7.9

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,840
Average Mileage:
73,500 miles
Total Complaints:
27 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. repaint (17 reports)
  2. not sure (10 reports)
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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #7

Jan 012015

Santa Fe Limited V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,000 miles

I own a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe and a 2013 Elantra. The paint on both vehicles is below average. The Santa fe is peeling on the engine hood and roof. I already see paint problems with the Elantra. Not sure I would buy another Hyundai vehicle.

- billandtami, Olathe, KS, US

problem #6

Aug 032015

Santa Fe LX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 67,000 miles

PEELING PAINT !!!! Bought a white 2009 Santa Fe Hyundai used, a year ago, from a dealer. at the time there were a few little rust spots, but thought nothing of it. I am not the original owner and its way over the paint warranty, today it has 68,000 miles on it. And today, only 1 year later -- there are two enormous peeled off paint areas. Right above windshield, on drivers side, PLUS smaller patches of paint coming off on hood. I can literally take my fingernail and begin chipping and peeling away at it till it goes down to the grey primer. it is grey under the paint where the patches are and very very ugly and noticeable. Body shop people are going to charge me $1700 to fix these spots. They told me it was an assembly line issue by the manufacturer, that the car stood too long on assembly line and primer paint dried too fast, so final paint job didn't bond with primer-- therefore it didn't adhere. Soooo....If i fix, how do i know more paint wont start to peel off in other areas at a later date?? SO SO angry about this. The car looks awful, ugly, horrendous, like its a million years old. Large areas of ugly grey where it should be white. Google "hyundai peeling paint" and you'll see tons and tons of pictures of this issue, its common with hyundai cars apparently.. one guy wants to start a class action lawsuit. I'm game..... and rest assured i will NEVER ever ever buy another hyundai again.

- L F., Vero Beach, FL, US

problem #5

Jan 012014

Santa Fe

  • Automatic transmission
  • 130,000 miles

It is very obvious that the paint was not applied properly. Possible causes are no electrocoating or primer. Chunks of paint fly off while you drive. I would like to know if anyone was able to have Hyundai take responsibility for their actions.

- Teri W., Daphne, AL, US

problem #4

Sep 172014

Santa Fe V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 41,000 miles

click to see larger images

paint coming off paint coming off paint coming off paint coming off paint coming off paint coming off

There is a serious defect in the paint job on my car. Clearly many other Hyundai owners have expressed similar problems, especially with the pearl white. Why hasnt there been a recall or class action suit?

- Sandy A., New Rochelle, NY, US

problem #3

Nov 112014

Santa Fe GLS V6

  • CVT transmission
  • 16,000 miles

click to see larger images

paint coming off paint coming off paint coming off paint coming off

I had a remote starter installed and the windshield replaced on my 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe at the local Vitro-Plus on November 28, 2014. When I tried to remove the masking tape that they had applied to the windshield to keep the molding in place, the paint was peeling off underneath the tape.

I went back to Vitro-plus on December 01, 2014, where they told me that they had never seen anything like that before and that it looked like I had a paint problem. So I went to the local Gatineau Hyundai dealer where their garage manager briefly looked at the vehicle and said that there was nothing they could do because the vehicle had been repainted. I was very disappointed and I had my vehicle seen by three local auto body work experts. The three of them said that it was definitely a paint primer problem. I was told that the third body shop I consulted does body work for Gatineau Hyundai dealer where I went back right away.

The guy at the counter first told me that I shouldn't have had a remote starter installed by anybody else that Hyundai because it can cause serious electronic problems and void my warranty. Later on, looking at the vehicle, he tried to explain (?) that the paint peeling was caused by water infiltration and that this was not covered by warranty. I told him that the warranty had expired anyway and that I wanted to speak to the manager. He said that the manager was not available and he gave me Hyundai's coordinates on the web. I wrote Hyundai twice and twice they ignored the details of my complaint repeating that my warranty had expired. It is really hard on my wallet and on my pride as I am stuck with an otherwise very dependable and very pleasant to drive vehicle that has lost a lot of selling and trading value.

- jrforget, Gatineau, QC, canada

problem #2

Apr 012014

Santa Fe GLS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 118,000 miles

I PURCHASED MY 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE JUNE 2010 WITH 13,000 MILES. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO THE PAINT ABOVE THE DRIVER DOOR STARTED PEELING OFF AND NOW THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF THE ROOF ABOVE THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY HYUNDAI PAINT RECALLS.

- Tammy A., King William, VA, US

problem #1

Nov 022011

Santa Fe Limited V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 34,000 miles

paint came off trim above windshield HUSBAND TRAVELS, PAINT CAME OFF CAR. WE TOOK CAR TO BROKEN ARROW DEALERSHIP. THEY SENT US TO THEIR BODYSHOP AND HE GAVE US A QUOTE TO REPAIR, TWO WEEKS LATER TOOK BACK TO DEALRSHIP AND WE HAD GONE OVER 35,000 MILES SO HE TURNED US DOWN. WE TURNED IN COMPLAINT TO HYUNDAI AND THEY PUT IT ON FILE AND NOTHING WAS DONE. WE SAW ANOTHER 2009 THAT HAD SAME PAINT PEELING ON SAME AREA.

WE LATER HAD TO HAVE A CHIP REPLACED ON CAR AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP ON MEMORIAL AND HE SAID THE MANAGER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE PROBLEM IF WE HAD GONE THERE BECAUSE WE WERE BELOW WARRANTY MILEAGE WHEN WE FIRST WENT TO HIM.

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE OF THE WARRANTIES AND THEY DID NOT STAND BEHIND US. WE WERE GOING TO BUY ANOTHER ONE BUT NOT NOW AND EVERYTIME SOMEONE ASKS HOW I LIKE THE CAR I TELL THEM NOT TO GET ONE.

THE BODY SHOP THEY SENT US TO SAID IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS NOT PRIMED CORRECTLEY. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED

- Shirley D., Broken Arrow, OK, US