Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
550–25K
2825–50K
5350–75K
7775–100K
54100–150K
11150K+
278 reports with mileage · 80 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports5 fire reports15 injury reports
What owners actually said
358 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2018
Unknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FELL OUT OF THE CEILING AS IF THE WIRES WERE CUT IN HALF IN THE HOLE THAT HELD THE VISOR IN PLACE. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUDDEN EVENT BUT I HAVE BARELY BEEN ABLE TO SEE WHILE DRIVING EARLY IN THE MORNINGS OR LATE IN THE EVENINGS WHEN THE SUN IS LOW IN THE SKY AND…
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WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FELL OUT OF THE CEILING AS IF THE WIRES WERE CUT IN HALF IN THE HOLE THAT HELD THE VISOR IN PLACE. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUDDEN EVENT BUT I HAVE BARELY BEEN ABLE TO SEE WHILE DRIVING EARLY IN THE MORNINGS OR LATE IN THE EVENINGS WHEN THE SUN IS LOW IN THE SKY AND SHINING DIRECTLY THROUGH THE WINDOW.
NHTSA ODI #11129155
103,275 miles · Sep 7, 2018
Engine
PURCHASED USED W/ 103K MI ON IT FROM A DEALERSHIP. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT DEALERSHIP - ALTERNATOR AND PURGE VALVE REPLACED - THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. DROVE HOME AND JUST BEFORE TURNING RIGHT INTO DRIVEWAY AND STILL ON 55MPH BUSY COUNTY ROAD, ENGINE SHUT OFF (ALL DASH AND CONSOLE LIGHTS ON AND WIPERS RUNNING) RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE …
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PURCHASED USED W/ 103K MI ON IT FROM A DEALERSHIP. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT DEALERSHIP - ALTERNATOR AND PURGE VALVE REPLACED - THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. DROVE HOME AND JUST BEFORE TURNING RIGHT INTO DRIVEWAY AND STILL ON 55MPH BUSY COUNTY ROAD, ENGINE SHUT OFF (ALL DASH AND CONSOLE LIGHTS ON AND WIPERS RUNNING) RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. NO STEERING OR BRAKES. I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PUT IT IN PARK, TURNED THE KEY OFF AND TURNED IT RIGHT BACK ON. WAS ABLE TO BACK UP AND PULL INTO MY DRIVEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AS IT WAS BEING TAKEN BACK TO THE SHOP THE NEXT DAY - NO SIGN OF FIX. I HAD JUST DRIVEN FROM THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE (ABOUT 25 MILES) ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE...A NUMBER OF RIGHT AND LEFT TURNS, ON AND OFF RAMPS, STOP LIGHTS, STOP SIGNS AND RESIDENTIAL ROADS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT AND THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE TOTALED OUT AND SOLD FOR PARTS. HYUNDAI SHOULD RETURN OUR MONEY - WE WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE.
NHTSA ODI #11128163
Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2018
Fuel/propulsion System
THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES ALL THE TIME. SOMETIMES I GET A READING BUT MOST TIMES IT TURNS ON THE EMPTY LIGHT . I HAVE CONSULTED SEVERAL HYUNDAI DEALERS MECHANICS AND BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A BIG AND FREQUENT PROBLEM. I HAVE READ OF SO MANY COMPLAINTS , THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON SAID DEFECT. .IT IS…
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THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES ALL THE TIME. SOMETIMES I GET A READING BUT MOST TIMES IT TURNS ON THE EMPTY LIGHT . I HAVE CONSULTED SEVERAL HYUNDAI DEALERS MECHANICS AND BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A BIG AND FREQUENT PROBLEM. I HAVE READ OF SO MANY COMPLAINTS , THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON SAID DEFECT. .IT IS AS YOU KNOW VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE AND VERY EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FOR ME TO TRY TO FIX..I'VE RAN OUT OF GAS SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN IN HARMS WAY.
NHTSA ODI #11121602
110,000 miles · Aug 9, 2018
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainUnknown Or Other
"TAKATA RECALL" MY 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, AT APPROXIMATELY 110 MILES, DEVELOPED A PROBLEM, WHICH ACTUALLY RESULTS IN A SERIOUS/SAFETY PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL AVAILABLE IN THE TANK. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE FUEL PUMPS, OR THE FUEL SENSING UNITS I…
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"TAKATA RECALL" MY 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, AT APPROXIMATELY 110 MILES, DEVELOPED A PROBLEM, WHICH ACTUALLY RESULTS IN A SERIOUS/SAFETY PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL AVAILABLE IN THE TANK. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE FUEL PUMPS, OR THE FUEL SENSING UNITS IN THE GAS TANKS, OR WITH THE WIRING BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND THE GAS GAUGE, OR WITH THE GAS GAUGE ITSELF. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR MOVING NOR IF THE VEHICLE IS SLANTED AT AN ANGLE. QUITE OFTEN THE PROBLEM RESULTS IN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMING ON. SO FAR I'VE ONLY RUN OUT OF GAS ONCE, AND SINCE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS I LOST BOTH MY STEERING AND BRAKING SYSTEMS. ANY MORE I STOP FOR FUEL AFTER ABOUT 120 MILES OR SO. MY HYUNDAI DEALER HAS QUOTED MY A PRICE OF AROUND $3,000.00 (THAT'S THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS) TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND HE SAID THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN GUARANTEE THAT THE PROBLEM WON'T REOCCUR. AND HE SAID THAT THIS IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH I PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT "HYUNDAI" SHOULD TAKE CARE OF !!!
NHTSA ODI #11118792
85,000 miles · Aug 5, 2018
Unknown Or Other
SHIFTING CABEL BROKE,WHILE IN GEAR,MOVING
NHTSA ODI #11115804
88,000 miles · Aug 2, 2018
Vehicle Speed Control
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR MORE THAN TWICE WHEN DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE TACHOMETER INCREASED AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABOVE 90 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO QUICKLY PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO REDUCE THE SPEED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. TH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR MORE THAN TWICE WHEN DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE TACHOMETER INCREASED AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABOVE 90 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO QUICKLY PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO REDUCE THE SPEED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DEALER (HUFFINES KIA MCKINNEY, 1201 N CENTRAL EXPY, MCKINNEY, TX 75070, (888) 450-2260) WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.
NHTSA ODI #11115315
Mileage unknown · Aug 1, 2018
EngineService Brakes
MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE VALVE COVER GASKETS ON THE 3.3 V6. HYUNDAI REPLACED TWICE UNDER RECALLS. GASKETS HAVE FAILED AGAIN AND HYUNDAI REFUSES TO REPLACE. REAR BRAKE CALIPERS ARE CONSTANTLY LOCKING UP. HAVE BEEN SINCE NEW. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN WITH THIS.
NHTSA ODI #11115109
172,068 miles · Jul 21, 2018
Fuel/propulsion System
AFTER FILLING GAS TANK THE FUEL GAUGE WENT TO EMPTY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BAD FUEL SENSOR
NHTSA ODI #11112844
112,300 miles · Jun 11, 2018
Exterior Lighting
LONG BREAK LIGHT IN THE BACK ON TOP, FALLS OUT. USED SPECIAL TAKE TO SECURE IT
NHTSA ODI #11101270
112,300 miles · Jun 11, 2018
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System
GAS GAUGE AND LIGHT ALWAYS ON EMPTY WHEN TIGHT AFTER IT IS FULL OF GAS AND LOUD HUMMING SOUND FROM FUEL PUMP. STALLED OUT IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION MULTIPLE TIMES.
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2009 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from April 19, 2006, through July 7, 2008. The occupant classification system (OCS) may need recalibration to accurately detect small statured adults.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Improper classification or detection may cause the front passenger airbag not to deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the classification software free of charge. The safety recall began on September 7, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
DP21003 · Throttle Control System Vulnerabilities
Opened Nov 12, 2021 · Closed Jun 20, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:throttle
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (ODI) number 11439675.On November 12, 2021, ODI opened Defect Petition DP21-003 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI performed trend analyses of the VOQs related to vehicle speed control issues for all the subject vehicles and found that none of the 52 Model/Model Year Hyundai/Kia vehicles demonstrated any actionable trend that warranted an investigation.Petitioners submitted 1119 VOQs and non-VOQ cases in which sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) or loss of motive power (LOMP) incidents were alleged.For the 1119 reports, 220 were incidents involving crashes, from which 69 subject Hyundai-Kia vehicles were inspected by Hyundai/Kia dealer technicians, Hyundai/Kia engineers, and/or third-party representatives.ODI found the inspections identified no vehicle defects related to the ETC system.Of the 220 crash-involved reports, 13 Event Data Recorder (EDR) records were downloaded successfully and 11 of those indicated driver error: (i.e.) pedal misapplication.A condition where the accelerator pedal is mistakenly applied instead of the brake pedal when the driver wants to stop the vehicle.In addition, ODI reviewed a scientific journal paper published in Forensic Science International in 2016 by Mr. Park et al ., as well as related test videos. ODI does not believe there is any evidence of uncontrollable SUA occurrences in any of the tests reviewed. NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) reviewed the allegations regarding the potential noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124.Based on the information provided, the Agency concludes there is insufficient information for us to determine if a possible non-compliance exists.Finally, both Hyundai and Kia informed ODI that all their vehicles manufactured after 2012 were equipped with an ETC management system, in which the engine speed will go to idle when the system sees signals from both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal at the same time; this is commonly known as the brake-throttle override system.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Hyundai and Kia in response to an Information Request letter, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition will be published.
2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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