Unresolved acceleration noise on 2021 Santa Fe Hybrid (AWD). Dealership replaced gearbox, differentials, and drive shafts, but the noise is still there! Any ideas?
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice regarding a persistent noise issue with my pre-owned 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe 1.6 T-GDi HEV AWD.
The Problem: Whenever I accelerate from 0 to about 40 km/h, there is a very noticeable noise coming from the front of the car.
What’s been done so far: The car is still under warranty, and over the last few months, the authorized dealerships have thrown about 40,000 CHF (approx. $44,000 USD) worth of parts at it. They have completely replaced the following:
- The rear differential and 4WD coupling
- The front differential / transfer case
- The front right drive shaft
- The front left drive shaft
- The entire gearbox!
Despite all of this major work, the exact same noise is still coming from the front end, and it is honestly even more noticeable now after the gearbox replacement. The dealership is essentially out of ideas and is now trying to claim the noise is gone or that it's a "different noise" every time, which is incredibly frustrating.
I am attaching a recent audio recording of the acceleration noise, which I took after the new gearbox was installed.
Does anyone have any idea what could actually be causing this? Has anyone experienced something similar with their Santa Fe hybrid? Any suggestions on what I should tell the mechanics to check next would be hugely appreciated!