2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Brakes Problems

When you applied the brakes while slowly approaching your fence, your car unexpectedly accelerated instead of slowing down. Even with hard brake pressure, the brakes felt completely unresponsive, and the vehicle accelerated at high speed, crashing into your garage, porch, fence, and damaging your oil tank fill and vent tubes. You had to shift into Neutral and turn off the engine to stop the vehicle. The car was totaled in the crash, though no one was injured.

Your ABS (anti-lock braking system) is activating on dry pavement when you brake, making it feel like your car might not stop properly. All wheel sensors have been tested and are working correctly, but mechanics haven't been able to identify the root cause yet.

IN REFERENCE TO ANOTHER COMPLAINT, 10670197: THE ABS TONE RINGS, THE TOOTHED WHEELS ON THE END OF THE AXLE, RUST AND CRACK. THIS IS WHAT CAUSES THE INTERMITTENT PUMP ACTIVATION AND UNSAFE BRAKING CONDITION. I TOO HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS SITUATION HAS CAUSED RECALLS ON NEWER VEHICLES BUT NOT THE 2002. THIS MAY BE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ABS WAS INTRODUCED LATE IN 2002 AND MAY BE 2003 EQUIPMENT. *TR

SHORTLY AFTER HAVING A COMPLETE BRAKE OVERHAUL (ROTORS, CALIPERS, PADS, SHOES, ETC) STARTED EXPERIENCING THE ABS/TRAC CONTROL LIGHTS RANDOMLY COMING ON AND OFF. HAD TO MECHANIC AND FOUND NO FAULT ISSUES. LIGHTS CONTINUED TO RANDOMLY COME ON AND OFF, AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND BRAKING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, STARTED HEARING THE ABS MOTOR RUN WITH AND WITHOUT THE LIGHTS COMING ON. TAPPING THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED THE ABS MOTOR/PUMP FROM RUNNING AND WOULD ELIMINATE WHAT APPEARED TO BE ELIMINATED THE PUMP RESETTING ITSELF. APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AGO, THE ISSUE AFFECTED BRAKING DISTANCES, IN HAT YOU MAY BE STOPPING AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN AND THE ABS MOTOR WOULD ACTIVATE, EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, NOT ONLY WITH OTHER VEHICLES BUT WHEN PULLING THE CAR INTO MY, OR A SHOPS' GARAGE. HAVING BEEN RESEARCHING I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF 2002 SANTA FE'S HAVING THE SAME ISSUES, AND HAVE FOUND THAT HYUNDAI HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETINS THAT ARE ABS ASSOCIATED, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO ACTION TO RECALL OR FIX THE ISSUES. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL, AS THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE ON LATER YEAR VEHICLES, SO IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH THE SANTA FE MODEL ABS BRAKING SYSTEMS. *TR

THE ABS SYSTEM IS ACTIVATING RANDOMLY, INCREASING THE LENGTH OF A STOP. IT WILL ACTIVATE AT 0MPH (STOPPED) OR ANY SPEED; THE INDICATION IS THE PUMP RUNNING AND A VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. I DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT BOTH FRONT ABS RELUCTOR (TOOTHED WHEELS) RINGS ARE BROKEN. THE SYSTEM (ABS, TRACS) FAILS COMPLETELY AS INDICATED BY THE DASH MONITOR, AT A SUSTAINED 50MPH OR HIGHER. SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SOME VEHICLES. HOWEVER, SINCE IT IS DUE TO CORROSION, IT CAN TAKE AN LONG TIME TO APPEAR. CONTACTING HYUNDAI, THEY INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED. I CANNOT EVEN FIND OUT HOW TO REPLACE THE RINGS IN THE FACTORY SHOP MANUAL, THOUGH THEY APPEAR TO BE HEAT SHRUNK ON. IF NEEDS BE, I WILL REPAIR THE EXISTING RINGS WITH A SPOT WELDER OR NEW RINGS BUT DO THINK THAT THIS WAS A FACTORY DEFAULT AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY HYUNDAI. THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 12 MPH AND APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN TO VIBRATE WITH A WHINING NOISE UPON ENGAGEMENT. THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER RELATED TO THE ABS HOWEVER, THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AND DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WOULD THEN ENGAGE INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH DOWN A SLIGHT DECLINE, PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKES AND SHE HEARD A GRINDING SOUND. THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION AND AFTER REPEATED PRESSURE TO THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME AND BEGAN TO RECUR MORE FREQUENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VARIOUS AUTHORIZED DEALERS AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DECELERATE THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR. HE HAD USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 56000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHEN THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKE PEDAL, SHE HEARD A THUMP AND MOMENTS LATER THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS LIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70000. UPDATED 11/06/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ABS MASTER CYLINDER FAILED. SHE STATED SHE HAD NO BRAKES AND WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT AND HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. UPDATED 11/09/09

2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE GLS. WHEN MODERATELY BRAKING TO SLOW DOWN TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE THE CAR RAPIDLY DECELERATED AND VIBRATED VIOLENTLY. PULLED OVER AND COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO OVER 20 MPH. MY INITIAL IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING. THIS HAPPENED RANDOMLY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE 2ND TIME IT OCCURRED I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALER. DEALER COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I DROVE THE CAR BACK WITHOUT INCIDENT AND DROPPED IT OFF AT THE HYUNDAI DEALER THAT SOLD ME THE CAR. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THEY COULD REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM MASTER CYLINDER AND PROPORTIONING VALVE. COST OF THE REPAIR WAS OVER $500. I INVESTIGATED THIS PROBLEM AT VARIOUS HYUNDAI FORUMS ON THE INTERNET AND LEARNED THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON OTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLES (INCLUDING MY GENERATION OF SANTA FE). I FEEL THAT ANY BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. ON MAY 27, 2008, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 1-20 MPH, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO AVOID CRASHING SEVERAL TIMES BY APPLYING THE HAND BRAKE. ON JUNE 17, 2005, SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V131000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE); HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE IN THE 2002 MODEL. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,744 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,864.

GRINDING AND OTHER ODD NOISES WHEN BRAKING IN MY 2002 SANTE FE. PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND I HAVE REPLACED THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES ONCE A YEAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TWO DIFFERENT HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS AND TO HYDUNDAI MOTOR CORPORATION. ITSELF AND WAS TOLD THAT I MUST BE A BRAKE RIDER AND CITY DRIVER. EITHER OF THESE IS TRUE. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BRAKES EVERY 8-10,000 MILES ON ANY CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. I WAS TOLD A COMPLETE, FULL BRAKE JOB MUST BE DONE EACH TIME BECAUSE THE ROTORS ARE SO THIN THAT THERE IS LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR OF OVER RESURFACING. THIS COULD CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. I WAS TOLD BY ONE SERVICE MANAGER FROM ONE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THAT HE WOULD NEVER ALLOW HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THIS PARTICULAR CAR WITH TURNED DOWN ROTORS AND THAT HE WOULD RATHER LAY OUT THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON CONSTANTLY REPLACING THE FRONT BRAKES FOR PIECE OF MIND. I WAS SPOKEN TO LIKE I WAS AN IDIOT BY HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE WHEN I COMPLAINED AND MY CONCERNS OF AN INFERIOR BRAKING SYSTEM WERE IGNORED. I HAVE JUST HAD MY FIFTH SET OF FRONT BRAKES PUT ON THE CAR AND WAS ACTUALLY TOLD BY A NEW SERVICE MANAGER THAT BETWEEN HIM AND I, THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE MADE FOR A SMALL VEHICLE NOT AN SUV OF THIS SIZE, AND THAT THIS CAR WAS KNOWN FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. THIS ONLY CONFIRMED WHAT I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HYUNDAI AS WAS ALSO TOLD TO ME BY TWO OTHER PRIVATE PARTY REPAIR CENTERS. I NOW REFUSE TO ALLOW HYUNDAI TO CHARGE ME ALMOST DOUBLE THE PRICE TO REPLACE THEIR INFERIOR, CHEAP BRAKING SYSTEM. THEY APPARENTLY PUT CHEAP, HORRIBLE WEAR AND TEAR PARTS IN THEIR CAR, SO YOU WILL NEED TO REPLACE THEM VERY REGULARLY. RESULTING IN THEM MAKING A BUNDLE AND THEN SOME BACK ON THEIR OH SO GREAT BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. I ACTUALLY SAW THEIR BRAKE PAD AND IT IS SMALL. *AK

PURCHASED "NEW" IT TOOK OVER SIX HOURS TO DELIVER THE VEHICLE ON SITE. 1.)THE "SECURITY SYSTEM FAILED RETURNED TO JIM ELLIS; "NO CORRECTION" TO DATE. 2.)SEVERAL OTHER DEFECTS EXISTED: BATTERY FAILED LEAVING ME STRANDED AT LEAST TWICE, BRAKES WARE QUICKLY AND REPEATEDLY REQUIRE REPAIRS, HEATED SEATS ON AT "ALL" TIMES, THE TEMPERATURE REMAINS ON "CELSIUS" RATHER THAN ON THAN "FEREINHEIGHT" TEMPERATURES, CLOCK WON'T SET TO CURRENT MONTH,DATE, YEAR. 3.)THE 10 YEAR;100 MILE WARRANTY IS DISREGARDED/MINIMIZED; FROM 24,000 MILES. 4.) WHILE IN FOR DEFECT REVIEW; THE CAR HAS BEEN RETURNED TO ME FROM 2 DEALERSHIPS WITH "DINGS" UP AND DOWN THE SIDE; DENTS ON CORNERS(PHYSICAL DAMAGE). IN ADDITION REPAIRS WEREN'T MADE AND MANAGERS LOOKED THE "OTHER WAY" AND FAILED TO RETURN CALLS OR RESPOND TO LETTERS. ALSO THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT BECAME A NEW ISSUE AND DEFECT INITIATED THE EVENING THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED HOME. WAS TOLD TO ANTICIPATE ENGINE TROUBLE TO BE INITIATED IN THE NEAR FUTURE DESPITE THE OIL CHANGE DATE BEING WITHIN LIMITS. WAS TOLD THAT EXCESSIVE OIL EXISTED AND BLAMED ME. THEN DEMANDED I PAY SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS "BEFORE" THEY'D RELEASE CAR TO ME.(NEEDED FOR WORK). MGRS WERE DEFENSIVE AND SHUT DOWN REGARDING INFORMATION. 5.)THE "RECALLS" AREN'T RECOGNIZED OR CORRECTED ON 1ST,2ND, OR 3RD REQUEST-I'M TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THEY DON'T HAVE THE COMPUTER TO DO IT. *JB

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH MY 2002 SANTA FE. THE FIRST BEING 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. I HEARD A CONSTANT GRINDING NOISE AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE SUSPSENION NOT RESPONDING SMOOTHLY. WHEN THE DEALER CHECKED THE PROBLEM, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. SINCE THIS TIME, I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES CHECKED FREQUENTLY, (SINCE I PERCEIVE A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH GRINDING AND PROBLEMS STOPPING...THE CAR DOESN'T STOP WELL)...AND I'M OFTEN AFRAID IT WON'T STOP. THIS SUMMER AFTER HAVING THE BRAKES CHECKED, WHILE PARALLEL PARKING, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED RESULTING IN MY VEHICLE HITTING ANOTHER PARKED CAR. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL I QUICKLY PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF...NOT YET BEING IN THE SPOT COMPLETELY. MY REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED EVERY 6 - 8 MONTHS SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. MY MECHANIC STATES THAT THE BRAKES FOR THE SANTA FE'S ARE CONFIGURED LIKE SMALL CAR BRAKES AND ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THIS SIZE VEHICLE THUS REQUIRING THEM TO BE REPLACED OFTEN. ANOTHER, SEPARATE INCIDENT OCCURED APPROX 6 MONTHS AGO, AGAIN WHEN THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP (HEARD A CLICKING/GRINDING NOISE). HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINTS (I THINK IT WAS ALSO THE BALL JOINTS) AND FRONT AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE CRACK IN THE AXLE, BUT WAS NOT USER CAUSED. *AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED AN ALARMING GRINDING SOUND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. GRINDING SOUND OF THE BRAKES OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE ON SNOW-COVERED ROADS. (NAR) *LA ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. *NM