2.0

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
81,694 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #28

Nov 192011

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 70,000 miles
Had a malfunctioning fuel gauge. Which read 1/4 tank of gas, with an empty tank. This happened after the gauge had been jumping from full to empty a few times. Now the cars steering is starting to go. The car will all of a sudden pull while going around a banking turn, in either direction! on turns the ESC will constantly go off, even on turns it never used to happen on. Also the passenger side visor has fallen off completely. The car only has 88,000 miles and this all started happening November 2011. Every time I bring it to my mechanic he says there is nothing wrong with it and it continues to happen. Yesterday there was a recall for cars being built by our manufacturer in the same year with the same problems, why was my car not recalled"???" 2007 Hyundai sante

- Greenlawn, NY, USA

problem #27

Aug 072013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 43,492 miles
The brakes light was functioning (not on) when the brake pedal is depressed. The ESC off light start to stay on.

- East Longmeadow, MA, USA

problem #26

Jul 292013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 43,000 miles
Purchased used vehicle in March of 2013 at 32700 miles. 4 mos later at 43000 miles rear brakes began grinding severely. Took it to the dealer and they informed me the rear caliper got stuck/froze and the grinding damaged the rotor. Brake pad and rotor on rear driver side must be replaced and brake pad and rotor on passenger side needs resurfacing. Also ESC light has been turning off and on and dealership claims there is no recall on the brake switch despite the NHTSA having the brake switch listed as defective and causing issues with the ESC.

- Newark, NJ, USA

problem #25

Jul 032013

Santa Fe

  • 84,500 miles
Engine light and ESC light came on and would not accelerate appropriate.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #24

Jun 202013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
ESC off light on dash then check engine. Code is P0504 for brake switch. This condition is covered under other Hyundai campaigns and recalls but not for our VIN / build date. Please consider working with Hyundai to provide resolution to this issue. We are also being told there is a two week wait to have this repair performed. Vehicle safety during this delay is a concern should the ESC system malfunction while driving. Thank you.

- Holly Springs, NC, USA

problem #23

Jun 202013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 78,217 miles
While driving my 2007 Santa Fe going apc. 30 mph my car tried to stop itself. This has happened before but then stopped for a few months. My ESC light comes on each time. Thank god I wasn't on the interstate. I also have had the problem with my tire cupping. But my car trying to stop itself puts my life at risk. Something needs to be done before someone does get killed.

- Hopkins, SC, USA

problem #22

May 272013

Santa Fe

  • 106,300 miles
My experience and observation is same what is explain in the earlier post. I car does have brake light switch failure which was not covered under the recall. Unfortunately I have shell out $70 from pocket to fix it. The Hyundai dealer (Hyundai mark zimmerman) charged me $291 for fixing the tps and programming the ECM. When I would begin acceleration the vehicle would hesitate then take off rapidly then I would loose power to a speed of @ 25 miles per hour and the ESC off switch would appear on the dashboard followed by the check engine light. I safely pulled over and turned the vehicle off for about 30 seconds. Once I turned the vehicle back on, the dashboard lights would go out and I would repeat this cycle 8-9 times before being able to drive normally. On several occasions after driving normally for about 10 miles the ESC off light would reappear on the dashboard in my opinion this is a serious malfunction and certainly dangerous combination and should be labeled as a recall. Hyundai should value the safety and expectations of their car buyers. Thanks!

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #21

Apr 032013

Santa Fe

  • 87,245 miles
When I would begin acceleration the vehicle would hesitate then take off rapidly then I would loose power to a speed of @ 15 miles per hour and the ESC off switch would appear on the dashboard followed by the check engine light. I safely pulled over and turned the vehicle off for about 30 seconds. Once I turned the vehicle back on, the dashboard lights would go out and I would repeat this cycle 8-9 times before being able to drive normally. On several occasions after driving normally for about 10 miles the ESC off light would reappear on the dashboard and I would loose power while driving sometimes on a highway which was extremely dangerous to go from 60 mph to coasting at @ 15 mph. Diagnosis from the car dealer is the throttle position censor and throttle body part. In my opinion this is a serious malfunction and certainly dangerous combination and should be labeled as a recall. Hyundai should value the safety and expectations of their car buyers. When we as consumers purchase a vehicle we expect an excellent quality product. I researched this vehicle before purchasing and was led to buy it because of the many solid qualities I found. As a consumer, I am disappointed in this malfunction and equally disappointed in Hyundai for not stepping up to the plate to correct this major safety, quality and important issue. Furthermore, I was in the market to upgrade my sante fe, however now I will be looking into another vehicle to purchase.

- Knightdale, NC, USA

problem #20

May 152010

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 37,975 miles
My 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe will randomly apply the brakes while driving. Very dangerous.the brakes will apply making the car pull to the right or left may cause the car to veer into the next lane. I would need to press on the brakes to make them release.the first time this happened I thought it was the brake pads needing to be replaced we replaced the brakes and the problem did not occur again for maybe a year.it happen so much in 2011& 2012 I did not feel safe driving the car.I took my car to hardin Hyundai 6/09/12 explained in detail that the brakes would apply when I was driving, and the ESC light was coming on. I told the dealership that we had changed the brake pads hoping this would resolve the issue it did not. The dealer recommended 3 tires, alignment and pins were missing when we did the brake job and that was causing the brakes to stick. We did what was suggested.this did not correct the problem.the dealership did not put it on the computer to diagnosis the issue.the car is out of warranty now so I took it to an independent mechanic he did diagnosis it with the computer. The ESC module is bad. Now I a'm driving with the ESC off.when driving with the ESC off it doesn''t randomly brake but will sometimes make a horrible grinding sound and the brakes stick when the brakes are applied.this is not good either.why require this safety feature in every car if it will fail and cause an accident and if the dealership can not diagnosis it correctly. Some Hyundai have been recalled for this problem so I feel the dealerships should be well aware of this issue.the work order does not mention brakes nor did they try to diagnosis it correctly. Was this an intentional move by Hyundai so they do not have to acknowledge that their ESC modules are still failing. I feel extremely lucky that I have not been injured due to this malfunction. Hyundai failed on this issue.

- Orange, CA, USA

problem #19

Mar 182013

Santa Fe

  • 100,000 miles
Cruise control would turn on but not allow a speed to be set. Also ESC off light remained on dash solid. We never received any notice of a recall from Hyundai. I see numerous other Hyundai owners who have had this problem.also the check engine light has been on and won't turn off no matter how many times the cap is taken off then put back on after three turns. Fuel reads empty when tank is full.

- Winter Park, FL, USA

problem #18

Dec 072011

Santa Fe

  • 28,591 miles
Electronic stability control (ESC) malfunction light illuminated, check engine light on. Diagnostic scan indicated a bad brake lite switch. Same symptoms as NHTSA campaign 09V122000 but Hyundai dealer and customer assistance center claim vehicle is not part of this campaign.

- Yonkers, NY, USA

problem #17

Nov 302012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 28,500 miles
While driving at 35 mph, accelerator suddenly did no longer respond and "check engine" and ESC warning lit up and speed decreased. I was able to coast at 5-10 mph to the nearest dealer 8 miles away. They immediately diagnosed it to the tps unit (throttle position sensor), which was replaced under an extended warranty. However this is the second incident with this car. The first time happened in October 2007 just a week after we bought the car. We had to coast down a mountain from 8000 feet. At that time the tps unit was also replaced but under the original warranty. It is scary if/when it happens while passing a vehicle on the freeway or even in dense city traffic. I will alert Hyundai to this problem myself.

- Green Valley, AZ, USA

problem #16

Aug 152012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 56,000 miles
Faulty brake switch A/B. obd codes P0571 & P0504 recorded. Symptoms: Brake lights would not light with brake pedal depressed. Cruise control would turn on but not allow a speed to be set. Also ESC off light remained on dash solid. Seems to be exact symptoms associated with NHTSA campaign id number 09V122000. We never received any notice of that recall from Hyundai. When I brought it to the attention of my local Hyundai dealership, I was told that recall did not apply to my vehicle. When I contacted Hyundai support I was told the same thing. I see numerous other Hyundai owners who have had this problem were also told the recall did not apply to their vehicle (via internet reports). I believe the recall should have applied to my vehicle. I have replaced the part myself and the repair seems to have corrected all the symptoms. The removed part is a genuine part of Hyundai/Kia. It is P/N 92810-3K000. Below the P/N is ">PA66-GF30<" and "infac". there is a red and a green stripe painted across this face of the part. On another face of the part is stamped "6D07".

- Rochester, MN, USA

problem #15

May 102012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 109,314 miles
Brake light switch malfunction caused vehicle transmission shifter to be stuck in drive or reverse. Vehicle transmission shifter could not be shifted into park. Malfunction also caused electronic stability control to shut off and cruise control did not deactivate when the brake pedal was depressed. Brake light switch was replaced in 2010 due to malfunction with this new brake light switch, which also malfunctioned. Hyundai claimed vehicle was not part of recall id# 78947 for service brakes, hydraulic:switches:brake light. However, again, brake light switch was replaced in 2010 with another malfunctioning brake light switch. Updated 10/31/12 updated 11/1/2012

- Newark, DE, USA

problem #14

Aug 032012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
Electronic stability control (ESC) malfunction light illuminates, brake lights inoperable. Turning off vehicle and restarting temporarily restores function. Exact same symptoms as NHTSA campaign 09V122000 but Hyundai dealer and customer assistance center claim vehicle is not part of this campaign.

- Oxford, MS, USA

problem #13

Jun 032011

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 48,500 miles
I noticed the vehicle made a clinking sound when going over bumps; the dealer claimed it was a cd in the side pocket of the car. Second visit they claimed to inspect suspension and find nothing wrong. Third visit they reinspected suspension and replaced one piece of driver side suspension, fourth visit they inspected and replaced another piece of driver side suspension, fifth visit they realigned and did a wheel balance (which should have happened with repairs 3 and 4). Sixth visit they claimed they could not hear the clunk anymore, I am going into the seventh visit with the car still clunking and now the electronic stability control light turns on and off intermittently in everyday traffic under dry conditions at 20 mph. Each visit they tell me they will repair any damages that may be caused by a failure of a part - yeah right! in a poor economy they would rather I smash my car than have it for years (I only have 58000 miles on a 2007 vehicle).

- Dublin, OH, USA

problem #12

Jun 292012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 43,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that he attempted to park in his driveway, but the vehicle would not shift into park. The contact also noticed that the brake light was not illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and they stated that the VIN was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number: 09V122000 (service brakes, hydraulic:switches:brake light). The failure mileage was 43,000 and the current mileage was 44,800. Updated 08/28/12 the consumer also stated on three occasions the ESC malfunctioned for no reason while in traffic. After pulling over, shutting down and restarting the vehicle, the problem cleared. Updated 08/29/12

- Derby , KS, USA

problem #11

Jun 152012

Santa Fe

  • 81,300 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, she noticed that the brake lights were not illuminating. The contact also stated that the electronic stability control warning light was illuminated permanently and indicated that the electronic stability control (ESC) was off. In addition, the contact stated that the cruise control failed although the cruise control light would illuminate. The vehicle was not taken to dealer and repairs were not made. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The current and approximate failure mileage was 81,300.

- The Woodlands , TX, USA

problem #10

Mar 212012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 17,500 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the electronic stability control warning lamp illuminated as the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that he was able to restart the vehicle but the failure recurred within driving a very short distance. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance and advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 09V122000 (service brakes, hydraulic:switches:brake light). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 17,500. Updated 04/27/12 the consumer stated the vehicle lost power and the ESC light illuminated. The dealer replaced the throttle position sensor and updated the ECM

- Cullman, AL, USA

problem #9

Dec 092011

Santa Fe

  • 75,000 miles
ESC off light is illuminated when vehicle is not in park, and check engine light is illuminated. Brake lights don't work (seem to be always on). I got the problem code from the vehicle, did some research, and found Hyundai campaign 092 covered these conditions caused by a faulty stop lamp switch. I contacted Hyundai, and they informed me my vehicle was manufactured (July 2006) prior to the recall date range (which started in Oct 2006), and would not be replaced without charge by a dealer. This is the same problem as was covered in the recall, and Hyundai should be liable to fix it!

- Marion, IA, USA

Read the next 8 complaints »