turned in and the vehicle was not drivable. we immediately took the vehicle to our local mechanic. later that night i did some research and saw that they had a recall for the 2001 hyundai santa fe because of the trailing arms rusting out. i called the corporation for hyundai reference my situation and asked about the recall. they said that since i did not live in a salt belt state, there was nothing they could do for me. i then called my local hyundai and asked them. they told me that i could bring it in and they would look at it and see what they could do, but they would not make any promises. our local hyundai dealership has a horrible reputation, and i knew if i had the vehicle towed to them, not only would they tell me that the vehicle did not fall under the recall, they would charge me and arm and leg to fix it. i chose to stay with my local mechanic who i trust. that mechanic told me the arm was completely rusted out. . he had pulled up the recall as well, and agreed with me that hyundai should fix this free of charge, since obviously it was a defect on their part. he also said that the salt belt state rule for the recall made no sense since other things can cause rust. after my vehicle was fixed i took the trailing arm to my local hyundai dealership and showed them. i told them i expected them to pay at least for the arm which cost me 189.00 plus tax, since this was their defect. i had also bought the vehicle from them on april 30. they said no and showed me the door. my son could have crashed and died. hyundai should be ashamed. | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 118000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the vehicle started to shake and the tires were making a loud noise. the contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the control arm was bend into the frame. the contact believed that the failure was due to corrosion. the dealer was contacted. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 118,390. pm | |||
| 09/10/2012 | 120000 | ||
| My teenage son was driving his vehicle, when it suddenly felt like he was driving on black ice. the wheels felt like they were all over the road, and he heard some type of loud noises coming from underneath the car. luckily he knew better and pulled over onto the side of the road. the wheel on the left hand side looked completely turned in and the vehicle was not drivable. we immediately took the vehicle to our local mechanic. later that night i did some research and saw that they had a recall for the 2001 hyundai santa fe because of the trailing arms rusting out. i called the corporation for hyundai reference my situation and asked about the recall. they said that since i did not live in a salt belt state, there was nothing they could do for me. i then called my local hyundai and asked them. they told me that i could bring it in and they would look at it and see what they could do, but they would not make any promises. our local hyundai dealership has a horrible reputation, and i knew if i had the vehicle towed to them, not only would they tell me that the vehicle did not fall under the recall, they would charge me and arm and leg to fix it. i chose to stay with my local mechanic who i trust. that mechanic told me the arm was completely rusted out. . he had pulled up the recall as well, and agreed with me that hyundai should fix this free of charge, since obviously it was a defect on their part. he also said that the salt belt state rule for the recall made no sense since other things can cause rust. after my vehicle was fixed i took the trailing arm to my local hyundai dealership and showed them. i told them i expected them to pay at least for the arm which cost me 189.00 plus tax, since this was their defect. i had also bought the vehicle from them on april 30. they said no and showed me the door. my son could have crashed and died. hyundai should be ashamed. | |||
| 07/11/2012 | 137741 | 1 | |
| I was entering my apartment complex when my car made a noise. it felt like we had a flat tire and i lost control of the vehicle. i parked the car and then saw that the rear trailing arm was fractured. i looked in the internet and saw campaign id number 09v123000. this campaign mentions all cars manufactured from 2001-2003. my car was manufactured in 2001 and was sold in the state of new york. i called the hyundai and they say my vin does not fall onto this campaign yet it has all the symptoms and characteristics to be included. please help! *tr | |||
| 07/11/2012 | 137741 | ||
| I was entering my apartment complex when my car made a noise. it felt like we had a flat tire and i lost control of the vehicle. i parked the car and then saw that the rear trailing arm was fractured. i looked in the internet and saw campaign id number 09v123000. this campaign mentions all cars manufactured from 2001-2003. my car was manufactured in 2001 and was sold in the state of new york. i called the hyundai and they say my vin does not fall onto this campaign yet it has all the symptoms and characteristics to be included. please help! | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 119765 | ||
| While backing out of the driveway i noted a crunching sound from the rear of the vehicle. after driving approx one mile i inspected the rear suspension. i found the driver's side lower trailing arm had rusted to the point that it had collapsed. this vehicle has been kept in a garage in northern virginia since new. up through dec 2008 it was used for one winter trip to eastern pennsylvania and northern new jersey. since i was aware of issues with the rear suspension of this vehicle i had inspected the lower trailing arms approx four months prior to this incident. at that time i found only a half dollar sized circle of scale/rust and some scale/rust on the welded seam on the driver's side trailing arm. there was no indication of an impending failure. i surmise the component rusted from the inside out and thus a visual inspection would not be effective to give a warning of possible failure. owners should be advised that visual inspection, at least to an untrained eye, may not be effective to indicate impending failure. the last dealer maintenance prior to this incident was a rear brake job in october 2010 at 111,000 miles. pictures of the failed component are available. | |||
| 08/18/2009 | 129000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. while driving approximately 50 mph on normal road conditions. the vehicle began to pull severely towards the right direction. the driver reduced the speed rate and continued in operation with caution. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. there was front sub-frame perforation which was a result of severe internal corrosion. the contact had concern of the potential safety hazard. the vehicle has not been repaired at this time. the failure and current mileages were 129,000. updated 01/20/10 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle was not drivable. a rusted hole in the sub-frame occurred where the upper a-arm was secured. failure of retaining bolt would result in suspension collapse and loss of control of vehicle. the suspension was repaired. the consumer stated there was a recall for same make, but different model. updated 01/22/10.*jb | |||
| 03/10/2008 | 110000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. while driving over 50 mph, the contact heard a thumping noise coming from the vehicle. she also felt the vehicle jerking while attempting to turn left or right. the vehicle was serviced by a mechanic, who stated that the transmission was fine and he could not find any failures. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 110,000 and current mileage was 126,000. | |||
| 05/03/2004 | 133000 | 1 | 08/01/2001 |
| While driving at 25 mph, the consumer heard a screeching sound that was followed by a loud bumping noise. the vehicle soon stalled and would not restart. the dealer examined the vehicle and determined that the four wheel drive transfer case needed replacement. *ak the ball joint and the front wheel bearing was replaced. *sc *jb | |||
| 06/28/2002 | 19327 | 11 | 08/21/2001 |
| Vehicle rattles and shakes when driving in city. noise appears to come under the carriage. taken several times to the dealer and they are unable to locate the source of the problem. have a written complain with hyundai.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 11/10/2009 | 215000 | 1 | |
| As i was backing up the 2001 santa fe suv at my parents drive way, i heard a loud thump. i thought i went over a bike or something else, and got out of the car to look. the left front tire was caved inward, and a metal part was broken and hanging down. the car was not drivable in this condition, and a tow truck had to come to our home and load the car onto a flatbed. after discovering there were numerous cases of 2001 santa fe control arms rusting out, i decided to file an nhtsa complaint. i am very grateful that this did not happen as i was driving at a high speed. it is my opinion that hyundai should take responsibility for the poor design of the control arm. furthermore, in the past two weeks, i have discovered that the left control arm is showing the same signs of rust that caused the failure of the right control arm. it will soon need to be replaced, which will be expensive. i feel it should be part of a safety recall. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2009 | 106000 | 1 | |
| I bought this car used from car mart less than a year ago.first my steering was very shaky. it got rapidly worse. i went through 3 sets of new tires in one year plus 2 alignments. i recently had trouble again and my car is in the hyundai dealership in fayetteville. first the bearings were rusted in. both ball joints were nearly out. the control arm is going out. the steering linkage and the cradle above the driveline is rusted and falling apart literally. the exhaust system the cadillac converter is rusted apart for the third time. the spare tire holder was rusted closed and had to be broke off to get my spare out. also the rear seat belt just stopped working . talk about a bad day. *tr | |||
| 01/08/2009 | 74000 | 1 | |
| Rusting of lower sub-frame on a 2001 hyundai santa fe. cause steering problems leading vehicle to be undrivable. *tr | |||
| 10/03/2003 | 3 | 03/14/1998 | |
| Noise in front suspension. we have gone 3 time in less than a year for service and the noise keep coming back . they change many parts but they have not fix the problem. we do not feel safe any moore in the car. i have call different places but all they tell me take it back for repairs, how many times do i have to take it back? or they are just waiting for us to have an accident to do something. i need help. thank you. *la | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 120000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. during state inspection he was advised that the front motor control arm was loose . a technician from a local repair facility replaced the component at an expense of $190.00. after the repair he received a recall notice for the rear trailing arm. the dealer was not contacted . the failure mileage was 120000. the current mileage was 126000. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM | |||
| 11/30/2009 | 70000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. the lower control arm on the front passenger side broke. the wheels are tilted inward which made it difficult to drive normally. the manufacturer advised the dealer that a representative would diagnose the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 09/13/2006 | 56000 | 5 | 11/01/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 mph, a thumping noise was heard from the front of the vehicle. it was driven to the dealer who determined the front driver side lower ball joint needed to be replaced. the problem reoccurred on four other occasions and the lower ball joint was replaced each time. | |||
| 06/17/2006 | 54353 | 3 | 01/01/2001 |
| Suspension /check engine light /lower ball joint: dealer replace @54,353 miles, lower arm in 2004 and 8/2006 replacement is needed i have taken my 2001 santa fe to dealer 8 plus times for check engine light and was told found tether on gas cap not letting cap close tight enough /moved tether and ran evap test and check out ok . i was told cap loose 8 plus times this problem is on going. return to dealer for jerk transmission issues i have to push the accelerator pedal to the floor and it takes off slow and once gets power the car jerks starts as if the gears or not switching over. dealer said do the pressure in gas cap and gas cap not closed tight enough eval test was done. back at dealer after road trip my car was running after begin parked with a/c running and i turn car off and car would not start thought may battery check and no water was in battery i put water in battery and let car sit for about hour and car restarted back at dealer explain this issue my battery was replace i was told factory battery wasn't strong enough was for santa fe this is 3rd battery with in five years. *nm | |||
| 11/01/2003 | 42000 | 1 | 03/10/2001 |
| Front lower ball joints started to fail after 42,000 miles. *la | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 07/08/2004 | 28000 | 3 | |
| The wheel bearings on the front wheels were stripped. this problem occurred every 6 months. consumer took the vehicle to dealer for repairs on 3 occasions, and just recently recurred. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 07/11/2012 | 137741 | 1 | |
| I was entering my apartment complex when my car made a noise. it felt like we had a flat tire and i lost control of the vehicle. i parked the car and then saw that the rear trailing arm was fractured. i looked in the internet and saw campaign id number 09v123000. this campaign mentions all cars manufactured from 2001-2003. my car was manufactured in 2001 and was sold in the state of new york. i called the hyundai and they say my vin does not fall onto this campaign yet it has all the symptoms and characteristics to be included. please help! *tr | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 107000 | ||
| I have a 2001 hyundai santa fe that had a recall under campaign # 09v123000 . the recall started in august 2009, however, i was never notified. in december, 2010 i noticed extreme pulling in my vehicle when i almost drove into a ditch. i immediately stopped driving my vehicle. i contacted the dealership, and was then informed of the recall. i had my car brought in for repairs, but during repairs, where my trailing arms were not only corroded but also bent, it was noted that my tires which were all at half life (which leaves about 40k miles on them) were abnormally worn on the inside of the rear tires. with the type of abnormal wear, this is most often because of misalignment, which is noted as something that will happen if repairs are not made to the vehicle per the recall. i asked hyundai to replace the tires as this was their negligence in notification of the recall, they denied it. i spoke to the head of the dealership, who set up a meeting with a representative from hyundai, who made it very clear they hyundai, under no circumstances, warranties tires. this under no circumstances does not fit, since their recall and rear suspension problems caused the issue and i had to replace my tires long before would have been necessary because they did not inform me of the recall. they also had put a note of the recall on a previous work order in 2009, but had not made note of this to me when i checked out with them, nor did they take care of the repairs that day while my vehicle was already in the shop. | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 121000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. while driving approximately 25-30 mph on a gravel road during rainy weather conditions the rear passenger side tire came off. he pulled over to the side of the road. he called the dealer where he purchased the vehicle and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the vehicle was purchased used in april 2010. the contact stated the dealer put the wrong lug nuts on the tire. the contact stated after the lug nuts were replaced a week later the ball joints on the passenger side and drivers side went out. he also stated that the trailing arms on the rear driver's side rusted in half. he stated most of the repairs has been done to the vehicle. the body shop has the vehicle doing the repairs from the tire coming off of the vehicle. he stated the body shop was repairing the rear fender. the failure mileage was 121,000 the current mileage was unknown. vwb | |||
| 02/27/2010 | 129000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph, the driver heard a loud noise; both trailing arms fractured due to corrosion. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. the contact called the manufacturer who informed her that recall 09v123000 (suspension: rear) was in effect. the rear suspension was repaired and the rear axle replaced according to the recall. since the repair, the vehicle shakes, shimmies and rattles. the check engine light was illuminated at all times and the vehicle was hard to steer as it pulled from left to right. the current and failure mileages were approximately 129,000. | |||
| 09/25/2009 | 126000 | 1 | |
| Regular interstate driving, i then suddenly lost control, and crossed three lanes, darting back and forth across traffic and got it under control to the side of the road. there is where i discovered the rear right wheel was hanging off. *tr | |||
| 02/04/2010 | 101123 | 1 | |
| The rear lower control arm broke while driving. *jb | |||
| 01/16/2010 | 151000 | 1 | |
| At about 11:00am on saturday, january 16, 2010, i was driving my 2001 hyundai santa fe outbound on roosevelt bridge in washington, dc. speed was about 30-40 mph when, without warning, i lost control of vehicle, which began to fishtail first left then right. miraculously hit nothing and was able to regain steering control and bring vehicle to a stop after about 3/10 of a mile. i later learned that this event was caused by a total fracture of the driver side rear trailing arm of the vehicle. it had fractured as the result of excessive corrosion of the part. vehicle was carrying no load but me as driver and did not hit a pothole or other obstruction. could have been extremely serious at a higher speed with traffic on either side of vehicle. i have 50 years of driving experience, much of it in snow and ice in new england, and never experienced totally sudden and unexpected loss of control like this. i understand that nhtsa has studied this situation and that hyundai has a recall in salt belt states only (includes dc and maryland but remarkably not northern virginia which is the area of virginia in which i live). seems ridiculous that dc and md are included, but not northern virginia despite the fact that so many northern virginians drive in dc and maryland every day. i have retained the fractured part which i had replaced. hyundai is now telling me that passenger side rear trailing arm has no rust. this seems strange and is hard to believe given what happened to the part that is about 6 feet away on the other side of the car and given that both are original parts. *tr | |||
| 01/19/2010 | 150000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. while driving 30 mph under normal conditions the contact heard a loud noise and began losing control of the vehicle; however, he was able to regain control and shut the engine off. the contacts mechanic drove the vehicle to his repair facility where he found that recall 09v123000, suspension rear was the cause of the failure. the local dealer and manufacturer advised the contact wait several weeks to have the vehicle repaired or travel to a dealer which is 30 miles away. the current and failure mileages were 150,000. | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 120000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. during state inspection he was advised that the front motor control arm was loose . a technician from a local repair facility replaced the component at an expense of $190.00. after the repair he received a recall notice for the rear trailing arm. the dealer was not contacted . the failure mileage was 120000. the current mileage was 126000. | |||
| 07/04/2009 | 108000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. while driving approximately 30 mph, the rear passenger side coil spring failed and caused the wheel to bend. the manufacturer filed report number 3632527. the vehicle will be towed to the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 108,000. | |||
| 09/06/2008 | 1 | ||
| 2001 hyundai santa fe lower control are completed rotted out on the left side of my vehicle. called hyundai they said they were aware of the problem and save the control arm which i did. the cost of repairs were $500+. now the right hand side is rotted and will need to be replaced in a few months. my mechanic said this should not happen. *tr | |||
| 02/21/2009 | 92123 | 1 | |
| While driving our 2001 santa fe, my stepson experienced driving difficulty when he could not easily control the direction of the vehicle. upon investigation i found that the right rear wheel was bent outward approximately 30 degrees laterally. when the wheel was removed i noticed that the right, rear trailing arm had rusted through and collapsed. the left, rear trailing arm is also showing signs of rust-through. i have deemed this vehicle unsafe to drive and am thankful that nobody was hurt. *tr | |||
| 02/05/2009 | 135000 | 1 | |
| My wife and daughter were on their way home and went across the railroad tracks when my wife heard a clunk and thought a chunk of ice fell off the car. she said the car then handled as if it were on black ice all over the road. i pulled the car in the shop and found the left rear trailing broke next to the spring mount towards the wheel. not having dismantled any components, using a visual inspection the part had only a few spots that had been holding judging by the rust on the broken part. the car is still in my shop and i will be calling hyundai monday to find out about this part. my concern is if this would have happened going down the road at highway speeds, my wife and 17 month daughter could have been seriously hurt or killed. please review this problem. i have never seen trailing arms, control arms or major suspension components break like this one did without having been in some type of accident. this part failed from the top down. *tr | |||
| 01/09/2009 | 88000 | 1 | |
| Rear suspension: lost steering going over a bridge. looked under car and all rods and springs are rusted out with huge rusted holes. cracked and rusted, entire rear suspension needs to be replaced. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2009 | 124000 | 1 | |
| Left rear of vehicle dropped causing lane change , left rear tire rubbing on strut-shock , trailing arm broke left rear. *tr | |||
| 11/29/2008 | 104785 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. while making a left turn at approximately 20 mph, the contact felt the tires rubbing against the frame. immediately following, the vehicle became difficult to control due to the steering column vibrating uncontrollably. the vehicle was driven to a tire shop and the mechanic stated that the rear driver's side control arm and ball joints were rusted and cracked. the vehicle was not repaired. the mechanic also advised the contact to have the vehicle towed to a local repair shop or her residence because it was unsafe to drive. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the vin was unavailable. the current mileage was 104,800 and failure mileage was 104,785. | |||
| 11/12/2008 | 126627 | 1 | |
| In april 2008, the right trailing arm of my 2001hyundai santa fe rusted through causing the rear of the vehicle to drop. replacement was $712. lat week (november 2008) the left trailing arm rusted through causing the rear of the car to drop, crashing through the strut, wheel balancing against side. this replacement cost $762. hyundai never allowed for drainage in the trailing arms from 2001 to 2004. no recall as it happens in high salt states. i believe they are being investigated for this now. very dangerous. we were lucky both times, but this has caused other vehicles to flip over and caused deaths. *tr | |||
| 04/08/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| Our 2001 hyundai santa fe...going along the highway we heard a thunk and the suv almost went out of control...fishtailing...finally brought it to a safe stop and towed....my mechanic couldn't believe how thin the rear control arm was ( which is what broke) stating it was completely rusted out, mainly because there is no place for the water to drain causing premature and dangerous conditions...the other side was ready to break through too he observed. luckily there was traffic that night and we were not going that fast, had that happen at 65, the truck would have been apt to roll over. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2008 | 98919 | 1 | |
| As my wife was backing up the 2001 santa fe suv at a local park, she heard a loud thump. she thought she went over a pothole, and got out of the car to look. she didn't see a pothole, and got back into the car. as she drove down the road, a rhythmic screech became very loud from the right rear side. she stopped the car, and again got out to take a look. the right rear tire looked normal. she got back into the car and continued to drive home, slowly. the screeching became louder and louder. when she got home, she looked at the right rear tire and was shocked to see that it was caved inward, and a metal part was broken and hanging down. the car was not drivable in this condition, and a tow truck had to come to our home and load the car onto a flatbed truck and take it to the local hyundai dealer. the hyundai mechanic discovered that the center of the right rear control arm had fully rusted out and the suspension had broken through. the right rear control arm, the lateral link, the abs sensor, cam volt, and nut had to be replaced to fix the problem. the total cost was $1,549.22. the dealer told me that this was not covered under the warranty of the car. i thought this was an isolated case. however, after discovering there were numerous cases of 2001 santa fe control arms rusting out, i decided to file an nhtsa complaint. i am very grateful that this did not happen as my wife was driving at a high speed on the tollway. it is my opinion that hyundai should take responsibility for the poor design of the control arm. furthermore, in the past two weeks, i have discovered that the left control arm is showing the same signs of rust that caused the failure of the right control arm. it will soon need to be replaced, which will be expensive. i feel it should be part of a safety recall. *tr | |||
| 09/14/2008 | 65000 | 1 | |
| My daughter was pulling out of a parking lot and the right rear trailing arm failed because it had rusted and broke causing the rear tire to turn out and there was no control of the vehicle, she just got off the interstate running 70 miles per hour, this could have had a real sad out come. we are having both trailing arms replaced. *tr | |||
| 08/04/2008 | 119000 | 1 | |
| My 2001 sante fe was making creaking noise by the passenger side rear tire. i made an appointment for it, but before the appointment i heard a loud thud and lost control of the vehicle. fortunately i was only going 35 mph and was able to skid into a driveway. the rear control arm snapped off due to an excessive amount of rust. the other side is almost rusted through. the repair shop had never seen anything like it before. *tr | |||
| 05/24/2008 | 85254 | 1 | |
| Returning from 2 hour highway trip, turned into development, heard loud snapping noise. took to dealer next day, informed driver side rear control arms rusted through and broken, passenger side well on way. axle would also need to be replaced. only axle under warranty--had dealer replace such. took vehicle to regular garage for remainder of repairs. garage extremely surprised at amount of rust contained in rear suspension----paper thin. have saved parts for anyone wishing to look at them. have noted on-going complaints about 2001 hyundai elantras with same problem--must be a hyundai issue--as mine is a santa fe. this is a very dangerous condition and could cause major accidents and/or deaths should control fail during normal driving conditions. was told control arm is defective, as there is no holes for any water/condensation to drain, therefore water sits and rusts them out. *tr | |||
| 04/09/2008 | 113456 | 1 | |
| Vehicle: 2001 hyundai santa fe i am concerned about the safety and reliability of a key suspension component: the right rear bearing arm. this component, which attaches the right rear wheel axle to the chassis completely failed during a drive on a secondary road at speeds under 55 mph on april 9, 2008. the steering wheel jerked to the right a quarter of a turn, and the vehicle almost flipped over. the vehicle was towed. my mechanic informs me that this component should last the life of the vehicle. in my case, it is completely corroded to the point where it could no longer support the weight of the vehicle and caused a structural failure. i have owned many cars, and have never seen a weight bearing suspension component fail under normal driving conditions. had this failure happened on the freeway, i am sure the right rear wheel would have completed departed the vehicle resulting in a complete lack of control and probable disaster. we consider ourselves very fortunate that no one was hurt. however, the damage to the car was expensive. the cost of the repair was nearly $1,000. the cost of the suspension component alone was $567.79. i consider this failure not a normal circumstance and would like someone to inspect the part and vehicle for complete analysis. i have the old part as well as digital photos of the failed component for your review as well as repair documentation. i would like hyundai to cover the cost of this expensive repair. in my opinion, this component should never fail under normal driving conditions and certainly never fail in a vehicle that has never been involved in an accident. this failure has really shaken my confidence in hyundai's design and engineering quality. if we had been on the highway, i am certain that an accident would have been inevitable. *tr | |||
| 03/26/2008 | 110111 | 1 | 05/15/2006 |
| A-frame of the driver side rear rusted through and my tire and wheel fell off. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2008 | 89229 | 1 | 11/25/2000 |
| For a few days prior to the incident, i thought i needed to have the brakes replaced on this vehicle. everytime i applied the brakes, the car would swerve a little; then there would be a thump at the rear of the car. on the day of the incident, there was a significant noise at the rear of the car, so i looked in the back storage area thinking something was rolling around-found nothing. i continued driving a few miles, hearing the thumping noise again, i stopped and looked underneath the the rear of the vehicle thinking the spare tire bracket was broken--saw nothing. later in the day, as i turned right there was a loud noise at the rear. i told myself to drive slowly--and then the right rear tire broke causing me to lose control of the car. fortunately for myself, other drivers and hyundai i was driving slow. the car was flatbedded to the hyundai dealer, who told me that the rear trailering arm snapped off due to an impact. the service manager stated that he had never seen anything like that and wanted to wait for the company rep before deciding what to do. the rep insisted that rust had nothing to do with the part breaking and that i needed to pay 1100.00 for the repair (which included a new brake line and shock due to the faulty part) the dealership then did not want to give me the part because it was too rusty to put in the car. this seems to be the 4th vehicle reporting the same problem. i do have the part and will be going to the local news media to complain about the safety issue not being addressed by the company. *tr | |||
| 07/06/2007 | 105000 | 1 | 05/15/2003 |
| I was driving my 2001 hyundai sante fe eastbound on interstate 275 in wilder kentucky at approximately 65 miles per hour at approximately 10pm , when i heard a popping sound and suddenly lost control of the vehicle. my wife and two children ages 8 and 11 were in our suv with me. the car swerved over three lanes of traffic and the median strip veering wildly from lane to lane. the vehicle almost tipped over several times. fortunately, no other cars were nearby and i was able to bring the vehicle under control. the car was towed to the newport firestone store on carothers road. 859-491-1400. the wheel was turned out approximately 10 degrees. the shop found that the suspension trailing arm had rusted through and had almost completely separated into two pieces. we could easily have been killed or seriously injured. i saved the part. the wheel was literally hanging on by a thread. the repairs costs approximately $800. i called hyundai customer service and they were completely unresponsive. this is not what a consumer would expect from a six year old vehicle. i am concerned that other cars out there are ticking time bombs. *jb | |||
| 06/29/2007 | 13000 | 1 | 06/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a loud cracking sound coming from the passenger side rear wheel. the contact lost control of the vehicle and became worse when he depressed the brake pedal. the vehicle began to fishtail, but gradually decelerated to a complete stop. the contact noticed that the passenger side rear wheel looked as if it were turned at a 15 degree angle. the vehicle was towed and the mechanic stated that the suspension trailing arm was rusted and cracked. the current mileage is 103,000 and failure mileage was 13,000. | |||
| 10/24/2006 | 108750 | 1 | 12/15/2001 |
| Traveling on the highway about 65 miles per hour the vehicle suddenly turn to the right and lunged downward to a point the vehicle felt as if it was going to flip over. i brought the vehicle to a repair shop and found the right rear lower control arm had rusted completely through. i have pictures of the part if needed. when the repair shop called the hyundai parts department the person answering the phone said this type of problem was common problem with santa fe suvs. that next thing that made me think this was a problem that hyundai was aware of, was that the replacement part had be redesigned and now has weep holes so not to retain water or moisture. the repair shop tested the remaining control arms on the vehicle to find the left rear lower control arm was almost rusted through. the repair shop said that this vehicle has the same degree of rust on these parts that a ten year old car would have. this vehicle is only six years old and has been garaged during this time. hyundai seems to be aware of the defect due to the redesign of the part in question and that hyundai parts department is aware of the number of failures. is hyundai waiting until there is a serious injury or a death? *nm | |||