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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

Visibility/wiper complaints

7 reports
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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

105,000 miles · Dec 6, 2018
Visibility/wiper

SUN ROOF EXPLODED. NO APPARENT REASON. STATIONARY PARKED.

NHTSA ODI #11156472

Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2018
Unknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FELL OUT OF THE CEILING AS IF THE WIRES WERE CUT IN HALF IN THE HOLE THAT HELD THE VISOR IN PLACE. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUDDEN EVENT BUT I HAVE BARELY BEEN ABLE TO SEE WHILE DRIVING EARLY IN THE MORNINGS OR LATE IN THE EVENINGS WHEN THE SUN IS LOW IN THE SKY AND…

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WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FELL OUT OF THE CEILING AS IF THE WIRES WERE CUT IN HALF IN THE HOLE THAT HELD THE VISOR IN PLACE. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUDDEN EVENT BUT I HAVE BARELY BEEN ABLE TO SEE WHILE DRIVING EARLY IN THE MORNINGS OR LATE IN THE EVENINGS WHEN THE SUN IS LOW IN THE SKY AND SHINING DIRECTLY THROUGH THE WINDOW.

NHTSA ODI #11129155

45,000 miles · Oct 24, 2017
Visibility/wiper

OUR SUNROOF BURST WHILE DRIVING ON A CLEAR, SUNNY DAY. OUR SPEED WAS ABOUT 40MPH, THE SHADE ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS CLOSED AS WAS THE SUNROOF. WE HEARD A LOUD "POP" AND WHEN WE SLID THE INTERIOR SHADE OPEN A SHOWER OF GLASS FELL INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.

NHTSA ODI #11036067

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

115,000 miles · Mar 16, 2017
Visibility/wiper

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR, BETWEEN 20-25 MPH, LESS THAN HALF A MILE FROM MY DESTINATION AND I HEARD THIS VERY LOUD BANG. IT SCARED ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GUN SHOT. I PULLED OVER AND SOMETHING TOLD ME TO SLIDE MY SUNROOF COVER BACK, THAT'S WHEN I SAW THAT MY SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. THERE WAS NOTHING AROUND TO HIT IT, NO CARS, OVERPASSE…

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I WAS DRIVING MY CAR, BETWEEN 20-25 MPH, LESS THAN HALF A MILE FROM MY DESTINATION AND I HEARD THIS VERY LOUD BANG. IT SCARED ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GUN SHOT. I PULLED OVER AND SOMETHING TOLD ME TO SLIDE MY SUNROOF COVER BACK, THAT'S WHEN I SAW THAT MY SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. THERE WAS NOTHING AROUND TO HIT IT, NO CARS, OVERPASSES ROCKS, NOTHING. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE TOP AND ALL OF THE GLASS WAS BOWED UPWARDS. IT CAME FROM THE INSIDE, IT EXPLODED. I'D NEVER HEARD OF SUCH. IT WAS ABOUT 47 DEGREES WHEN THIS HAPPEND. NOW I'M SOON TO BE OUT OVER 600 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS FOR SOMETHING AT NO FAULT OF MY OWN.

NHTSA ODI #10966346

82,000 miles · Feb 26, 2014
Visibility/wiper

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK ON VERY COLD WINTER DAYS (ALL DAY, MULTIPLE DAYS). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10565928

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.