I have a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe with 50,000 miles and it bucked 4 times on a drive home last week accelerating after a few red lights. I haven’t had any trouble since. I have not changed the transmission fluid yet. The dealership couldn’t find anything wrong on the diagnostic but suggested a transmission fluch and a power steering flush. What do you guys think?
If you have never changed the fuel filter, that is the first thing that I would suggest.
How about the spark plugs? When does the Hyundai maintenance schedule call for them to be replaced?
If they are overdue, or due very soon, I would suggest replacing them also.
As to the flushes, the power steering flush has nothing to do with your hesitation/driveablity problem, and is really not needed. This is designed solely to enhance the dealership’s profit margin.
Transmission fluid, on the other hand, should be changed every 3 yrs/30k miles (whichever comes first), so I would suggest a fluid & filter change, but not a flush. If a trans flush is not done properly, it has the potential to do damage.
A simple trans fluid & filter change will not hurt anything, and will be very beneficial–even if it has nothing to do with the current problem that you are experiencing.
Take it to a good independent transmission shop. If the transmission checks out OK, you have another problem. The dealer is basically stumped, but, like any good quack physician, recommends something off the shelf that makes him money, i.e. a transmission flush and power steering flush. If something is wrong with the transmission, a flush would likely MAKE IT WORSE!!!
If the power steering makes the car run sluggish, you have a very expensive problem on your hands, probably beyond the dealer’s ability to diagnose.
A sluggish car usually has poor plugs, plug wires, or uneven fuel delivery.
If you told the dealer to only check the transmission you are trying to play the role of a good mechanic, which you should never do, unless you are one.
Since the transmission fluid and filter need to be changed, I would go with that first.
Then, I would try 1) gasline antifreeze, and 2)some fuel injector cleaner. If that does not work, you need a good mechanic to find the trouble, and only describe the SYMPTOMS to him.