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2009 Hyundai Santa Fe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 212.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

278 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 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

27 crash reports5 fire reports15 injury reports

Structure complaints

13 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2024
StructureUnknown 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 chunk…

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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 ODI #11567859

Mileage unknown · Mar 8, 2023
StructureUnknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper

Paint is peeling/delaminating off the car in chunks - from the roof and the hood. Paint peeled off of the hood in a large chunk while I was driving, and got stuck on the windshield & caught up on the wipers while in use. This damaged the wipers and created a dangerous situation, as it blocked my vision while driving. The paint p…

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Paint is peeling/delaminating off the car in chunks - from the roof and the hood. Paint peeled off of the hood in a large chunk while I was driving, and got stuck on the windshield & caught up on the wipers while in use. This damaged the wipers and created a dangerous situation, as it blocked my vision while driving. The paint peels off and flies off the car in chunks and can land on another car windshield as well and block their view. I brought the car to the dealer years ago when the paint first starting peeling, and was told it was just past the warranty and there was nothing they could do. I read online that there was a class action suit on this exact issue and it has been a problem for many, many years and Hyundai continues to manufacture this paint despite being aware of the problem. I contacted Hyundai corporate to report this issue, and they said there is nothing they can do. So I have decided to report the issue to warn other drivers, as the last chunk that peeled off became a safety hazard. Note: Car was only used occasionally, has very low mileage, and is garaged for a portion of the year. The paint should not be in this condition - it is defective. I paid extra for this particular pearl white paint when I purchased the car new - it was an upgrade, presented as self-healing paint.

NHTSA ODI #11510904

Mileage unknown · May 1, 2022
Structure

The driver's side sun visor randomly falls out of the connection in the ceiling and then dangles from the electrical cord that operates the light in the visor above the mirror. When this happens it completely obstructs the driver's view of the roadway as the visor is now swaying back and forth in front of the driver's face & th…

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The driver's side sun visor randomly falls out of the connection in the ceiling and then dangles from the electrical cord that operates the light in the visor above the mirror. When this happens it completely obstructs the driver's view of the roadway as the visor is now swaying back and forth in front of the driver's face & the driver must take one hand off the steering wheel to move the visor out of the way to see the roadway. It takes two hands to actually shove the electrical wire and visor arm back up into the ceiling. This issue not only happens when the visor is in the down (in use) position & when it is down and swung to the side to block the side window but it also happens when the visor in not in use and is just clipped up. The ceiling connection piece falls down on the left side then too...thankfully because the visor is not in use, the right hand clip secures that side in place so only half of the driver's view is obstructed. This happens without any warning - you're driving along and suddenly the visor has fallen in front of your face. It is manufacturer defect in the small plastic piece that goes from the arm of the visor up into the ceiling. There is a very small plastic tip that is broken - that tip is the only thing that keeps the visor post secured in the ceiling. When you unscrew the visor attachment that goes into the ceiling the broken piece is right there. The electrical wires go thru it so it's still in there. I have replaced my visor once already and the same piece broke off of the new visor after a couple years. My vehicle has not been inspected by anyone but there are many reports on the Hyundai forum about this visor issue. Hyundai is aware of this cheap plastic defect as they issued recalls on the sun visors on other models but not on the Sante Fe. They have also changed to a newer visor connection piece on their newer model cars. A recall should be issued for the Sante Fe so that the visors can be replaced w/ an updated version.

NHTSA ODI #11462911

Mileage unknown · Dec 8, 2021
Structure

Passenger front and driver side rear door handle breaking off. Normal pulls have cause the handle to come in hand.

NHTSA ODI #11443031

Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2020
Structure

PURCHASED CAR NEW GARAGE KEPT WELL MAINTAINED AT DEALER. HAD A RECALL IN 2016 FOR FRAME CORROSION. I BROUGHT CAR IN AND DEALER RUST PROOFED FRAME. CONTINUED TO HAVE CAR SERVICED AND COMPLETED ALL MAINTENANCE THAT DEALER RECOMMENDED. SOME REPAIRS VERY EXPENSIVE LIKE TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP, IDLE PULLEY ETC. LAST MONTH BROUGHT CA…

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PURCHASED CAR NEW GARAGE KEPT WELL MAINTAINED AT DEALER. HAD A RECALL IN 2016 FOR FRAME CORROSION. I BROUGHT CAR IN AND DEALER RUST PROOFED FRAME. CONTINUED TO HAVE CAR SERVICED AND COMPLETED ALL MAINTENANCE THAT DEALER RECOMMENDED. SOME REPAIRS VERY EXPENSIVE LIKE TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP, IDLE PULLEY ETC. LAST MONTH BROUGHT CAR IN FOR TRANSMISSION EXCHANGE AND I WAS TOLD THE SIDE RAILS OF CAR ARE RUSTED THRU AND CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSEDLY INSPECTED EVERY TIME CAR WAS SERVICED. HYUNDAI NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT RUST GETTING WORSE. I WOULD LIKE YOUR HELP HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE. THEY ADMITTED TO HAVING DEFECTIVE STEEL. PLEASE HELP!!

NHTSA ODI #11350085

96,000 miles · May 23, 2017
StructureUnknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper

PAINT COMES OFF THE CAR IN LARGE PIECES THAT, IF RAINING, WILL STICK TO WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR AND THE CAR BEHIND YOU, WHILE DRIVING. THIS BLOCKS THE VISIBILITY OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSES WIPER PROBLEMS AS THE LARGE PIECES GET STUCK TO THEM. AGAIN THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. THE LARGE PIECE O…

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PAINT COMES OFF THE CAR IN LARGE PIECES THAT, IF RAINING, WILL STICK TO WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR AND THE CAR BEHIND YOU, WHILE DRIVING. THIS BLOCKS THE VISIBILITY OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSES WIPER PROBLEMS AS THE LARGE PIECES GET STUCK TO THEM. AGAIN THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. THE LARGE PIECE OF PAINT WILL STILL COME OFF DURING NORMAL DRIVING, BUT THE SAFETY CONCERN IS WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. PIECES AS LARGE AS 1 INCH BY 1 INCH ARE NOT UNCOMMON, WITH THE LARGEST PIECE CURRENTLY MISSING IS ABOUT 8 INCHES BY 8 INCHES. PROBLEM STARTED HAPPENING OVER 2 YEARS AGO. WHEN THE PIECES GET STUCK TO THE WINDSHIELD, YOU HAVE TO PULL OVER TO REMOVE THEM FROM BOTH THE WINDSHIELD AND WIPER BLADES. THIS IS ALSO DANGEROUS AS WE HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER ON A MAJOR FREEWAY BEFORE TO REMOVE THEM FROM PARTS OF THE VEHICLE, NAMELY THE WINDSHIELD AND WIPERS. THIS PROBLEM AGAIN CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH VISIBILITY OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR AND POSSIBLY THE CAR(S) BEHIND YOU WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT LARGE PIECES (SHEETS) OF PAINT SHOULD BE COMING OFF OF A CAR AND STICKING TO A WINDSHIELD OF THE AFFECTED CAR AND CARS AROUND IT, WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. TRULY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #10991234

54,000 miles · Jan 5, 2017
Structure

AFTER ROUTINE INSPECTION, ENGINE CRADLE IS RUSTED THROUGH AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. CAR HAS 54,000 MILES. #1 COCHRAN TOOK PICTURES AND SUBMITTED THEM TO HYUNDAI, SAID THEY NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS FOR A 2009 SANTA FE AND THOUGHT HYUNDAI WOULD REPLACE THE SUBFRAME. HYUNDAI DECLINED REPLACEMENT OF SUBFRAME. HYUNDAI HAS…

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AFTER ROUTINE INSPECTION, ENGINE CRADLE IS RUSTED THROUGH AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. CAR HAS 54,000 MILES. #1 COCHRAN TOOK PICTURES AND SUBMITTED THEM TO HYUNDAI, SAID THEY NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS FOR A 2009 SANTA FE AND THOUGHT HYUNDAI WOULD REPLACE THE SUBFRAME. HYUNDAI DECLINED REPLACEMENT OF SUBFRAME. HYUNDAI HAS PICTURES THAT WERE TAKEN BY #1 COCHRAN.

NHTSA ODI #10939996

50,000 miles · Jun 13, 2016
Structure

THE PAINT ON OUR VEHICLE KEEPS BUBBLING UP AND PEELING OFF CAUSING THE EXTERIOR METAL ON THE CAR TO RUST IN THOSE SPOTS. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE 2012 AND IS OCCURRING IN MULTIPLE RANDOM SPOTS ON THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE OTHER SAME MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. W…

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THE PAINT ON OUR VEHICLE KEEPS BUBBLING UP AND PEELING OFF CAUSING THE EXTERIOR METAL ON THE CAR TO RUST IN THOSE SPOTS. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE 2012 AND IS OCCURRING IN MULTIPLE RANDOM SPOTS ON THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE OTHER SAME MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. WE CALLED THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WHO RECOMMENDED A BODY SHOP TO FIX THE PAINT ISSUES. THE OWNER OF THE BODY SHOP SAID IT WAS SUCH A REOCCURRING PROBLEM, HE DIDN'T NEED US TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR A QUOTE, ONLY TELL HIM WHERE THE PAINT WAS BUBBLING AND PEELING AND GAVE US A PRICE OVER THE PHONE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE OVER TIME. WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, WHETHER IT IS CERTAIN WEATHER , ROAD CONDITIONS OR ENVIRONMENT.

NHTSA ODI #10874049

70,333 miles · Aug 18, 2015
StructureSuspensionUnknown Or OtherCrashInjury

AT AROUND 4:50 PM ON AUGUST 11, 2015, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LIMITED 2WD 4 DOOR WAGON NORTH-BOUND ON SECOND AVENUE, THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OF SECOND AVENUE AND FOOTHILL BOULEVARD IN UPLAND, CALIFORNIA. WHILE CROSSING THE INTERSECTION THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAS STRUCK BY A CAR ENTERING THE INTERSECTION FROM…

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AT AROUND 4:50 PM ON AUGUST 11, 2015, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LIMITED 2WD 4 DOOR WAGON NORTH-BOUND ON SECOND AVENUE, THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OF SECOND AVENUE AND FOOTHILL BOULEVARD IN UPLAND, CALIFORNIA. WHILE CROSSING THE INTERSECTION THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAS STRUCK BY A CAR ENTERING THE INTERSECTION FROM THE WEST. THE IMPACT TO THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE BY THE OTHER CAR WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. ADDITIONALLY, MY WIFE SUFFERED SOFT TISSUE INJURIES TO HER HIP, SHOULDER, BACK AND RIGHT TEMPLE (HEAD). WHILE THE IMPACT TO THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE WAGON WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE A TOTAL LOSS AND CAUSE INJURIES TO MY WIFE, NONE OF THE FRONT OR SIDE IMPACT AIR-BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS NOW IN THE POSSESSION OF THE AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (CLAIM NUMBER 012002790. I TOOK SOME PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES, WHICH I CAN PROVIDE IF REQU

NHTSA ODI #10749621

57,500 miles · Aug 25, 2014
StructureVehicle Speed ControlCrash

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARALLEL PARK BETWEEN TWO CARS AND AS I WAS ABOUT TO CUT THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT TO FINISH THE PARK, MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED (WITHOUT MY DOING) INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. I HAD NO TIME TO COMPENSATE AND ULTIMATELY CRUSHED THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT/FRAME OF THE CAR BEHIND ME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10628033

Official recalls

2

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.

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.