2009 Hyundai Santa FE problems

SERVICE BRAKES

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)

NHTSA complaint #11758932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

NHTSA complaint #11740912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

NHTSA complaint #11740912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

*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 housing. After driving it, the mechanic said the Hyundai service center should do a diagnostic, but it was safe to drive. The second repair shop did an oil change to see what was happening with the oil flow. He found metal filings as well as other problems and said it this was an internal engine failure. *The Hyundai service center said the vehicle needed to be towed, at my own expense, to the its center for a $185.00 out-of-pocket diagnostic. *In October 2025, the Hyundai dealership serviced the car for a cylinder head oil leak recall/problem. *There were no warning lights either time--no engine or oil lights came on. There were no symptoms or indications of a problem before the first incident (May 7, 2026).

NHTSA complaint #11739169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice. I was told that the front end would come off and parts would have to be replaced because of the age of my vehicle they would not fit again. I need a solution to this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11711436 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice. I was told that the front end would come off and parts would have to be replaced because of the age of my vehicle they would not fit again. I need a solution to this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11711436 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice. I was told that the front end would come off and parts would have to be replaced because of the age of my vehicle they would not fit again. I need a solution to this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11711436 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

[XXX] We took out Stanta Fe to the Hyundia Dealership in Columbia, TN 38401. The installed a new rover cover gasket left and service kit. The purpose was to stop oil from leaking into the alternator. I would like to point out we did not see any visible signs of the gasket was leaking. We had our regular scheduled oil change in Feb of 2025 and no report of an oil leak. We had a service event at the end of June 2025 and were told there was a visible leak was present and appeared to be about 3 months old. We took it back to the dealership and reported the recall issue was occurring. This was 7/25 and just outside of a year. The stated it would not be covered under warranty/recall now. I called and complain to Hyundia corporate. Waited 2 weeks to say it would be taken care of by the dealership. Called them today to arrange for bring the car in but they had no record of what I was told by Hyundia corporate. I believe this breaking faith w the whole recall process with the NTSB. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11677040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

[XXX] We took out Stanta Fe to the Hyundia Dealership in Columbia, TN 38401. The installed a new rover cover gasket left and service kit. The purpose was to stop oil from leaking into the alternator. I would like to point out we did not see any visible signs of the gasket was leaking. We had our regular scheduled oil change in Feb of 2025 and no report of an oil leak. We had a service event at the end of June 2025 and were told there was a visible leak was present and appeared to be about 3 months old. We took it back to the dealership and reported the recall issue was occurring. This was 7/25 and just outside of a year. The stated it would not be covered under warranty/recall now. I called and complain to Hyundia corporate. Waited 2 weeks to say it would be taken care of by the dealership. Called them today to arrange for bring the car in but they had no record of what I was told by Hyundia corporate. I believe this breaking faith w the whole recall process with the NTSB. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11677040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure occurred mostly while decelerating from highway speeds. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA complaint #11675380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am writing to document a troubling interaction at one of the Hyundai service locations regarding a known recall on my 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe (166,000 miles). This vehicle is affected by Recall Campaign Number 103 (valve cover gasket may leak and cause alternator failure and electrical fire risk). The issue is publicly documented by NHTSA and Hyundai, and my vehicle has experienced exactly the problems outlined — two alternator failures and two batteries killed. When my vehicle was brought to Hyundai of Metairie, located at 5969 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie, Louisiana, the service receptionist stated before even inspecting the car that it “may not be covered” because the alternator is aftermarket. This was said immediately upon drop-off, which I believe is inappropriate and concerning. We dropped it off Friday evening before the Saturday, May 31, 2025 morning scheduled inspection. As you are aware, federal law requires manufacturers to complete recall repairs at no cost, regardless of vehicle ownership history or whether a part has been replaced with an aftermarket component — especially when the replacement occurred due to a known safety defect. The alternator was not modified; it was replaced after multiple failures that align precisely with the recall’s described risk. I respectfully request that: The vehicle be inspected promptly and fairly. The recall be honored and completed at no charge, as required. Hyundai ensure that dealership employees are not preemptively discouraging customers from rightful recall services with misinformation or dismissive attitudes. I have already filed a complaint with Hyundai Corporate office this morning and intend to follow up with a phone call when offices resume usual business hours. Thank you in advance for your time. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11664069 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Leak coolant and oil

NHTSA complaint #11661720 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, she was informed that oil was leaking onto the alternator. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired under Service Campaign 976 (Cylinder Head Cover Oil Leak Repair With Oil Protector Install And Alternator Voltage Test), with the valve cover replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who related the failure to Service Campaign 976 and determined that the valve cover needed to be replaced for the third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA complaint #11635272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

This vehicle Dies while driving it I have to put in neutral and restart. I am afraid that I am going to be hurt or someone else is.

NHTSA complaint #11623067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The closed recall of the brake light failing to illuminate has returned and I’m not sure of my future steps in getting it fixed. The Hyundai repair website mentions it as completed in 2014, when I did not have the car. At random, my driver tail light will not illuminate whilst braking. It has recurred repeatedly, so I’ve put the incident as the most recent time it happened.

NHTSA complaint #11619354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V113000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11587266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

vehicle will randomly shutoff. example coming off the interstate and off the exit ramp and accelerating into traffic vehicle with completly die, no power steering or power brakes. after pulling off the road the vehicle will restart and run normally. may not happen again for several weeks. dealer had performed recalls and cannot duplicate issue

NHTSA complaint #11585201 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

vehicle will randomly shutoff. example coming off the interstate and off the exit ramp and accelerating into traffic vehicle with completly die, no power steering or power brakes. after pulling off the road the vehicle will restart and run normally. may not happen again for several weeks. dealer had performed recalls and cannot duplicate issue

NHTSA complaint #11585201 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

vehicle will randomly shutoff. example coming off the interstate and off the exit ramp and accelerating into traffic vehicle with completly die, no power steering or power brakes. after pulling off the road the vehicle will restart and run normally. may not happen again for several weeks. dealer had performed recalls and cannot duplicate issue

NHTSA complaint #11585201 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The vehicle brakes would trigger randomly which is clearly extremely unsafe on: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] which Triple A can validate. The main issue was the vehicle did not pull a code and since the happened randomly without warning there was no way to get this issue repaired. I called the dealership twice. The dealership recommended I call Hyundai customer relations which did nothing because the car was not under warranty and would not even work with me, even though this issue was extremely dangerous The second time this happened almost caused a vehicle pileup, because it happened on the highway when the brakes where triggered. Luckily I was able to get off of the highway with my brakes engaged, which was obviously not good for the vehicle. The last time this happened on [XXX] is when the master cylinder blew costing us $1,703.22. I called Hyundai they assigned me to 3 different case workers because the first 2 were extremely rude as if I did something wrong and were not empathetic to the seriousness of the situation. Leanna was the new case manager. She wanted me to provide all of the receipts and everything that would be relevant. After an exhausting back and forth for months in which they were clearly trying to dissuade me from taking action they simply rejected any assistance and gave me a silly $50 gift card. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11578728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My 2009 Santa Fe's paint is peeling in large portions. It started on the driver's side door right below the window and has continued to crack and bubble all the way down the door. There has been no safety issues as of yet, but it will be a safety issue if I am driving and pieces or chunks of the paint fly off. If pieces or chunks fly off and land on my or another driver's windshield and blocks the ability of our vision it could be very dangerous and potentially cause an accident. I am not talking about little chips of paint here and there, I am talking about large size chunks. I know that I am not the only person who is having this issue, there are hundreds of people having this same issue and why there has not been a recall for this yet is blowing my mind. What is Hyundai waiting for a accident, a fatality? This is something that they need to make right, we work hard and when we purchase a vehicle for a lot of money and we take care of it so it will last us a long time and then the paint starts peeling all over the place and makes it look horrible not to mention it will begin to rust, how does Hyundai not feel obligated to fix it and make it right?

NHTSA complaint #11567859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

My 2009 Santa Fe's paint is peeling in large portions. It started on the driver's side door right below the window and has continued to crack and bubble all the way down the door. There has been no safety issues as of yet, but it will be a safety issue if I am driving and pieces or chunks of the paint fly off. If pieces or chunks fly off and land on my or another driver's windshield and blocks the ability of our vision it could be very dangerous and potentially cause an accident. I am not talking about little chips of paint here and there, I am talking about large size chunks. I know that I am not the only person who is having this issue, there are hundreds of people having this same issue and why there has not been a recall for this yet is blowing my mind. What is Hyundai waiting for a accident, a fatality? This is something that they need to make right, we work hard and when we purchase a vehicle for a lot of money and we take care of it so it will last us a long time and then the paint starts peeling all over the place and makes it look horrible not to mention it will begin to rust, how does Hyundai not feel obligated to fix it and make it right?

NHTSA complaint #11567859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

I bought my 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe brand new and have been the sole owner. It has been garaged the entire time. It has 145,000 miles and I have kept it washed and maintained regularly. The last couple of times I have taken it in for repairs, the mechanic has told me that the frame is rusting badly to the point that it is a safety issue. In the event of a crash the frame could buckle.

NHTSA complaint #11565167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.