Problems · NHTSA complaints

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe problems

Owners filed 359 complaints about the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe with NHTSA between Sep 2009 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is fuel/propulsion system (109).

Complaints
359
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
26
People reported injured
Deaths
3
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Fuel/propulsion system109
  2. Engine60
  3. Vehicle speed control51
  4. Electrical system50
  5. Service brakes41
  6. Air bags29
  7. Power train24
  8. Steering17
  9. Fuel system, gasoline17
  10. Structure14
  11. Exterior lighting9
  12. Suspension8
  13. Visibility/wiper7
  14. Engine and engine cooling7

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20095
201021
201115
201218
201323
201436
201553
201637
201731
201834
201921
202016
202111
202210
20239
20248
20256
20265

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Fuel/propulsion system

109 reports2 crashes
“My kids and I were going to town one afternoon and I started to smell gas coming from the air vents the gas smell was very strong I opened the hood and could see that it was wet I touched the spot and smelled it and it was fuel.i was worried about driving home with my children in the car so I called my brother he came looked and tracked down the issue and the fuel leak was coming from the front fuel rail.i had never heard of a fuel rail going out on a vehicle before so calling around to parts stores and auto parts recycling places to get it fixed and no one will sale me one they have all told me to take it to dealership.please help it's the only vehicle my children and i have.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 1, 2023Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11553044

Engine

60 reports3 crashes
“*The mechanic diagnosed internal engine failure (May 14, 2026). The vehicle is at the second mechanic's shop. *The car stalled twice. The first time, over 20 miles, the air conditioning stopped, followed by the radio, and then acceleration. I pulled over and the acceleration returned but only for a minute. The second time, a clacking noise got louder and faster, and three miles later the engine stopped. I coasted and pulled over but had to shift to neutral and use the parking brake to stop. *The first time was a two-lane road (55 MPH). As I lost acceleration, cars slowed behind me. It took so long to turn off on a side road, the car behind me almost hit me as they speeded up to pass. The second time was a busy two-lane road (45 MPH), but the engine stopped so quickly, the person behind me almost rear ended me. Without the steering, the car crossed the middle lane, and I had to haul the steering wheel so I could pull off to a side street. *The first repair shop said the oil was low and suggested the place that changed the oil did not know what it was doing and perhaps didn't put the cap on right. The oil was dripping over the engine and to the bottom of the…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 20, 2026EngineODI 11739169

Vehicle speed control

51 reports11 crashes
“1.) Throttle Control failure, and is available for inspection 2.) My and the public saftey was put in risk, as I lost control of the vehicle an almost had an accident, and could have hit another vehicle or person or building. 3.) The problem has not occured again other than the multiple times on 10/10/2023. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I had O'Reilly Auto Parts check for failure codes on 10/10/2023 and found none. 4.) The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. 5.) There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The next morning when I started the vehicle the "Cruise" lamp was on. While idling in heavy traffic, vehicle throttle began over revving with my foot on the brake, I was not using Cruise Control, I had not used Cruise Control for over a week. I did not see the Cruise indicator on. I had to push hard on the Brake to keep the vehicle from lurching forward, I almost could not keep the vehicle from ramming the car in front of me. I pulled off of SR 32 in Eastgate, OH into a parking lot and it did…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 12, 2023Vehicle speed controlODI 11549606

Electrical system

50 reports1 crash2 fires
“2 unrepaired recalls. Frame rusted and unsafe to lift to repair the other recall which is an oil leak onto the alternator. Car won't run now. Corporate asked if I had a lawyer. They have declared my car not fixable or drivable. Neither corporate nor dealer will return my calls. No info from them at all. No offer of a buyback. No anything.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 29, 2026Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 11740912

Service brakes

41 reports7 crashes1 fire
“Brake Lights Stay, On ESC OFF Light Illuminated, Cruise Control Won't Engage, Unable to Shift Out of Park. Fuse had to be pulled because the battery was going dead due to lights not turning off. Its doing the same thing that is outlined in this recall (NHTSA Campaign ID: 13V113000)”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 23, 2026Service brakesODI 11758932

Air bags

29 reports8 crashes1 related recall
“On January 16,2025 I was driving my Hyundai Santa Fe on the freeway with my three children when the automatic brake system suddenly failed, causing me to lose control of the vehicle. As a result, we spun off the road, and the vehicle flipped four times, causing us multiple injuries. Additionally, due to a known recall involving the failure of the airbag deployment system, the airbags did not deploy during the crash. These combined defects caused me and my children to suffer significant injuries, including broken cervical spine. Broken thoracic spine and Broken Sternum. My daughter has a fractured spine and sternum. And both my sons have serious bruising and head trauma. Both the automatic brake system and the airbag system on this vehicle are part of existing recalls issued by Hyundai Motors. These failures directly contributed to the severity of our accident and the injuries we sustained”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 21, 2025Air bags, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11637444
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.