Your vehicle report
2008 Hyundai Santa FE
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 541
- Received Apr 2008 to Mar 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly217 complaints · 40% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking35 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbag warning light stays on26 complaints · 4.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #13V113000Hyundai 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.
- Recall #12V354000Hyundai 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 17 crashes, 7 fires, 12 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
- Airbag warning light stays on
- Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off
- Airbags fail to deploy in crashes
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 22 |
| 2009 | 31 |
| 2010 | 18 |
| 2011 | 24 |
| 2012 | 17 |
| 2013 | 46 |
| 2014 | 100 |
| 2015 | 74 |
| 2016 | 53 |
| 2017 | 43 |
| 2018 | 30 |
| 2019 | 27 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 2 |
| Total | 541 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 217 | 40% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 35 | 6.5% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 26 | 4.8% | – | NHTSA recall #11V472000 |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 25 | 4.6% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 23 | 4.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 18 | 3.3% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 10 | 1.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 1.7% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 7 | 1.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 1.1% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 6 | 1.1% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 6 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 0.9% | – | NHTSA recall #11V472000 |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 5 | 0.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Driver sun visor will not stay up | 3 | 0.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 0.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #13V113000April 1, 20131,712,336 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #12V354000July 25, 2012199,118 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #11V472000September 9, 2011205,233 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #08V272000June 19, 200888,943 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
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).
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2008 Hyundai Santa FE.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN