At 72,000Kms, the alternator on my 2002 Santa Fe died, leaving me to call CAA and have it towed to the nearest Dealership. Seems they rust inside. The dealer did mention that the replacements are designed differently. He seemed to indicate that it occurs fairly frequently. The alternator is located near to where water drips from the A/C. I wonder if there is a relationship.
Question is, if there is a problem with the alternator, why is there not a recall??
Comments welcomed.
I hadn't known of this problem, so I suspect it's more of a road salt issue than an a/c drainage problem.
Probably the largest reason there's not a recall is that it's not perceived as a safety issue. If manufacturers were to have a recall every time they found a frequent problem, the price of cars would be much higher.
I find it somewhat comforting that Hyundai has taken the effort to redesign the alternator. Many manufacturers continue making the same crappy designs well after they've learned the designs have flaws. For example, the Ford 3.8 head gaskets and the GM 3.1 and 3.4 intake gaskets.
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