My First Santa Fe Issue...what Could It Be?

[radar2000]

Hi everyone.

I'm going to book an appointment with my dealership, but thought I would run this by the Santa Fe group for any comments/feedback.

On Sunday, I was driving on the highway and noticed an intermittent hum/rumble which seemed like it was coming from the front of the car. At first, I thought it was due to the road quality where you encounter cuts/cracks in the road which could cause similar hum/rumble. The condition of the road changed over to a brand new smooth surface for several miles. I noticed that the same hum/rumble was still there.

I'm not sure how else to describe this?... The tires would go through several rotations before each hum/rumble. For example, x = tire rotations and y = hum/rumble.

xxx y xxx y xxx y xxx y ...very similar to driving on rumble strips that have been placed on the road.

When I got off the highway I also noticed that this hum/rumble would occur during regular driving speeds.

I checked tire pressure all around and all was fine. Took a quick peek underneath and could not spot anything out of the ordinary.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Any comments/feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers!

[Haith]

You said that the sound also happens at lower speeds. When it does, does it happen with the same frequency or is there more of a break between the sounds due to the lower speed.
xxx y xxx y xxx y xxx y regardless of speed or xxx y xxx y xxx y xxx y

Leaning toward a wheel bearing failure at this stage.

[radar2000]

Thanks for your reply Haith.

There is more of a break between the sounds at a lower speed. I also should mention that this sound does not always happen. It comes and goes.

I agree with the wheel bearing failure as well...first thing that came to mind.

Cheers!

[Don67]

A sticking brake caliper or defective tire might also cause symptoms like this. Whatever the cause, I wouldn't delay having it fixed. You never know what it might be doing to your tires, brake pads, rotors, etc. which are not covered under warranty.

[mikenigro]

I have a 2007 Santa Fe and have a similar problem. The vehicle has 42,000 miles on it. I've checked everything I can think of: tires, rotors, calipers, cv joints, transmission fluid level, etc. and haven't noticed anything abnormal. However, the vehicle hums from the front at all speeds. The faster you go the louder the hum is. It seems to peak at about 50 mph. I tried rotating the tires but it didn't seem to change anything. The vehicle does seems to doing everything else correctly as it's supposed to. I haven't noticed any problems with handling of the vehicle, turning or braking. I'm totally baffled but am leaning towards a problem with the tires. The original Bridgestone tires are still on the vehicle. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

[joehardware]

Radar2000, have you figured this out? Just wondering, as I'm experiencing the same issue. It's most noticeable at 100km/hr and over, but still feel it to an extent at all speeds.

[radar2000]

Not yet. Argh! I'm swamped at work and can't pin point a date to bring my car in.

I notice this rotational hum/vibration at any speed...It seems to be coming from the driver side front. It comes and goes.

Another observation that I noticed, is that there seems to be some kind of gunk/oil that appears on my front driver rim in the same spot all of the time. I wonder if this leak is contributing to this rotational hum/vibration issue???

I know I know, bring the car in for servicing...but when??? Argh!!!

[jsinton]

Do you still have the OEM Bridgestone Duelers tires on there? They were really crappy tires, and LOTS of people complained about noise from them. I'd change the tires before I'd suspect the bearings. If you look at the ratings on tirerack.com, you'll see how bad they are rated. Do a search on this forum and you'll see PLENTY of complaints.

[radar2000]

So I brought my Santa Fe into the dealership last week, to have them examine the rotational hum/vibration that I had described above. I requested to take the mechanic who would be looking after my car for a drive to demonstrate this issue. After a few minutes, the rotational hum/vibration was there and the mechanic mentioned that he heard it.

I left my car there for most of the day, as I also wanted them to examine some harsh tranny shifting/lack of power on the lower gears.

I get a call back saying that the car is ready to be picked up. I arrive at the dealership only to be told that they could not figure it out??? I informed them that I was not pleased with this outcome as it Hyundai's responsibility to address car defects/issues. They did not challenge me on my reply and understood my concerns. They replied saying that they would need to have the car back in again, as they will need to call in a Hyundai Canada rep to inspect the issue and provide the proper resolution. They mentioned that I should not worry about the car from a safety perspective and asked that I bring the car back in if the rotational hum/vibration got louder, which would help them identify the issue better. I agreed to this as the service department folks have treated me well in the past. I was not pleased, but I wasn't going to raise a fuss any further.

On a separate note, they did address the harsh tranny shifting/lack of power on the lower gears issue. They reset the adaptive learning module and did some type of ECU update. Let me tell you, the difference was night and day. The car shifts a lot smoother now and has a greater performance response when I drop the pedal.

[canderson]

QUOTE (radar2000 @ Sep 27 2010, 08:03 AM)

They reset the adaptive learning module and did some type of ECU update. Let me tell you, the difference was night and day. The car shifts a lot smoother now and has a greater performance response when I drop the pedal.

Are you the only driver of the vehicle?