10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
9 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
10 / 0
Average Mileage:
64,758 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #54

Jul 232015

Santa Fe

  • miles

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

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 #53

Mar 202017

Santa Fe

  • miles
It started off as what seemed like just the bulbs burning out in any which light. Then my passenger window stopped working then started working. The lights still were having issues. It took a bit for me to realize that there is a short or something in the car. The lights go out then come back on then switch which one is out. The worst time was when it went in for an oil change and came back out with no lights working. I contacted the company to make sure there was no foul play and they checked their camera. I've had the lights looked at multiple times by multiple different companies. It never fixes the problem permanently. A few weeks ago the back right passenger lock stopped working then the next week the front passenger window again. Then yesterday the lock started to work and today it doesn't again. And speedometer is off. Hard to say by how much. Depends on which speed reader I go by.

- Grand Blanc, MI, USA

problem #52

May 222020

Santa Fe

  • 100,700 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the vehicle began to accelerate independently without warning. Due to the unintended acceleration, the contact had to depress her brake pedal to the floor board as well as use her emergency hand brake in order to slow down the vehicle. Once the contact eased her foot of the brake pedal, the vehicle began to accelerate. Due to the force applied to her brakes, smoke began to emit from vehicle's exhaust pipe. The contact had to coast the vehicle until a parking lot until the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact then turned off the vehicle and called titus-will Hyundai 2255 carriage loop sw, olympia, wa 98502 where they informed her to have the vehicle towed to there dealer. Once the vehicle was towed to the dealer, she received a call from the dealer stated that they were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,700. Invalid VIN.

- Olympia, WA, USA

problem #51

Feb 082019

Santa Fe

  • 160,000 miles

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

Brake lights remain on, stability control is turned off and cruise control doesn't work. This is a safety hazard to vehicles following, a lack of vehicle stability control, an inability to maintain a constant speed on the freeway. There has been a historic recall on this issue - but not for this specific VIN. This vehicle obviously is using the same defective part. Battery runs down and vehicle won't start unless battery is disconnected (due to brake lights remaining on)

- Bethel Heights, AR, USA

problem #50

Sep 212017

Santa Fe

  • miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. While the contact's stepson was driving 30 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated to 60 mph. The driver was able to slow down the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to carey motors (3204 fruitvale blvd, yakima, wa 98902), but the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they needed to run tests at the dealer. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Yakima, WA, USA

problem #49

Jul 142017

Santa Fe

  • 50,000 miles
In 8/2015 we experienced an occurrence of sudden, unintended acceleration on a city street while driving. My wife was able to stop the vehicle by hard braking and shutting the engine off. She was able to drive it home and we had it towed to the Hyundai dealer. They diagnosed the problem: "...checked and found vehicle throttle body to have a poor responce (sic)." They replaced the throttle body for a charge of $597.94, informing me that it wasn't covered under the 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. The problem recurred today (7/14/2015), again while driving on a city street. When I called the service manager to report the incident I was told to drop the vehicle off and they'd look at it. I'll have it towed in to the shop, as this is not a condition with which I'd not care to drive. The fact that this condition recurred indicates that the problem is generic in nature, and that Hyundai is not considering it either generic or serious enough to address. I believe that there will be other vehicles experiencing the issue now that the "fleet" of Hyundai Santa Fe SUVS is aging but still in service. I believe that it is essential that Hyundai address the issue systematically before serious injuries occur.

- Drexel Hill, PA, USA

problem #48

Jun 032017

Santa Fe

  • 133,000 miles

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

On a June 3, 2017, we were exiting the highway. During the turn in traffic, the car slowly lost all power. All of the lights lit up and the speedometer, gas gauge and RPM indicators were moving back and forth. We were able to glide to the light in traffic and make it to a parking lot safely. I am so glad we did not have an accident!! my husband shifted the gear to park and the car restarted with no problems. We will be taking it to a Hyundai dealer because this could have been potentially life threatening. Is there a recall put there? this was our first experience like this with the car.

- Seale, AL, USA

problem #47

Mar 092017

Santa Fe

  • 143,000 miles
For the last three years I have had issues with my fuel gauge not working. I have taken it in and was told it would cost a good amount of money to fix. I asked if this is a common problem with massey Hyundai and they told me yes this is a current issue, and could not be recalled because it was not dangerous. So on 3.9.17 as a result of not fixing this issue with my vehicle because of the price. My car has stalled out once while on the interstate and almost lost control of my car and crashed. And a second time while turning into work road and stalling out again mid turn and almost turning into a ditch. I was told that the fuel sensor needed to be replaced and they had to do both because they weren't sure which one it is. If not fixed could result in an accident, well if this is a problem for most Hyundai vehicles this should be fixed by the company who makes it not the people who buy faulty products.

- Hedgesville, WV, USA

problem #46

Sep 262016

Santa Fe

  • 68,714 miles
"sudden unintended acceleration" in Hyundai's, specifically Santa Fe. My wife has had this happen to her while driving her Hyundai Santa Fe three times now and the Hyundai dealership insists there has been no indication on the computer codes and that Hyundai does not have this problem. Therefore as far as they are concerned "sudden unintended acceleration" on her Santa Fe never happened.

- Cullman, AL, USA

problem #45

Aug 192016

Santa Fe

  • 127,000 miles
Wife was driving on interstate on cruise control, car began to accelerate on its own. Tapping the brake did not release the cruise control. College son who was in passenger seat reached over and pulled gas pedal back which release the cruise control. Second occurrence. First time I thought maybe the floor mat was in the way. The floor mat was definitely not the issue for second occurance.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #44

Jun 142016

Santa Fe

  • 141,000 miles

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

I was driving down a major highway when my ESC off light and check engine light came on. My car slowed down to 20 mph and would not allow me to speed up at all almost causing me to be smashed into several times!! I shut my car off and re started it and I was able to get off the highway to someplace safe. I am having my mechanic look at it now but after looking on forums, I see it is probably the tps and I see that many other people have had this happen! why is this not recalled"!"! this is beyond a safety issue!

- Cortland, NY, USA

problem #43

Mar 302016

Santa Fe

  • 79,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the check engine and the ESC warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and the check engine warning light remained illuminated. In addition, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the ESC warning light illuminated and the brakes engaged independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the throttle position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.

- Ethridge, TN, USA

problem #42

Oct 192015

Santa Fe

  • 126,700 miles
When sitting in a traffic jam car starting jumping like it was going to turn off traffic started to move on the highway and the car seemed like it was choking then the check engine light went on I made it to the car shop they put it on the machine they said it was a coil pack and this year Santa Fe was known for this problem got it fix and they car still shakes like it wants to turn off it's driving me crazy the vibration when at a still mode is so annoying Hyundai knows this problem exists why dont they recall them I just wish I could find the problem and fix it honestly it is annoying worrying if the car will shut off and leave me stuck somewhere alone late at night because I work 3 to 11 pm please help

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #41

May 252015

Santa Fe

  • 55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle began to accelerate while the brake pedal was being depressed. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was not available.

- Everett, WA, USA

problem #40

Jul 292015

Santa Fe

  • miles
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The contact stated depressed the brake pedal to the floor, but they failed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was out of control. The contact turned the ignition switch off and jumped out of the vehicle. The vehicle eventually shut off and was able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Danville, VA, USA

problem #39

Jun 012015

Santa Fe

  • 140,000 miles
After starting my vehicle and proceeded to work my Santa Fe ESC light came on and the car went into a "limp mode". it slowed down to 10 mph and wouldn't let me accelerate. I pulled over and I could feel the engine sputtering. I turned off the engine and waited a minute. Turned the engine back on and proceeded to work without incident. Now no matter when I drive whether its a cold start or after 30 minutes of driving the vehicle goes into limp mode. While driving at a slow speed on back roads is not a serious issue I feel that when I am on the highway traveling at 65mph and it happens is a major safety issue. This has happened on numerous occasions and I no longer feel safe in my vehicle. I have done some research on this problem and I am not the only one. This is a serious issues that I feel needs to be addressed by Hyundai immediately before someone gets injured or killed.

- Stewartsville, NJ, USA

problem #38

May 102014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
We bought the car from on a Sunday afternoon it was my gift for mother's day, the same day we drove the car of the lot the car stall for the first time and we call the dealership to ask about the problem. The dealership stated to bring the car in. After a few hours I received a call to come pick up the car. My husband was very surprise to know the car had stall and asked if there was something wrong with the car and we were told all it needed was a battery change. My husband proceeded to ask for management but the sales associate told us that it was normal for a car to stall once in a while"?" my husband was frustrated with everyone, the sales associate informed us that the car had 3 previous owners only because they had purchased the same car newer. We did notice damage on the back bumper of the car but it had been painted over and also my husband notice the front had also been painted over. Again we argued with sales but got no where!!! something should be done about this! a dealer-sales-associate should not put my family at risk just to make a dollar! there is something very wrong about that. Sincerely yours [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Miami Gardens, FL, USA

problem #37

Oct 032014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 88,888 miles
While in a parking lot, I stopped at a stop sign by putting my right foot on the brake. As my foot was on the brake, the engine revved up and the car began moving forward. Without removing my right foot from the brake pedal, I put my other foot on the pedal and shifted to neutral (the vehicle has an automatic). The revving up immediately stopped and everything appeared normal once again. I drove back to my home, about seven miles, without further incident. I have not informed the local Hyundai dealer yet who last did a 90,000 maintenance on it 8/27/2014. The vehicle had 88,496 miles on it.

- El Dorado Hills, CA, USA

problem #36

Sep 122014

Santa Fe

  • 40,120 miles
While merging into traffic from a stop sign, I briefly pressed the gas pedal nearly all the way down. The car accelerated beyond the 45 mph speed limit after releasing the pedal. I pressed the brakes as hard as I could but the car continued to accelerate. I panicked because I was heading for a stop light. My wife and I were seconds away from a high speed collision. I shifted the car into the neutral position with the brakes fully applied. The engine raced up to high rpms. I looked at the pedal and it was depressed nearly all the way down without my foot on it. I put my foot under the pedal and lifted up. The pedal sprung all the way up and the engine rpms went back to idle values. The car quickly slowed. I was able to stop the car just before the intersection. I pulled off the road to examine the pedal. The drivers side car mat had slipped off its retention post and had moved about 4 inches forward so it was under the gas pedal. The end of the car mat was curled up so it was elevated about 1 inch above the floor carpeting. With the engine off, I pushed the gas pedal down by hand and it got caught under the car mat again. After removing the mat, I pushed the gas pedal down many times (engine off) and it always worked correctly. The drivers side car mat retention post system has never worked well. The floor mat frequently sides off the post, and the mat moves forward. The used mat is now stiff enough to hold the gas pedal down if the pedal is pushed under the curled end of the mat. A secure car mat locking device should have been part of the original mat retention system. Hyundai should fix this problem. I am not completely sure whether some other mechanical or electrical problem had contributed to the stuck gas pedal. Frankly, we are frightened of the car that nearly killed us, and dont look forward to driving it again even without the car mat.

- Plainfield, IL, USA

problem #35

Aug 222014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
The gas pedal stuck at 70mph and could not be disengaged. Use of hard braking and emergency brake did not slow the vehicle down. Was rapidly approaching stopped vehicles on interstate and to avoid a rear end collision, drove onto emergency parking lane and was able to finally get it unstuck. This has happened several times but could immediately unfreeze the pedal but this time nothing worked. The car has been taken to the dealership for a full investigation. I notified my parents who instructed that should this happen again to place the car in neutral and pull of to the side of the road and as I enter the emergency lane to turn off the engine and to expect hard steering once the engine was turned off.

- Houston , TX, USA

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