I purchased a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe in February 2021, and - BMD1019
I purchased a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe in February 2021, and what I’ve experienced recently has completely destroyed any trust I had in Hyundai.
I began smelling gasoline inside the cabin of my vehicle — with my two young children riding in the back seat, directly above the fuel pump. That alone should alarm anyone. My father, who has over 50 years of mechanical experience, first inspected the underside of the vehicle and found the gas tank wet with fuel. He then removed the back seats to inspect the issue. What he found was shocking: the fuel pump area was flooded with gas because the fuel line had been installed incorrectly, creating excessive tension on the pump assembly fitting and ultimately causing it to fail.
Let that sink in — a major fuel system component installed improperly at the factory.
Even though my father could have repaired it himself for a fraction of the dealership’s cost, we chose to tow it to Hyundai because we believed this was a serious safety issue they needed to see and potentially address for other 2020 models. We did what responsible customers should do.
Instead of accountability, we were met with denial and accusations.
The dealership claimed that “no other 2020 Santa Fe has had this issue” and insisted the fuel pump “cracked due to age.” Age? It’s a 2020 model. If it “held for six years,” what’s to say other 2020 models won’t start failing next? And more outrageously, the technician accused my father of “tampering” with the fuel pump — despite the fact that he documented everything on video showing the stress the fuel line was exerting on the fuel pump fitting.
Rather than showing concern about a potentially dangerous manufacturing defect involving gasoline under rear passenger seats, they deflected blame and handed me a bill for just under $2,400 for a new fuel line and fuel pump. No accountability. No attempt to reduce the cost. No concern about safety. Nothing.
And it gets better.
After five days at the dealership, during which they performed a “MULTIPOINT INSPECTION” and marked my battery as a “pass,” I arrived to pick up my vehicle — and it wouldn’t start. They had to jump it. So after spending thousands of dollars, I drove home with a dead battery sitting in my driveway.
Unbelievable.
This was my first and last time servicing a vehicle at a dealership like this. I will never purchase another Hyundai again. The lack of responsibility, the dismissal of legitimate safety concerns, and the blatant unwillingness to stand behind their product is staggering.
If you own a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe and smell gasoline in the cabin, do not ignore it. Check your fuel pump and fuel line installation immediately. If this is happening to others, Hyundai should absolutely be held accountable — as they should be.
Consider this your warning.
Below is the link to the video showing the components and how it was clearly installed incorrectly.
https://youtube.com/@stevehansen2945?si=6nxSzf4i4FIVkXst
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