2011 Hyundai SANTA FE

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Hyundai SANTA FE has 268 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (27% of all complaints), specifically: new santa fe, 45 days old, screeching / metal on metal grinding sound. dealership could not find a problem. at 3 months old, car engine turned off while driving. dealership could not find a problem. nothing done to correct the failure. do not trust car. *tr. ⚠️ 10 fire reports filed.

10 fire reports 18 crash reports 14 injuries

268

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

72 complaints

27%

• NEW SANTA FE, 45 DAYS OLD, SCREECHING / METAL ON METAL GRINDING SOUND. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AT 3 MONTHS OLD, CAR ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. DO NOT TRUST CAR. *TR
• ON MAY 26TH 2011 AROUND 6:20 PM WHEN I DROVE ON A LOCAL DOWN HILL ROAD WHICH IS ABOUT 400 YARD LONG, AT A SPEED ABOUT 20 MPH, MY CAR LOST BRAKE AND POWER STEERING. I SUPPOSED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN I PRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR CAN'T STOP AND THE PEDAL WAS VERY HEAVY, A
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 68 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EMIT A LOUD BANGING NOISE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. A STATE TROOPER APPEARED ON THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 6 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“NEW SANTA FE, 45 DAYS OLD, SCREECHING / METAL ON METAL GRINDING SOUND. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AT 3 MONTHS OLD, CAR ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. DO NOT TRUST CAR. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

26 complaints

10%

• I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE REPORTED IN OTHER ODI COMPLAINTS. SPECIFICALLY, MY VEHICLE STALLS RANDOMLY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS. ODI ID #10460671, #10453272, AND #10412636, ALL SEEM TO REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE. OCCASIONALLY, WHILE BRAKING OR ALLOWING THE CAR
• I WAS SHOWING MY NEW/USED 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE TO SOME FRIENDS WHEN WE HEARD A POP AND THE REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND THE VEHICLE AND WHERE IT WAS PARKED THERE WAS NO WHERE SOMEONE COULD HAVE SHOT THE WINDOW WITH A PELLET GUN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. EARLIER IN THE MORNING I
• NOTE: IT IS AT PRETTY MUCH ALL SPEEDS AND NOT JUST 55 THAT THE VARIATION CAN BE SEEN BETWEEN DEVICES AND THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THIS USED WITH 29K MILES ON IT. I NOTICED ON THE DRIVE BACK FROM MD TO PA THAT THE SPEED ON THE SPEEDOMETER WAS DIFFERENT THAN MY TOMTOM GPS. A FRIEND WAS DRIVING IN A

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE REPORTED IN OTHER ODI COMPLAINTS. SPECIFICALLY, MY VEHICLE STALLS RANDOMLY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS. ODI ID #10460671, #10453272, AND #10412636, ALL SEEM TO REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE. OCCASIONALLY, WHILE BRAKING OR ALLOWING THE CAR ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

24 complaints

• STOPPED ON A SLOPE 5-20 FT. LONG (UP OR DOWN), REMOVE RIGHT FOOT FROM BRAKE PEDAL TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC- SANTA FE WILL BARELY MOVE FORWARD REGARDLESS HOW MUCH ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR "PUMPED" THEN: SUDDENLY WILL SPIN FRONT TIRES-ACCELERATING VERY RAPI
• ON DECEMBER 19,2011 I WAS SLOWING DOWN COMING TO A STOP SIGN AND ON OR ABOUT THE TIME AS I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE MOTOR STARTED RACING OUT OF CONTROL. I PUT ALL MY WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR, THEN SLAMMED THE GEAR INTO PARK AND TURNED THE MOTOR OFF. I THEN HAD THE CAR TO
• THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LAST MONTHLY SINCE PURCHASE IN AUGUST 2011. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP PLACEMENT OF ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS CAUSES MY FOOT TO PRESS BOTH PEDALS AT SAME TIME. YESTERDAY WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A "T" INTERSECTION THE FRONT END ENTERED THE INTERSECTION AS ANOTHER VEHICLE WA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 4 crashes

“STOPPED ON A SLOPE 5-20 FT. LONG (UP OR DOWN), REMOVE RIGHT FOOT FROM BRAKE PEDAL TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC- SANTA FE WILL BARELY MOVE FORWARD REGARDLESS HOW MUCH ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR "PUMPED" THEN: SUDDENLY WILL SPIN FRONT TIRES-ACCELERATING VERY RAPI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

23 complaints

• ON MAY 26TH 2011 AROUND 6:20 PM WHEN I DROVE ON A LOCAL DOWN HILL ROAD WHICH IS ABOUT 400 YARD LONG, AT A SPEED ABOUT 20 MPH, MY CAR LOST BRAKE AND POWER STEERING. I SUPPOSED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN I PRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR CAN'T STOP AND THE PEDAL WAS VERY HEAVY, A
• DRIVING SLOWLY IN TRAFFIC DOWN A HILL MY STEERING WHEEL, GEAR SHIFT AND BRAKES LOCKED UP. IMMEDIATELY MY GENERATOR LIGHT CAME ON MY DASHBOARD. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND SOMEHOW GET THE CAR IN PARK. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND REALIZED THROUGH MY MANUAL MY GENERATOR LIGHT WAS ON. I OPENED THE HOOD AND
• THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LAST MONTHLY SINCE PURCHASE IN AUGUST 2011. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP PLACEMENT OF ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS CAUSES MY FOOT TO PRESS BOTH PEDALS AT SAME TIME. YESTERDAY WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A "T" INTERSECTION THE FRONT END ENTERED THE INTERSECTION AS ANOTHER VEHICLE WA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“ON MAY 26TH 2011 AROUND 6:20 PM WHEN I DROVE ON A LOCAL DOWN HILL ROAD WHICH IS ABOUT 400 YARD LONG, AT A SPEED ABOUT 20 MPH, MY CAR LOST BRAKE AND POWER STEERING. I SUPPOSED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN I PRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR CAN'T STOP AND THE PEDAL WAS VERY HEAVY, A”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

21 complaints

• I PURCHASED A HYUNDAI, NOT EVEN ONE MONTH AGO. DECEMBER 12TH 2010. VIN [XXX] HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2011 IT IS SUPPOSED TO GET 20-26 MILES PER GALLON. WHILE DRIVING THE HIGHWAY FROM FLORIDA TO NC IT GOT 15 MILES TO THE GALLON. ON THE WAY BACK THE SAME THING. IN ADDITION THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RIGHT, T
• DRIVING SLOWLY IN TRAFFIC DOWN A HILL MY STEERING WHEEL, GEAR SHIFT AND BRAKES LOCKED UP. IMMEDIATELY MY GENERATOR LIGHT CAME ON MY DASHBOARD. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND SOMEHOW GET THE CAR IN PARK. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND REALIZED THROUGH MY MANUAL MY GENERATOR LIGHT WAS ON. I OPENED THE HOOD AND
• AFTER LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I PUSHED ON THE PEDAL AND THE CAR DID NOT MOVE FOR SECONDS. CAR HESITATES ALL THE TIME. AFRAID TO MAKE LEFT TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION BECAUSE I AM NOT SURE IF THE VEHICLE WILL MOVE. VEHICLE ALSO HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING TO PASS SLOW MOVING VEHICLES. REPORTED ISSUE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“I PURCHASED A HYUNDAI, NOT EVEN ONE MONTH AGO. DECEMBER 12TH 2010. VIN [XXX] HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2011 IT IS SUPPOSED TO GET 20-26 MILES PER GALLON. WHILE DRIVING THE HIGHWAY FROM FLORIDA TO NC IT GOT 15 MILES TO THE GALLON. ON THE WAY BACK THE SAME THING. IN ADDITION THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RIGHT, T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 268 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: NEW SANTA FE, 45 DAYS OLD, SCREECHING / METAL ON METAL GRINDING SOUND. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AT 3 MONTHS OLD, CAR ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. DO NOT TRUST CAR. *TR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE REPORTED IN OTHER ODI COMPLAINTS. SPECIFICALLY, MY VEHICLE STALLS RANDOMLY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS. ODI ID #10460671, #10453272, AND #10412636, ALL SEEM TO REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE. OCCASIONALLY, WHILE BRAKING OR ALLOWING THE CAR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SPEED CONTROL: STOPPED ON A SLOPE 5-20 FT. LONG (UP OR DOWN), REMOVE RIGHT FOOT FROM BRAKE PEDAL TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC- SANTA FE WILL BARELY MOVE FORWARD REGARDLESS HOW MUCH ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR "PUMPED" THEN: SUDDENLY WILL SPIN FRONT TIRES-ACCELERATING VERY RAPI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: ON MAY 26TH 2011 AROUND 6:20 PM WHEN I DROVE ON A LOCAL DOWN HILL ROAD WHICH IS ABOUT 400 YARD LONG, AT A SPEED ABOUT 20 MPH, MY CAR LOST BRAKE AND POWER STEERING. I SUPPOSED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN I PRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR CAN'T STOP AND THE PEDAL WAS VERY HEAVY, A
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)