10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,875 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #49

Feb 012015

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 98,500 miles
Hyundai Santa Fe ESC light pops on intermittently and after pushing the on/off switch does not put it out. The check engine light also pops on along with the ESC light. Research shows this is a common problem in many Hyundai models and recalls have been issued. I am the original owner of the vehicle.

- St. Charles, IL, USA

problem #48

Dec 162014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 112,000 miles
Fuel gauge level erratic. Check engine code indicates fuel level sensors. No recalls have been issued for this problem.

- Irvine, CA, USA

problem #47

Feb 262015

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 142,700 miles
Warning light came on while driving vehicle indicating an electrical problem. Was able to drive home, but next day car would not start due to drained battery. Battery was then recharged and car driven to local Firestone store for diagnosis. Was determined that the alternator was not working properly due to oil that had leaked from the front valve cover gasket. The alternator was heavily caked with this oil/grime. After installing new valve cover gasket and alternator today, car now runs fine. This problem seems to me to be identical to that described in Hyundai's recall number 121 which covered certain veracruz models (NHTSA campaign number 14V415000) and therefore I believe that the recall should be extended to cover at least my car and probably others.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #46

Nov 012014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 81,000 miles
The fuel gauge began to fluctuate inaccurately, finally indicating the tank is empty and empty light in on. The engine light came on and stays on as well. A couple of different mechanics estimated it will cost between $700 and $1,100 dollars to track down and repair the problem. My inspection will be out of date soon and have noticed through research that there are several hundred cases and complaints concerning this issue with 2007, Hyundai, sante fe and other Hyundai vehicles. Why is there not a forced recall for the manufacturer to repair this design flaw for these cars" does someone have to lose their life for this issue to get repaired"

- Carrollton, TX, USA

problem #45

Apr 202013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 68,000 miles
Fuel level gage readout is faulty, providing erroneous and irregularly fluctuating readings on remaining gas levels. Took it to dennis Hyundai of dublin oh and was informed by service manager that this is a regular problem on 2007 Santa Fe's. he said the yellow check engine light that sporadically lights is triggered by faulty gas level sensor. The dealer cleared the trouble code for me and suggested I not waste my money on the costly repair of the sensor and use my odometer to track when I should fill the tank. Unfortunately the odometer is not designed or intended for this purpose. Most of the time the fuel level gage on the dashboard reads completely empty so I have no idea how much fuel remains in my tank. Also with the yellow check engine continually lit I'll have no practical way of knowing if some other emission control fault happens without repeatedly having to take the car to the dealer to verify the trouble code cause. Gas gauges serve a vital role in keeping the driver informed of when the tank needs more fuel. Without a reliable functioning gauge there is continual risk of depleting the fuel, resulting in a stalled engine and loss of power brakes and power steering, greatly increasing risk of an accident. It is evident from the number of complaints filed on this problem that there is a design flaw or defect in the parts or system involving this fuel level sensor and gauge. Isn't time Hyundai be made responsible for providing/funding a remedy for this defect?

- Gahanna, OH, USA

problem #44

Jan 282015

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 67,000 miles
I had a new battery installed two days earlier and car was running fine. Driving on the freeway, my battery light came on and the ESC and brake warning lights. This was about a mile from my intended exit. After the exit more lights came on and the engine started running rough. If I stepped on the brake, the tach and temperature gauges dropped to zero. As I pulled into my driveway, the engine died. I looked to see if I had broken a belt but saw it was intact. I did notice that the alternator seemed to be shiny from oil. I went online and searched for the symptoms and found that there was a recall for the veracruz with the very same symptoms caused by a leaking valve cover gasket. The recall is NHTSA campaign 14V415000. As others have stated, if it's the same engine with the same issue, it should be covered by the recall and the repairs covered.

- Tempe, AZ, USA

problem #43

Dec 012012

Santa Fe

  • 78,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving 70 mph, the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed an oil leak that damaged the alternator, battery, and computer chip. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

- Hudsonville, MI, USA

problem #42

Nov 242014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Airbag light is always on, as well as my check engine light. All doors do not always lock on their own, pushing lock button on keychain twice does not sound the beep to ensure doors locked, car alarm goes off randomly, fuel gauge does not work. All of these have been recalled by Hyundai but for some reason, my 2007 with less than 90,000 miles is not covered.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #41

Nov 172014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 91,924 miles
My wife tried to put car in reverse to avoid accident but could not because of failure of part stop lamp switch. She collided due to this failure. Hyundai has a recall on many vehicles including this model but not this manufacturing date. They are not including all the vehicles that have this defective part. This could cause accidents or deaths due to this.

- Nash, TX, USA

problem #40

Nov 142014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
Exactly as per Hyundai recall #121, the valve cover gasket leaked oil onto the alternator and destroyed the alternator: But Hyundai dealer is telling me my auto is not covered in the recall. This does not seem fair or right to me. Please help!

- Matthews, NC, USA

problem #39

Aug 012014

Santa Fe

  • 94,000 miles
2007 Santa Fe limited 6 cyl 3.3L. Oil is leaking from valve cover gasket killing the alternator and battery and the motor. Lights flash on dash seat belt light, battery light, ESC, TPMS. Replaced battery in the dark at first. I saw the same issues with a new battery. Then researched and saw similar issues pointing to valve cover gasket leaking oil onto alternator. I checked the valve cover in the light and saw the leak immediately and the alternator covered in oil. If the 2007 vera cruz is getting a recall for this exact same issue as of Aug 1st 2014, then the 2007 Santa Fe should as well as other years of Santa Fe's. dealership wants $900 plus tax to fix this. Also had to replace the fuel sending unit -that was $700 in Jan of 2013 and there are tons of complaints about that one too. I still smell gas when I fill the tank full and the check engine light comes on due to this. I can and have proven it using a obd code reader to reset the code, fill the tank and bingo code is back like the fuel cap is loose but it is not and the interior smells of gasoline till the fuel level is reduced.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #38

Jul 302014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 58,075 miles
On Wednesday, July 30th, 2014, I was driving on the freeway in my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe with my family and children on board at 60 mph when all of the warning lights on the dashboard flashed on at the same time. The vehicle started to shake, the engine stalled and both the steering and brakes suddenly became very heavy to operate. Luckily I managed to veer off the freeway before it completely shut down on a live high speed lane and ordered a tow truck from my auto club. The Hyundai dealership technician advise that the cause of this breakdown was an oil leak from a valve cover gasket onto the alternator, causing it to fail. The battery was also affected by chain of event. This cascading chain of breakdown is a systemic failure and this defect is not particular to only my car but is rampant with the Hyundai Santa Fe owners. Any internet search with " Santa Fe 2007 leaking valve cover gasket " will turn up countless results. It is also the same type of failure that has already been recalled from another Hyundai SUV, the veracruz as it was built on a Hyundai Santa Fe platform. I was lucky that I didn't come to a complete dead stop without warning on a live freeway lane at a high rate of speed as the result would have been catastrophic for all involved. Link to Hyundai veracruz recall with the same problem. www-ODI.NHTSA.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/ucm459247/rcdnn-14V415-5243P.pdf kind regards,

- Orchard Park, NY, USA

problem #37

Sep 092014

Santa Fe

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving 70 mph, the stop lamp switch failed and caused the cruise control and brakes to disengage. The brake lights failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 09V122000 (service brakes, hydraulic), but the failure recurred. The dealer stated that the stop lamp switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Saint Augustine , FL, USA

problem #36

Sep 092014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 78,970 miles
The gas gauge jumps all around. I can fill the tank up and then it will say empty. Don't ever know how much gas is in the car ever. I called the dealer that I bought the car at and they gave me the run around about getting it fixed. I have to put gas in the car every other day due to the gas gauge not working properly.

- Apollo , PA, USA

problem #35

Aug 202014

Santa Fe

  • 92,263 miles
While traveling on expressway at 65 mph our 2007 Santa Fe suddenly lost all power and we had to pull over to the emergency lane. A defective valve cover gasket leaked oil on the alternator causing it to short out and be damaged beyond repair. Hyundai have a recall (#121) on the 2007-2012 veracruz for the exact same problem. Clearly the Santa Fe needs to be included in the 121 recall. My family and I were placed in danger as we were in the left lane on a busy expressway and had to quickly merge over to the emergency lane on the right side while quickly losing speed. Additionally, the cost of repair was $750 for the alternator and gasket cover replacement.

- Grafton, WI, USA

problem #34

Sep 012013

Santa Fe

  • 85,000 miles
While driving down the highway, my driver's side sun visor fell from the ceiling and was dangling by the electrical wire which controls the automatic light when the visor is opened. This not only obstructed my view, but also caused a knee-jerk reaction to brake as the visor swung toward my face. Upon inspection, the plastic joint which holds the visor in place had failed. The visor had fallen despite the fact that I was not adjusting it at the time, and there were no significant bumps or hazards in the road which may have jarred it loose.

- Rowlett, TX, USA

problem #33

Jun 022008

Santa Fe

  • 15,300 miles
The airbag light has come on multiple times in my vehicle. The clockspring replacement recall was performed on my vehicle. The airbag indicator has continued to come on intermittently since then. Finally, about two months ago, the light came on and stayed on. I took the vehicle into the Hyundai dealership and they stated low voltage and reset the light. The light came back on immediately when I drove it off their lot. I took the vehicle back in and they stated it was because of the junction box and that I needed to spend $895 to replace it. I believe Hyundai should repair the airbag issue because of the failure of their airbag system throughout the entire time I have owned this vehicle. I will not buy a Hyundai again if this is not honored and I have purchased two brand new vehicles from them.

- Lynnwood, WA, USA

problem #32

Jul 122012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 41,798 miles
Air bag light on dash would stay on, andwhen locking car with key fob, lights would flash when pressing key fob first time, but on second press horn would not beep, vehicle alarm would go off intermittently replaced sensor under seat and it fixed problem for awhile.6-20-2007, same exact problem again.after googling symptoms have found numerous complaints of almost the same problem or some variation there of!my question to the safety board is, why haven't you forced a recall on Hyundai on this issue"lives are being placed in jeopardy by your inaction.is someone on Hyundai payroll there, or what"if so they should have become a senator or congressman, thats where the big payoffs are.

- Conneaut, OH, USA

problem #31

May 112014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
While driving my Hyundai sante fe 2007 I noticed the check engine light came on... I noticed the miles at little over 95000 so I thought it just needed service. Then the gas gauge light came on indicating I have no gas and was empty which I knew is impossible since I had filled up a day prior and had not done much driving. The check engine light then went off about a 2-4 miles later. I went to the gas station and filled up and the light went away... but will always come on or after half tank of gas. I took the car to the dealer for service and they indicated its the fuel senders. They indicated no warranty on my car since it has passed the 5 year 60,000 miles warranty and the cost would be paid by me to fix. I inquired if this was a systematic problem with this vehicle and the service rep indicated he has seen a few on this vehicle, however no recall made. Im complaining since I have viewed this to be an issue with this model car online and should be corrected by the company at no cost to the consumer.

- Wappingers Falls, NY, USA

problem #30

May 122014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 92,000 miles
As I was driving is a rain storm, my battery light came on. I lost my window defrosting capability, my lights dimmed and I had no power steering. I am not sure what else was affected at this time as I was just concentrating on getting home alive. When home, I opened the engine compartment and found that the crank shaft pulley had come apart. Lucky, it was laying on a small ledge in the car. This could have fallen off, damaged the engine compartment, fallen to the street and become a rolling piece of metal. If a woman had been driving(this is actually my girlfriends car), this would have been a dangerous situation.

- Mundelein, IL, USA

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