My car lunges forward when I hit the breaks. It has happened 3 times. I’ve been to 3 mechanics. No one can find anything wrong.
Model year?
Odometer mileage?
Is it still covered by warranty?
What can you tell us about the maintenance of your Santa Fe?
Are The Roads Covered With Ice Or Snow Where You Drive ?
Try depressing the brake pedal rather than hitting the “breaks”. Hitting whatever you’re hitting will only break them more.
CSA
2004
80000
no
Been very well maintained.
When you say that it “lunges forward” when you hit the brakes, is the engine actually racing at that point, or do you think that you have lost braking power, or both, or…?
What happens after the initial “lunge”? Does the vehicle seem to brake normally after the initial lunge?
If you apply the brakes very hard and bring the car to a stop, is the engine racing during and after the stop?
no engine raceing at all.
the brakes are slammed on at that point and it will come to a stop.
No engine racing at any time.
We were told imitially it was the floor mat. Removed the floor mat entirely and it didn/t make any difference. It has only happened 3 times in the last month. The last time another vehicle was hit in the rear.
Does it actually LUNGE, as in, speed up, or is it just not stopping as fast as it should?
Now We’re Talking. Does The Brake Pedal Travel Feel Normal When It Malfunctions Or Does It Go All The Way Down And Bottom Out On The Floor ?
I checked NHTSA’s (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) website and found a few complaints (five under Hydraulic Service Brakes) about no brakes, but I don’t know if it’s a significant number when compared with all the units they’ve sold.
Click link, put in “vehicle” for search type, fill in prompts, and have a look.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/results.cfm
CSA
P.S. You can add a complaint if you’d like.
It speeds up and lunges forward
THe brake is normal all the time untill it lunges. I have read alot of complaints but no one has found a solution. I just asked another mechanic and he said to check the power booster on the brakes. thats where we are now.
Has The “Check Engine” Light Ever Illuminated At That Time ? Can You Relate It To Any Conditions Like Cold Or Hot Temperature, Short Driving Time, Long Driving Time, Etcetera ?
I’m thinking transmission electronics. There are quite a few bulletins for transmission control on these vehicles, although I see none specifically on this isuue.
CSA
no engine lights. No adverse weather conditions. It was being parked in the garage the first time it happened. The 3rd time at an intersection light. Thats when the car in front was hit
“THe brake is normal all the time untill it lunges.”
Is the brake pedal action the same when this happens, does the pedal itself resist your foot pressure or does it have a sickening, limp, sinking feeling and go farther than normal, right to the floor ?
Is it for sure a brake problem or more like the car accelerates (surges) and over-powers the brakes as they are being applied ?
CSA
it is just like normal. No warning signs other than when it is pressed it lunges forward like the gas pedal is pushed. but it is not the gas pedal it is the brake pedal
I Wouldn’t Know A Hyundai Santa Fe From A Bale Of Hay. There Are No Hyundai Dealers Or Hyundai Vehicles In My Neck Of The Woods, But . . .
. . . How close together are the brake and accelerator pedals in this vehicle ? Sitting in the car with the engine OFF and car in PARK can you press both pedals simultaneously with your right foot if you try ? You may have to have somebody else take a look down there for you and guide your foot.
The reason I ask this is because I had to drive one of those little Ford Escorts on a couple of occasions (driving an elderly person’s car to take them to the doctor) and I about scared myself to death.
I had the same problem. Once out of several (many) stops the car would surge ahead when I applied the brakes. The harder I braked, the harder it surged. Well it turns out that the car’s pedals were too close together and on almost the same plane. My foot (it’s a “wide”, but not unusually large) could press both pedals at the same time !
I was lucky not to hit anything or anybody before I got it figured out. Now I have to consciously pay attention to my seating position and foot position in that car. Winter boots exacerbate the issue. Also, I try not to drive that car, but rather drive my own.
What do think ? Is it a possibility ?
CSA
THought of that, but been driving the car for 6 years with no problems. It is a suv.
How Long Have You Worn Those Shoes ?
Another thought along those lines. How Many sets of front and rear brakes have you had, fluid changes, rear brake adjustments, etcetera ? The “plane” (distance from floor when brakes engage) of the brake pedal can change with wear / condition of different brake system parts and fluid.
The plane may have at one time been above the more fixed plane of the accelerator pedal so that the brake pedal would come to a stop above the level of gas pedal.
I wouldn’t rule this possibility out, yet. Check it out before you rule it out.
CSA
What happens if you put the car in neutral and step on the brake? Does the engine rev?
just had the brakes done not long ago. someone suggested the brake power booser but the mecanic said it has nothting to do with it.