no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash.
2009 Hyundai Santa FEProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 359 owner complaints about the 2009 Hyundai Santa FE, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 21, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2009 Hyundai Santa FE has problems
359 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
109Fuel/propulsion system2 crash/fire/injury
60Engine3 crash/fire/injury
51Vehicle speed control11 crash/fire/injury
50Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
41Service brakes7 crash/fire/injury
29Air bags8 crash/fire/injury
24Power train
17Steering
17Fuel system, gasoline
7816 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 109 | 2 |
| Engine | 60 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 51 | 11 |
| Electrical system | 50 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 41 | 7 |
| Air bags | 29 | 8 |
| Power train | 24 | 4 |
| Steering | 17 | 1 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 17 | 0 |
| 16 other systems | 78 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2009 Hyundai Santa FE recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk. 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…
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Hyundai.
Mileage at failure
When do fuel/propulsion system problems start?
88kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 91 fuel/propulsion system complaints. 68% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles62under 100k miles29100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Fuel/propulsion system
16 owners mentioned a cost$550median
Middle half: $475 – $800
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2009 vs. every other Santa FE year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Santa FE median. How we score
'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2009 Hyundai Santa FE safety ratings
2009 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-DR w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 4 stars (16.9% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2009 Hyundai Santa FE, and the recalls they led to.
- Throttle control system vulnerabilitiesNo recall
In owners' words
What Santa FE owners report
Recent fuel/propulsion system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
My kids and I were going to town one afternoon and I started to smell gas coming from the air vents the gas smell was very strong I opened the hood and could see that it was wet I touched the spot and smelled it and it was fuel.i was worried about driving home with my children in the car so I…
Pulling into driveway. Car engine accelerated suddenly. Was just coasting in. The car wouldn't stop. Hit front of a home. The engine sounded like a race car.
The vehicle's check engine light came on and the fuel gauge shows "E". I did an OBD scan and it shows the fuel sending unit has issues. The gauge will work intermittently and the check engine light will go away. Further reviews from others show the same issues with their vehicle with each needing a…
Own a 2009 Santa FE?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.