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2008 Hyundai Santa Fe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Santa Fe years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe are substantially higher than the model-year median of 212.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

461 reports with mileage · 80 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 215 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

17 crash reports7 fire reports11 injury reports

Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints

16 reports
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120,000 miles · Jun 20, 2016
Electronic Stability Control (esc)

WHEN I AM DRIVING, BOTH FREEWAY AND CITY DRIVING, THE CAR WILL STUTTER SLIGHTLY AND THEN THE ESC OFF LIGHT COMES ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I LOSE ACCELERATION AND HAVE TO PULL OVER, TURN MY CAR OFF, WAIT A MINUTE OR TWO, AND THEN RESTART THE CAR. THE ESC OFF LIGHT GOES AWAY AND I ONCE AGAIN HAVE ACC…

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WHEN I AM DRIVING, BOTH FREEWAY AND CITY DRIVING, THE CAR WILL STUTTER SLIGHTLY AND THEN THE ESC OFF LIGHT COMES ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I LOSE ACCELERATION AND HAVE TO PULL OVER, TURN MY CAR OFF, WAIT A MINUTE OR TWO, AND THEN RESTART THE CAR. THE ESC OFF LIGHT GOES AWAY AND I ONCE AGAIN HAVE ACCELERATION BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON. THE PROBLEM OFTEN REPEATS ITSELF DURING THE SAME TRIP, SOMETIMES 30 MINUTES LATER, SOMETIMES JUST 2 MINUTES LATER. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH WAS REPLACED DURING THE RECALL CAMPAIGN 09V122 WHEN THE SAME PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING. A FEW MONTHS AGO THIS STARTED AGAIN, IT IS ALL THE SAME ISSUES AS I HAD BEFORE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH WAS REPLACED DURING THE LAST RECALL. BECAUSE I LOSE ACCELERATION WITH NO WARNING AND QUICKLY FALL TO 20MPH AND BELOW, I HAVE TO QUICKLY PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DO MY BEST TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WHICH IS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU ARE LOSING MOMENTUM.

NHTSA ODI #10875431

72,000 miles · Apr 10, 2016
Electronic Stability Control (esc)

I HAD MY SANTA FE SERVICED ON 04/05/16 FOR FUEL GAUGE SENSOR,WAS NOT READING APPROPRIATE GAS LEVEL. I HAVE ONLY 72000MILES AND SOMTHING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL.I WAS TOLD THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CAR,WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE.WE OWNED 8 CARS BEFORE SANT FE AND IT NEVER HAPPENED. IT IS A SPENDY REPAIR OF $388.99 …

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I HAD MY SANTA FE SERVICED ON 04/05/16 FOR FUEL GAUGE SENSOR,WAS NOT READING APPROPRIATE GAS LEVEL. I HAVE ONLY 72000MILES AND SOMTHING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL.I WAS TOLD THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CAR,WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE.WE OWNED 8 CARS BEFORE SANT FE AND IT NEVER HAPPENED. IT IS A SPENDY REPAIR OF $388.99 MARTA

NHTSA ODI #10854656

Mileage unknown · Feb 22, 2016
Electronic Stability Control (esc)

WHILE IN MOTION ON THE CITY STREET GOING 45 MILES PER HOUR THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SHUT OFF. LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE WITH THE VEHICLE. HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND WAIT FOR 2 MINS THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT WORKED FINE. BUT AFTER DRIVING A WHILE LONGER THE ESC S…

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WHILE IN MOTION ON THE CITY STREET GOING 45 MILES PER HOUR THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SHUT OFF. LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE WITH THE VEHICLE. HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND WAIT FOR 2 MINS THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT WORKED FINE. BUT AFTER DRIVING A WHILE LONGER THE ESC SHUT OFF AGAIN. HAD TO REPEAT THE PROCESS OF TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING THE CAR AGAIN. WHILE MAKING A TURN A LITTLE WHIKE LATER IT SHUT OFF AGAIN. TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #10837627

44,000 miles · Jul 7, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineVehicle Speed Control

MY SANTA FE LIMITED AWD 2008 WAS BOUGHT AT THE END OF FEB 2009 AND NOW HAS ~44K MILEAGE. I HAD TWO SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH MY SANTA FE TODAY (7/6/2014), WHICH LED TO SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS AND SPEED LOSS OF THE CAR ON THE ROAD. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD AT ~45 MPH. SUDDENLY I FELT THE CAR LOST THE POWER …

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MY SANTA FE LIMITED AWD 2008 WAS BOUGHT AT THE END OF FEB 2009 AND NOW HAS ~44K MILEAGE. I HAD TWO SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH MY SANTA FE TODAY (7/6/2014), WHICH LED TO SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS AND SPEED LOSS OF THE CAR ON THE ROAD. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD AT ~45 MPH. SUDDENLY I FELT THE CAR LOST THE POWER AND BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. I STEPPED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THE CAR COULD NOT ACCELERATE (THE SPEED DROPPED TO ~20 MPH). I SAW 3 SYSTEM INDICATOR/WARNING LIGHTS ON: THE ESC OFF(ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS HAD A STEADY LIGHT AND THE AWD SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT OFF THE CAR, WAITED ~1 MINUTE, AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, BUT THE OTHER LIGHTS WENT OUT. THEN I DROVE THE CAR TO CONTINUE MY GROCERY SHOPPING (SEVERAL STOPS, ~30 MILES IN TOTAL). THE 2ND INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MY WAY HOME. THE SAME SCENARIO EXCEPT THAT I WAS DRIVING AT ~40 MPH AND GOING UPHILL AT THE TIME. THE SUDDEN POWER LOSS CAUSED THE CAR SPEED QUICKLY DROPPED TO ~10 MPH AND PROBABLY LED THE CAR BEHIND MINE TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP TO AVOID A CRASH. AGAIN, I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYING ON. AFTER GOT HOME SAFELY, I DID SOME SEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND SEVERAL SIMILAR INCIDENTS REPORTED ON HYUNDAI SANTA FE SUVS BEFORE (SEE THE ATTACHED LINKS BELOW). SO I DECIDED TO REPORT THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. THE LINK OF WEBSITES WITH SIMILAR INCIDENTS REPORTED: 1. HTTP://WWW.JUSTANSWER.COM/HYUNDAI/47Z2R-HYUNDAI-SANTA-FE-LIMITED-HI-HYUNDAI-SANTA-FE-AWD-2008.HTML 2. HTTP://FORUMS.EDMUNDS.COM/DISCUSSION/9216/HYUNDAI/SANTA-FE/HYUNDAI-SANTA-FE-ENGINE-PROBLEMS/P2 (ALTOSTEPH POST) 3. HTTP://WWW.HYUNDAIFORUM.COM/FORUM/HYUNDAI-SANTA-FE-20/4WD-SYSTEM-WARNING-LIGHT-BLINKING-LOSS-POWER-12357/ *JS

NHTSA ODI #10608491

56,000 miles · May 30, 2013
Air BagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine And Engine Cooling

SEE ATTACHED EMAIL UPDATED 06/04/2013*LJ THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OSC) DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY RECOGNIZE SMALL-STATURED ADULTS, CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG TO DEACTIVATE WHEN SUCH PERSON OCCUPY THE FRONT SEAT. ALSO, THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE…

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SEE ATTACHED EMAIL UPDATED 06/04/2013*LJ THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OSC) DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY RECOGNIZE SMALL-STATURED ADULTS, CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG TO DEACTIVATE WHEN SUCH PERSON OCCUPY THE FRONT SEAT. ALSO, THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN, AN ISSUE WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE, AND A WHINING SOUND UPON ACCELERATION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10514334

70,000 miles · Oct 12, 2011
Electronic Stability Control (esc)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE HOWEVER, THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS AND WAS COASTED OFF ROAD AND SHUT OFF. AFTER WAITING A FEW MOMENTS, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED A…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE HOWEVER, THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS AND WAS COASTED OFF ROAD AND SHUT OFF. AFTER WAITING A FEW MOMENTS, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #10429633

Official recalls

4

13V113000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Apr 1, 2013

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.

12V354000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Jul 25, 2012

Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2009 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from April 19, 2006, through July 7, 2008. The occupant classification system (OCS) may need recalibration to accurately detect small statured adults.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Improper classification or detection may cause the front passenger airbag not to deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the classification software free of charge. The safety recall began on September 7, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

11V472000 · Air Bags:frontal

Sep 9, 2011

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 26, 2006, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2008, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 19, 2006 THROUGH MARCH 20, 2008. THE CLOCK SPRING CONTACT ASSEMBLY FOR THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) MAY BECOME DAMAGED THROUGH USAGE OVER TIME. THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WILL EXPERIENCE A HIGH RESISTANCE CONDITION, POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG TO NOT DEPLOY.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE CLOCK SPRING DEVELOPS HIGH RESISTANCE, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE DRIVERS AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY PROTECT THE DRIVER, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURIES.

Remedy: HYUNDAI DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VEHICLE'S DRIVER'S AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING CONTACT ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN IN NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI CUSTOMER CONNECT CENTER AT 1-800-633-5151.

08V272000 · Equipment:other:labels

Jun 19, 2008

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 88,943 MY 2007-2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH P235/60R18 TIRES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE LABELING REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110 "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES." THE BLACK CERTIFICATION LABEL AFFIXED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE CENTER PILLAR, INCORRECTLY LISTS THE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS (GAWR).

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: OVERLOADING YOUR VEHICLE MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT HANDLING AND BRAKING AND MAY CAUSE TIRE DAMAGE, RESULTING IN TIRE FAILURE AND A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: HYUNDAI WILL MAIL CORRECTED CERTIFICATION LABELS ALONG WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AFFECTED OWNERS. THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP21003 · Throttle Control System Vulnerabilities

Opened Nov 12, 2021 · Closed Jun 20, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:throttle

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (ODI) number 11439675.On November 12, 2021, ODI opened Defect Petition DP21-003 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI performed trend analyses of the VOQs related to vehicle speed control issues for all the subject vehicles and found that none of the 52 Model/Model Year Hyundai/Kia vehicles demonstrated any actionable trend that warranted an investigation.Petitioners submitted 1119 VOQs and non-VOQ cases in which sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) or loss of motive power (LOMP) incidents were alleged.For the 1119 reports, 220 were incidents involving crashes, from which 69 subject Hyundai-Kia vehicles were inspected by Hyundai/Kia dealer technicians, Hyundai/Kia engineers, and/or third-party representatives.ODI found the inspections identified no vehicle defects related to the ETC system.Of the 220 crash-involved reports, 13 Event Data Recorder (EDR) records were downloaded successfully and 11 of those indicated driver error: (i.e.) pedal misapplication.A condition where the accelerator pedal is mistakenly applied instead of the brake pedal when the driver wants to stop the vehicle.In addition, ODI reviewed a scientific journal paper published in Forensic Science International in 2016 by Mr. Park et al ., as well as related test videos. ODI does not believe there is any evidence of uncontrollable SUA occurrences in any of the tests reviewed. NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) reviewed the allegations regarding the potential noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124.Based on the information provided, the Agency concludes there is insufficient information for us to determine if a possible non-compliance exists.Finally, both Hyundai and Kia informed ODI that all their vehicles manufactured after 2012 were equipped with an ETC management system, in which the engine speed will go to idle when the system sees signals from both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal at the same time; this is commonly known as the brake-throttle override system.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Hyundai and Kia in response to an Information Request letter, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition will be published.