10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
75,615 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.

2007 Hyundai Santa Fe drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe:

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

2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #26

Sep 152022

Santa Fe

  • miles

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

Check Engine Light was lighting up on and off sporadically and fuel gage was showing E with light on and now both are not working properly. The check engine light stays on and fuel gage always shows empty even when it is full.

- Daniels, WV, USA

problem #25

Jul 232015

Santa Fe

  • miles
Park N Fly Mississauga Canada. Vehicle in parked position. Vehicle reversed from position and driven for 50-75 feet. Driver made a left turn and within two seconds the vehicle started accelerating on its own. Driver-€™s head and hands bounced off the steering for a brief moment and then returned. Engine could be heard revving continuously in an increasing manner. Nothing on the gas pedal nor was it manually depressed. The pedal felt stuck with no recoil like what is usually felt when ones foot is taken off the accelerator. Driver attempted to depress brakes to maximum capacity but the system would not override the acceleration and the motion the car was travelling. Car continued to pickup speed to about 70 km/hr. Attempted to slightly turn into a side lane. Cars were parked in facing each other position. Driver clipped the first vehicle, then deflected and ran into three other vehicles before becoming wedged. Passenger front tire continue to spin and burnt thread. Driver front tire intact

- Mississauga, OH, USA

problem #24

Jan 132018

Santa Fe

  • 76,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving 75 mph, the vehicle decelerated to 20 mph and drove slowly. The vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. Also, the electronic stability control warning indicator illuminated. The contact called napleton Hyundai (3703 North lake blvd, lake park, fl 33403, 888-691-9402), but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 76,000.

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA

problem #23

Apr 102018

Santa Fe

  • 150,000 miles

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

Vehicle intermittently does not turn on withought cycling of the shifter from park to drive repeatedly. I have taken the car to a reputable ase certified mechanic and was informed that it was a bad shifter cable. He also stated this was a know problem with this year and model vehicle.

- Monroe, NY, USA

problem #22

Apr 092018

Santa Fe

  • 99,450 miles
I had just gotten on the interstate and the car started and continued accelerating on its own. I had the wipers going; cruise was not turned on or set, there was nothing obstructing brake or accelerator petals. I turned the lights to auto then down to running lights then to the on position. Just at that moment when I put the lights in the on position is when it took over the accelerator. I tried stepping on the break and it did nothing as the vehicle continued to accelerate. I made it to the off ramp to get off the interstate immediately. I tried turning cruise on then off and down shifting. Then I put it into neutral and it stopped accelerating but I still could not brake. I started to push on the emergency brake and we started to slow down until we coasted into a gas station and shut the car off. I called roadside assistance and was towed to a garage. I called Hyundai service and they told me if nothing is found or it can't be fixed that I should contact Consumer Affairs. I did some research and found over 50 complaints for this same thing. Apparently this has to do with the fact that the throttle control is driven by the computer/electric. Because of this something like a power surge happens that causes the acceleration and the brakes to not work. If this would have happened to me with more traffic, I would have crashed. It appears to be fine now but I understand it is intermittent and can't be duplicated; therefore, Hyundai will not do anything about it. The fact of the matter is they don't know what to do. But it doesn't change the fact that this causes accidents and is a safety issue. I am now scared to drive my own vehicle. Complaints/investigations/recalls were found on: NHTSA.gov, forum.edmonds.com understanding issue found on: Suddenacceleration.com

- St Francis, WI, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #21

Jun 012014

Santa Fe

  • 150,000 miles
'intermittently' hesitates to almost stall on moving forward from stop, and 'bucks' while moving steadily at constant speeds below 40mph. Average gas mileage has deteriorated from 19 - 20 to 15 - 16. Car has always run on mobile one and regularly serviced. Car has stalled while in motion on open road!

- Gloversville, NY, USA

problem #20

Oct 212016

Santa Fe

  • miles

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

I arrived home from work and my car wouldnt shift into park.it will not shift without using the lock mechanism by the shifter. Now when I put it in gear it automatically has the ecs off light on the dash

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #19

Mar 052013

Santa Fe

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the brake ESC warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake solenoid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. In addition, the contact stated that the gear shifter failed to go into reverse or park and the ESC brake light illuminated. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V113000 (exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #18

Nov 242015

Santa Fe

  • 115,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. While attempting to shift the vehicle into drive from the park position, the vehicle would not shift. While at a completed stop, the contact was informed by another motorist that the vehicle's brake lights were not illuminating. The contact also stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 13V113000 (exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic), 09V122000 (service brakes, hydraulic) or 11V472000 (air bags). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.

- Bothan, AL, USA

problem #17

Nov 022015

Santa Fe

  • 133,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving 55 mph, the vehicle started to make an abnormal noise. The contact coasted the vehicle over to the side of the road and turned off and restarted the engine. The vehicle failed to accelerate forward and would only move backwards. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission failed and caused the vehicle to lose power. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000.

- Richmond Hill, NY, USA

problem #16

Aug 012014

Santa Fe

  • 94,000 miles

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

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 #15

Apr 162014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 92,500 miles
When traveling between 10-20 mph, the car unexpectedly will shift and accelerate for a brief moment. Then the lights on the instrument panel will flicker and the car will shut off, losing power steering and power train capabilities. There is no issue with the battery or electrical panel or the transmission. It has happened several times, always without warning.

- New Haven , CT, USA

problem #14

Sep 172014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 25,000 miles
Same oil leak as proposed recall for our 2010 vera cruz with the same engine (V6).

- Huntingdon Valley , PA, USA

problem #13

May 312014

Santa Fe

  • 68,308 miles
As I was driving the clutch pedal suddenly dropped to the floor from underneath my foot. Then the car started to accelerate, even though my foot was on the brake and over the clutch. I was luckily able to get it back under control without hitting anyone, and get it pulled over, but it wasn't easy. Having a friend and 2 babies in the car with me, it was fairly terrifying. We got it pulled over and stopped, and finally got the clutch moving up to put the car in neutral and turn it on and off again, but we never did get it back into gear so we had a tow truck come clear it from the road. Never would have expected anything like that, let alone on a car with only 68000 miles.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #12

May 282014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 83,312 miles
While driving on hi way 85 the vehicle went into limp mode because of a faulty throttle position sensor. The vehicle quickly decelerated and caused a large truck to have to brake and nearly jack knife. The fix when this happens is to turn off the vehicle for several minutes and restart the engine. There are many blogs on this issue where this has happened to other owners of this vehicle. Normally this is a $50 part 3.3L engine, however with a 2.7 liter engine Hyundai is only selling the entire throttle body which is a $500 part. This failure on freeways and major roads can an most likely will cause serious injury and death if it has not already.

- Grayson, GA, USA

problem #11

Jan 212014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 89,000 miles
Exiting from a parking lot onto 7th St in phoenix AZ, vehicle suddenly accelerated and, despite brake application, entered the roadway, hitting a Mercury Grand Marquis in the side. Nobody was injured and airbags did not inflate. Once stopped, it was impossible to move the gear shift from neutral into park to release the key. Vehicle towed and, as frame was damaged as well as front end and radiator, insurance are writing the vehicle off.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #10

Feb 072014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 136,000 miles
Per the NHTSA web site service bulletin 219304 action number 10021136 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe report date Oct 1,2006 summary detail automatic trans axle shift lever will not shift out of park. On 2/7/2014 my call would not shift out of park. I contacted Hyundai at 8006335151 to ask for assistance regarding this safety matter. Was told this matter was only assisted for some 2007 Hyundai vehicles and my VIN was not one. Was also told according to when my car was manufactured Feb 6,2007 and the report date according to NHTSA Oct 1,2006 the car had to me manufactured between Oct 2006 thru March 2007. At that point my car was covered during that time. This is a safety component and the manufacture will not cover my vehicle. I have to pay the dealership out of pocket per customer service. My claim number is 6413148. My car is at web Hyundai for repair and the Hyundai will not cover the cost of the repair of this safety issue. Web Hyundai number is 219 923-2277 and my service advisor name is [xxx] which confirmed to me this is the repair due Feb 18,2014. Please assist. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Lansing , IL, USA

problem #9

Nov 152013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
TL - the contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into any gears other than neutral and drive. The contact mentioned that the failure prevented the driver from removing the key from the ignition and turning off the vehicle. Also, the contact stated that the ESC warning lamp illuminated sporadically. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 80,000.

- Plainview, NY, USA

problem #8

Jan 012014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact was driving 25 mph when the brake lamp failed. The contact also stated that she had experienced difficulty shifting gears. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V113000 (exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic). The approximate failure mileage was 110,000...updated 02-28-14 updated 03/14/2014

- Hermosa Beach, CA, USA

problem #7

Nov 192013

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the low fuel gauge indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the light would illuminate intermittently when the fuel tank was full. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the fuel gauge needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure was 74,000. Updated 03/20/14 the consumer stated the throttle body failure caused the vehicle to reduce speed. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was repaired. Updated 03/28/2014

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

Read the next 6 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?