Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2009)

359 consumer complaints on file.

#11772843October 21, 2026
SUSPENSION, STRUCTURE:BODY
I am reporting a serious vehicle safety concern involving a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe with approximately 56,000 miles. On [XXX], the vehicle was inspected at West Herr Hyundai in Williamsville, New York, in connection with Hyundai’s underbody corrosion Service Campaign 947. During the inspection, the dealership discovered severe and extensive corrosion affecting the vehicle’s underbody, structural components, and frame-related areas. The corrosion was so significant that the dealership determined the vehicle was unsafe to drive. This is not a cosmetic rust issue. The deterioration involves critical structural areas of the vehicle and raises serious concerns about structural integrity, suspension mounting points, and the potential for component failure or loss of vehicle control. The vehicle’s condition presents a significant safety hazard to its occupants and other motorists. What makes this particularly concerning is that the vehicle has only approximately 56,000 miles and was otherwise in good condition. Despite its relatively low mileage, the structural corrosion has rendered the vehicle unsafe for continued operation. The vehicle remains at West Herr Hyundai and is available for further inspection. On [XXX], the dealership documented the corrosion, took photographs, and submitted the findings to Hyundai Corporate for review. We are currently awaiting Hyundai’s determination regarding the appropriate remedy. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this serious structural corrosion issue, including the effectiveness of Hyundai’s Campaign 947 in addressing the underlying safety concern. I am also seeking an appropriate remedy from Hyundai, as the vehicle has been deemed unsafe to drive due to extensive structural deterioration. This condition presents an unacceptable safety risk, particularly in a vehicle with such low mileage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758932August 23, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake Lights Stay, On ESC OFF Light Illuminated, Cruise Control Won't Engage, Unable to Shift Out of Park. Fuse had to be pulled because the battery was going dead due to lights not turning off. Its doing the same thing that is outlined in this recall (NHTSA Campaign ID: 13V113000)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740912May 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2 unrepaired recalls. Frame rusted and unsafe to lift to repair the other recall which is an oil leak onto the alternator. Car won't run now. Corporate asked if I had a lawyer. They have declared my car not fixable or drivable. Neither corporate nor dealer will return my calls. No info from them at all. No offer of a buyback. No anything.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739169May 20, 2026
ENGINE
*The mechanic diagnosed internal engine failure (May 14, 2026). The vehicle is at the second mechanic's shop. *The car stalled twice. The first time, over 20 miles, the air conditioning stopped, followed by the radio, and then acceleration. I pulled over and the acceleration returned but only for a minute. The second time, a clacking noise got louder and faster, and three miles later the engine stopped. I coasted and pulled over but had to shift to neutral and use the parking brake to stop. *The first time was a two-lane road (55 MPH). As I lost acceleration, cars slowed behind me. It took so long to turn off on a side road, the car behind me almost hit me as they speeded up to pass. The second time was a busy two-lane road (45 MPH), but the engine stopped so quickly, the person behind me almost rear ended me. Without the steering, the car crossed the middle lane, and I had to haul the steering wheel so I could pull off to a side street. *The first repair shop said the oil was low and suggested the place that changed the oil did not know what it was doing and perhaps didn't put the cap on right. The oil was dripping over the engine and to the bottom of the housing. After driving it, the mechanic said the Hyundai service center should do a diagnostic, but it was safe to drive. The second repair shop did an oil change to see what was happening with the oil flow. He found metal filings as well as other problems and said it this was an internal engine failure. *The Hyundai service center said the vehicle needed to be towed, at my own expense, to the its center for a $185.00 out-of-pocket diagnostic. *In October 2025, the Hyundai dealership serviced the car for a cylinder head oil leak recall/problem. *There were no warning lights either time--no engine or oil lights came on. There were no symptoms or indications of a problem before the first incident (May 7, 2026).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711436January 16, 2026
STEERING, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice. I was told that the front end would come off and parts would have to be replaced because of the age of my vehicle they would not fit again. I need a solution to this problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677040July 29, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
[XXX] We took out Stanta Fe to the Hyundia Dealership in Columbia, TN 38401. The installed a new rover cover gasket left and service kit. The purpose was to stop oil from leaking into the alternator. I would like to point out we did not see any visible signs of the gasket was leaking. We had our regular scheduled oil change in Feb of 2025 and no report of an oil leak. We had a service event at the end of June 2025 and were told there was a visible leak was present and appeared to be about 3 months old. We took it back to the dealership and reported the recall issue was occurring. This was 7/25 and just outside of a year. The stated it would not be covered under warranty/recall now. I called and complain to Hyundia corporate. Waited 2 weeks to say it would be taken care of by the dealership. Called them today to arrange for bring the car in but they had no record of what I was told by Hyundia corporate. I believe this breaking faith w the whole recall process with the NTSB. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675380July 22, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure occurred mostly while decelerating from highway speeds. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664069May 31, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to document a troubling interaction at one of the Hyundai service locations regarding a known recall on my 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe (166,000 miles). This vehicle is affected by Recall Campaign Number 103 (valve cover gasket may leak and cause alternator failure and electrical fire risk). The issue is publicly documented by NHTSA and Hyundai, and my vehicle has experienced exactly the problems outlined — two alternator failures and two batteries killed. When my vehicle was brought to Hyundai of Metairie, located at 5969 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie, Louisiana, the service receptionist stated before even inspecting the car that it “may not be covered” because the alternator is aftermarket. This was said immediately upon drop-off, which I believe is inappropriate and concerning. We dropped it off Friday evening before the Saturday, May 31, 2025 morning scheduled inspection. As you are aware, federal law requires manufacturers to complete recall repairs at no cost, regardless of vehicle ownership history or whether a part has been replaced with an aftermarket component — especially when the replacement occurred due to a known safety defect. The alternator was not modified; it was replaced after multiple failures that align precisely with the recall’s described risk. I respectfully request that: The vehicle be inspected promptly and fairly. The recall be honored and completed at no charge, as required. Hyundai ensure that dealership employees are not preemptively discouraging customers from rightful recall services with misinformation or dismissive attitudes. I have already filed a complaint with Hyundai Corporate office this morning and intend to follow up with a phone call when offices resume usual business hours. Thank you in advance for your time. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661720May 18, 2025
ENGINE
Leak coolant and oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637444January 21, 2025
AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES
On January 16,2025 I was driving my Hyundai Santa Fe on the freeway with my three children when the automatic brake system suddenly failed, causing me to lose control of the vehicle. As a result, we spun off the road, and the vehicle flipped four times, causing us multiple injuries. Additionally, due to a known recall involving the failure of the airbag deployment system, the airbags did not deploy during the crash. These combined defects caused me and my children to suffer significant injuries, including broken cervical spine. Broken thoracic spine and Broken Sternum. My daughter has a fractured spine and sternum. And both my sons have serious bruising and head trauma. Both the automatic brake system and the airbag system on this vehicle are part of existing recalls issued by Hyundai Motors. These failures directly contributed to the severity of our accident and the injuries we sustained
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
4
Deaths:
0
#11635272January 10, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, she was informed that oil was leaking onto the alternator. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired under Service Campaign 976 (Cylinder Head Cover Oil Leak Repair With Oil Protector Install And Alternator Voltage Test), with the valve cover replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who related the failure to Service Campaign 976 and determined that the valve cover needed to be replaced for the third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623067November 1, 2024
ENGINE
This vehicle Dies while driving it I have to put in neutral and restart. I am afraid that I am going to be hurt or someone else is.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11619354October 11, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The closed recall of the brake light failing to illuminate has returned and I’m not sure of my future steps in getting it fixed. The Hyundai repair website mentions it as completed in 2014, when I did not have the car. At random, my driver tail light will not illuminate whilst braking. It has recurred repeatedly, so I’ve put the incident as the most recent time it happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11587266May 6, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V113000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585201April 25, 2024
STEERING, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
vehicle will randomly shutoff. example coming off the interstate and off the exit ramp and accelerating into traffic vehicle with completly die, no power steering or power brakes. after pulling off the road the vehicle will restart and run normally. may not happen again for several weeks. dealer had performed recalls and cannot duplicate issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11578728March 21, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle brakes would trigger randomly which is clearly extremely unsafe on: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] which Triple A can validate. The main issue was the vehicle did not pull a code and since the happened randomly without warning there was no way to get this issue repaired. I called the dealership twice. The dealership recommended I call Hyundai customer relations which did nothing because the car was not under warranty and would not even work with me, even though this issue was extremely dangerous The second time this happened almost caused a vehicle pileup, because it happened on the highway when the brakes where triggered. Luckily I was able to get off of the highway with my brakes engaged, which was obviously not good for the vehicle. The last time this happened on [XXX] is when the master cylinder blew costing us $1,703.22. I called Hyundai they assigned me to 3 different case workers because the first 2 were extremely rude as if I did something wrong and were not empathetic to the seriousness of the situation. Leanna was the new case manager. She wanted me to provide all of the receipts and everything that would be relevant. After an exhausting back and forth for months in which they were clearly trying to dissuade me from taking action they simply rejected any assistance and gave me a silly $50 gift card. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11567859January 25, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2009 Santa Fe's paint is peeling in large portions. It started on the driver's side door right below the window and has continued to crack and bubble all the way down the door. There has been no safety issues as of yet, but it will be a safety issue if I am driving and pieces or chunks of the paint fly off. If pieces or chunks fly off and land on my or another driver's windshield and blocks the ability of our vision it could be very dangerous and potentially cause an accident. I am not talking about little chips of paint here and there, I am talking about large size chunks. I know that I am not the only person who is having this issue, there are hundreds of people having this same issue and why there has not been a recall for this yet is blowing my mind. What is Hyundai waiting for a accident, a fatality? This is something that they need to make right, we work hard and when we purchase a vehicle for a lot of money and we take care of it so it will last us a long time and then the paint starts peeling all over the place and makes it look horrible not to mention it will begin to rust, how does Hyundai not feel obligated to fix it and make it right?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11565167January 12, 2024
SUSPENSION
I bought my 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe brand new and have been the sole owner. It has been garaged the entire time. It has 145,000 miles and I have kept it washed and maintained regularly. The last couple of times I have taken it in for repairs, the mechanic has told me that the frame is rusting badly to the point that it is a safety issue. In the event of a crash the frame could buckle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11564385January 9, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received a notice for TSB: [XXX] and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the campaign was completed. The contact stated that while an oil change was being performed, she was informed that the valve cover gasket was leaking. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The fuel senders and O rings, the spark plugs, and the valve cover gasket were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The dealer replaced the oil sending unit; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the valve cover gasket, the valve cover gasket kit and the spark plugs were replaced. The contact stated that the dealer later replaced the oil pan due to oil leaking. Additionally, the contact stated while attempting to make a left turn from a complete stop, the vehicle chugged and started losing electrical power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the alternator internally shorted, the vehicle was stuck in drive(D), and the key was stuck in the ignition switch. The battery warning light was illuminated. The dealer performed an unknown repair. The contact stated that she then received a notice for [XXX] and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the right bank valve cover gasket was fractured, distorted, and was leaking onto the alternator. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the left valve cover gasket was leaking; however, the part was not covered. The dealer only replaced the right bank valve cover gasket. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 74,936. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). The contact stated there seems to be a defect in the valve covers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553044November 1, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My kids and I were going to town one afternoon and I started to smell gas coming from the air vents the gas smell was very strong I opened the hood and could see that it was wet I touched the spot and smelled it and it was fuel.i was worried about driving home with my children in the car so I called my brother he came looked and tracked down the issue and the fuel leak was coming from the front fuel rail.i had never heard of a fuel rail going out on a vehicle before so calling around to parts stores and auto parts recycling places to get it fixed and no one will sale me one they have all told me to take it to dealership.please help it's the only vehicle my children and i have.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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