Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

I’m gobsmacked by the dealer’s advice to take it somewhere else. I’m sure Hyundai would be happy to hear that.

The noise is not normal, something is binding up, I would suggest possibly in the steering column, or a joint in the lower steering shaft. Unfortunately these things can be hard to trace, and sometimes it found by trial and error.

The 12-month warranty is designed to give you confidence in the car, but if you’ve completely lost faith in it then it could be best to sell it and move on.

It’s always a risk to use a secondhand part, because you have no guarantee of its condition, but if you don’t want to spend the full amount for a genuine factory part then the risk might be worth it. If sold privately it would be worth $9000-$12,000.

For starters it’s not a new car; it’s six years old. But if as you say it has only done 61,000 km and has been properly serviced by a Hyundai dealer I would approach the company and seek a good will deal that would cover some or all of the cost of repairs. It does seem like a catastrophic failure, so if dealing with Hyundai doesn’t prove successful, try your state’s consumer affairs people.

The key difference is the Tucson is a medium-sized five-seater while the Santa Fe is a large SUV that seats seven. Both have similar equipment levels, safety features, and powertrains. You haven’t told us what your boat weighs, but the Tucson is rated to tow up to 1600 kg (braked trailer) while the Santa Fe will haul up to 2000 kg (braked trailer).

Hyundai's new-gen Santa Fe has just launched in three model trims, all offered in all-wheel-drive in Australia. While other markets could have front wheel drive options, there are no Santa Fe models offered in rear wheel drive.

You’re very close to the limit at 1920 kg, but it is within Hyundai’s maximum for the Santa Fe. That said I would be conservative and try and lighten the load on tow somehow.

The diesel is rated to tow up to 2.5-tonne so it should handle your camper with ease. There are a few reports of transmission/transfer case failures, as your mechanic has told you, but it’s not widespread, and with a warranty that lasts for five years with unlimited kilometres you should be well covered if something does go wrong.