3.6

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,804 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments

problem #9

Feb 242014

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Was turning in to my housing development and car just cut out and stalled in middle of road. Thank goodness no cars were coming toward me. Put it in to park and it started back up. Very dangerous!!! has happened a dozen more times since the first incident.

- Moon, PA, USA

problem #8

Jun 022014

Santa Fe

  • 74,500 miles
The check engine light came on in the car, I took it to be diagnosed and it is a failure of the fuel level sensor. Apparently Hyundai is well aware of this very common problem and refuses to issue a recall. Additionally, the entire assembly is only sold together, therefore this is a fix that will cost at least $800 which I cannot afford. So now I just have to drive around with the check engine light on at all times, having no idea how much fuel I have or if any other engine issues have come up. Shame on Hyundai.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #7

Dec 022013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 107,000 miles
Gas gauge started to malfunction. Also check engine light comes on. Gas tank is full and is reacting wildly. Dealer says it's a $650 fix. This should be a recall !!! safety issue.

- Ozawkie, KS, USA

problem #6

Oct 092009

Santa Fe

  • 56,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

See attached email updated 06/04/2013 the occupant classification system (osc) does not consistently recognize small-statured adults, causing the passenger side air bag to deactivate when such person occupy the front seat. Also, there were problems with the transmission, a knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle, the vehicle shutting down, an issue with the throttle cable, and a whining sound upon acceleration.

- Ririe, ID, USA

problem #5

Feb 252009

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 6,820 miles
When trying to park the car, the car does not recognize it is in park, even though the gear shift is in park. Therefore, you cannot turn your car completely off or remove the key from the ignition. The car has been serviced 6 times over the course of 3 years for the same issue.

- Kingwood, TX, USA

problem #4

Feb 142008

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
The gas mileage on my vehicle is 14 mpg city driving; total highway driving is 18mpg and combined 15- 16 mpg. I am a very conservative driver and have driven for 47 years. My mileage is so poor I contacted the Hyundai Corp. Repeatedly on this. I've spoken on a few occasions with the CEO[xxx], and corresponded with him as well via email after getting no satisfaction/help from the regional person. The CEO's wife grew up in my area (lake oswego, or.) and that is why he called me personally. However, the bottom line was nothing has happened as a result of this call. He offered me the following: He offered to exchange my vehicle which had about 8,000 miles on it by the time he got in touch with me for a new 2009 sonata fwd and it was the old model as Hyundai was coming out with a totally revamped 2010 sonata model. I bought my Santa Fe AWD because I wanted a SUV with AWD! if I wanted a sedan, I would have bought one! I begged him to give me another comparably equipped Santa Fe as they could find no reason mechanically why my mileage was so low and I always double check it manually in addition to the computer output. So, I refused to accept this offer and I spend a huge amount on gas and I live on a small fixed income and cannot afford to buy another Santa Fe! others I've questioned with the same vehicle and equipped comparably get 20 mpg or more city driving. Reading Hyundai has done nothing about so many issues brought up is abominable. Someone needs to do something about this so lives aren't lost and people aren't paying at almost $4/gallon for all this gas I have to keep buying in my case. There is definitely something major wrong with my engine or something that prevents me from getting the mileage I should. As I said, I am a very conservative driver. Please intervene with the manufacturer on all these matters.they truly don't care about consumers. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Lake Oswego, OR, USA

problem #3

May 282011

Santa Fe

  • 14,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the ESC, check engine and AWD warning lights illuminated as the vehicle then stalled. The vehicle was restarted and as the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle continued to drive with an extreme loss of power. The contact shut off the vehicle and when restarted, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact to bring the vehicle in for an inspection. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 14,000.

- Eastchester, NY, USA

problem #2

Dec 262010

Santa Fe

  • 53,375 miles
On 12/26/2010, my husband and 2 children were returning from NJ to ct via the garden state parkway, New Jersey turnpike and the george Washington bridge. Four times during that trip, our Hyundai Santa Fe suddenly lost power. Each time the loss of power occurred there was no precipitating event, just a sudden and random loss of power followed by the ESC light illuminating on the dash. He had to coast thru traffic, find a safe place to stop and turn the car off and back on again to regain power. We took the car to the Hyundai dealer in meriden ct and they interrogated the computer. The service tech told us they replaced the tps (throttle position) sensor. We did some amateur research on the internet and within 10 minutes of researching, came across dozens of Santa Fe owners who experienced the same event. We are wondering why there has been no recall on the Santa Fe models that are affected. We also want to make sure the proper authorities are aware of the situation so that necessary action can be taken. We are so fortunate that the drivers near us all four times were paying attention and didn't Ram us from behind. These are heavily traveled roads with many trucks, tractor trailers and cars, all travelling at a high rate of speed and sometimes following closely. This is a potential tragedy for another family who isn't as lucky.

- Wallingford, CT, USA

problem #1

May 252010

Santa Fe

  • 541 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving at 80mph the contact attempted to change lanes and the vehicle started to loose power, the steering failed, and the service engine light illuminated. She was able to move the vehicle unto the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer test drove the vehicle and was unable to recreate the failure. The diagnostic testing did not produce a failure code, therefore the dealer stated the vehicle was out of gas. On June 8, 2010 while reversing from the drive way the failure re-occurred. The gear did not release from reverse and the power steering failed. The vehicle was towed the garage to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 541 and the current mileage was 21,817.

- Des Plaines, IL, USA

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