2016 Hyundai Santa Fe..electric starter..a good thing? Think again suckers..

So after much comparison of some of the latest vehicles we settled on the Hyundai Santa Fe...A sharp looking car with a tastefully decorated interior.
We were happy to see that it came with a car starter that also operated door locks from a considerable distance thanks to an app for the phone..what we didn't realize was that you have to pay for the remote starter...

Let me again say you have to a pay a yearly subscription of this service...but on top of that the service cost 99 dollars a year but that's not all..you have to pay for another service in order to use the remote starter...the other service basically translates into a service that can locate your vehicle if it gets stolen.

If I may I will add one more complaint and that is the there is not much leg room in the back seat..shame on me for not putting the boys in the chair with a child seat...what happens is when they are in the seat they are seated a bit higher so there feet are more likely to bump the drivers chair due to the drivers chair being slanted...again I should have checked this out..

I'm basically looking to warn those of you enamored by the thought of starting your car by app either on a phone or by your watch...It is not worth it...we will be looking to install a separate car starter down the road...buyer beware and Hyundai you should be ashamed of yourself...

a reply to: chrismarco

That is terrible, anything to squeeze more money out of customers. It makes the experience not good.

Is it even possible to buy an American-made car anymore?

This is nothing new and has been available aftermarket for many years now. To get the extreme range the use GSM receivers and transmitters. I spent over 20 years in car audio/sercuity and had one. I started my car (which was in St. Louis) from Las vegas while showing the remote to customers. My wife called me freaking out thinking there was something wrong with car as it was arming, disarming and starting. Your basically paying for "cell service". You pay a yearly service for any of the after market versions as well if you want the extreme range and app.

a reply to: chrismarco

Go to any custom car shop, they can install remote start up in your car for a couple hundred bucks, will last a lifetime and the only renewal is when the remote battery dies

a reply to: chrismarco

I work at a Ford dealership and Ford offers a similar "remote access" system with it's vehicles. I've been asked about it a few times, as I'm in the parts department. I am always up front with the customer...nice system but there's a monthly subscription. It's one more way to get a few extra bucks from the owner, but it also does help with the upkeep and application updates.

a reply to: starviego

Good question, albeit somewhat off point.

What is an American car? One assembled in the US of foreign parts? I dunno. I don't think any of the Big 3 are entirely "American". Yet, many "Toyota's" are built right here in the US?

Go figure.

originally posted by: starviego
Is it even possible to buy an American-made car anymore?

Funny that you say that as the sticker tells you how much of the car is made in the US...and for the record the car that I owned previously was a Dodge Charger...American Made...transmission replaced twice..huge front end problems from replacing all the control arms, bushings etc...I'm hoping Tesla sets the standard for reliability down the road...

a reply to: Vector99

That's what we are planning on doing..too bad they do this to their customers..but I should have read the fine print...

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: chrismarco

Go to any custom car shop, they can install remote start up in your car for a couple hundred bucks, will last a lifetime and the only renewal is when the remote battery dies

True, unless you want the APP for the phone or extreme range.

originally posted by: coop039

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: chrismarco

Go to any custom car shop, they can install remote start up in your car for a couple hundred bucks, will last a lifetime and the only renewal is when the remote battery dies

True, unless you want the APP for the phone or extreme range.

Then you rely on someone else. I mean the simple keychain car startup. Yes that exists.

originally posted by: starviego
Is it even possible to buy an American-made car anymore?

Lots of the "foreign cars" are actually made in the US. I believe TOYOTA makes more cars then any other manufacture in the US.

As a Santa Fe owner, I can categorically say - THEY SUCK - IMH internet O. Such as it is.

There is an issue that leaves people stranded and may well need a recall but none has been forth coming. You can Google it. Engine inexplicably kills. And yeah, for a so-called SUV or crossover, my old Civic had more leg room than this Santa Fail.

hyundai makes cheap disposable cars- same as everyone else.

Toyota and Honda used to make good cars back in the 80's. Toyota kept this up through most of the 90's... but these days they're all built to average out to not needing any major work within the warranty period.

An '85 corolla was well known for making it to 400,000 miles on the original drivetrain just keeping up with the maintenance schedule.
I had a '91 honda for a while- managed to escape being molested by the kids who lower them and put fart cans on them... that thing averaged 35mpg in the city and 45 on the highway... and that's on this gas-a-hol garbage they force down our throats these days. Throttlebody, four speed manual. AC wasn't an option from the factory, and when I bought it, it didn't even have a passenger side mirror- because that was an option. Cheapest car on the market in its day, better fuel economy than anything affordable- and more reliable to boot. I think in the four years it was used as a daily car around here I had to replace a section of exhaust pipe, the oil pan, and a quarter panel- all from the crap they spray on the road to rust out cars. Only thing that ever went wrong with the car on its own was when the main relay failed, and even that got flaky first giving plenty of notice.

Lets seen an '05 or a '15 car from ANY company hold a candle to the 80's imports.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
As a Santa Fe owner, I can categorically say - THEY SUCK - IMH internet O. Such as it is.

There is an issue that leaves people stranded and may well need a recall but none has been forth coming. You can Google it. Engine inexplicably kills. And yeah, for a so-called SUV or crossover, my old Civic had more leg room than this Santa Fail.

I almost forgot to rant about the legroom issue.

If anyone here gets a chance, sit down in an 80's toyota or honda econobox, and feel the weath of freedom of space.

The cars are bigger on the inside than the current model cars, yet somehow much smaller on the outside- better turning radius, and better visibility.

Modern cars are bollocks.

a reply to: lordcomac


I had an 89 prelude. Drove that sucker into the ground. It ran over heated, low on oil and the odometer stopped working at 150,000+ miles but it NEVER left me hanging. The 2004 Civic couldn't hold a candle to it; which is why we went with a Hyundai.

But the lesson is...I'll never by another Honda/Hyundai/Kia/Toyota/Nissan.

a reply to: kosmicjack

My Santa Fe is now 10 years old and to be perfectly honest, it's been a dream vehicle for me.

I've never had any problems with mine, seriously. It's only now that I'm finally having to start replacing/repairing minor things here and there, but nothing major yet.

I've got just a little over 130,000 kms on my vehicle, so I expect things to slowly start going on it now, no biggie. But I have every intention of driving it into the ground before letting go of my "faithful little Bessy". She's been good to me all these years.

Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones ?




Edit to add:

I also have a remote car starter that I bought from a custom auto shop and had them install when I first bought my vehicle... I've yet to even have to replace the battery in the remote fob starter. And that was ten years ago.

I have no idea why anyone would opt for some stupid cell phone car starter service crap when all you have to do is go buy a simple remote car starter for a couple hundred bucks at your local auto shop and never have to pay another dime from that point on.