Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai Santa Fe

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Hyundai Santa Fe repairs by problem area

Engine (27%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)

Brakes and Traction Control (6%)

Suspension and Steering (20%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (25%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)

Other (5%)

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Chart based on 1673 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Hyundai Santa Fe body repair cost distribution

$2500+ (1%)

$1000 - $2499 (1%)

$500 - $999 (0%)

$100 - $499 (5%)

< $100 (93%)

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Chart based on 81 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

11160 mi Drivers door trim lifting off and needs replacing 
18166 mi Drivers door trim is lifting away and bubbling. Has been reported to dealer on 3 separate occasions and each time they said they would do with the next service. Next service came and went and they did not have time and did not order part. Had to be pointed out to them again and now waiting for part to arrive for another visit to dealer. 

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2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

290-horsepower 3.3L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

23000 mi When on open road wind noise from driver's side rear window. Very annoying. I think the door is out of alignment but they had it for 2.5 hrs and said there was nothing wrong. Passengers who ride with me state otherwise. 

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2015 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

turbocharged 194hp 2.2L I4 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

14260 mi Windscreen developed a crack due to a weld which had not been ground down properly beneath the seal. Windscreen replaced under warranty 

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2015 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

290-horsepower 3.3L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

17980 mi The rear lift gate cylinder mounts started rusting prematurely. After showing dealers they decided to change all 4 under warranty. 

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2014 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

290-horsepower 3.3L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

18600 mi Gaz cap door needed adjusting 
26660 mi Driver door seal ripped, noticed while in for seat belt 

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door

turbocharged 4-cylinder automatic 2WD

29000 mi Constant creaking over any sort of bump or corner. Turned out to be body panel wear. Had to have Hyundai Engineer visit from HQ to get it fixed. 

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door

4-cylinder automatic 2WD

28000 mi water in rear brake lite housing and front fog lamp housing. Rubber gasket in sunroof broke off left side 

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2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

25000 mi Moisture seeping into rear light assembly 

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2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

26040 mi Rear left tail light housing was not sealed and had water in it. Item replaced under warranty by dealer. 

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2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

175-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

17940 mi fake chrome on grill peeled. 

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2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

175-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

26660 mi steering wheel was cracking and pulling apart at the top of wheel 

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2011 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

5000 mi Insulation added to stop creaking in cabin. 
44640 mi Water collecting in the passenger side rear tail light. Dealer fixed under warrenty 
23000 mi Rt rear headrest would not fold down when putting rear seats down for larger cargo. Removed rear seat & headrest. Opened headrest repaired internals, reinstalled. Works fine now with the modifications I made. CHEAP PLASTIC PARTS FAILED! 
35960 mi

C $45
You could feel the passenger door going up and down with your elbow when running over potholes. They adjusted the door and striker. door and striker'. 
12400 mi 1st trip to dealer to have this repaired. Still sqeaking Rattle/squeak in roof liner. Hyundai never was able to repair this. Second of three trips to daler for this. No success 
38440 mi Leather seems to be peeling on driver's door arm rest. 

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2010 Hyundai Santa Fe

Engine not specified

44000 mi ongoing issues with material on back seat, material doesn't fit right for either back seat - single one replaced months back under warranty and bench seat authorized for repair only to fix material from coming up - fixed after 3rd attempt 

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2010 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

turbocharged 194hp 2.2L I4 Diesel 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

20140 mi water leaks driving in hard rain from the right back door. no water leaks with car standing into the rain. 

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2010 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

9000 mi An elastic strap came undone, that holds a cover over the mechanics of the back seat when it is folded down. It was repaired by dealer. The seat fabric pulled out from under the rear seat folding lever housing. The problem was not fixed due to a miscommunication. The car will return to the dealer for repair. 
3720 mi Rails on sunroof broken - noise opening/closing, rails replaced under warranty 
36592 mi

C $8
The rear wiper uses a cheap painted steel washer to seal the arm against the window. Cheap to replace at $8 for the part, wouldn't be happy to pay labour to replace it... 
63240 mi

C $10
Paint continues to come off in chunks - delamination of white paint from the grey primer. I've been putting decals over the damage to prevent rust - Hyundai isn't willing to deal with paint delamination issues 
2000 mi Damage to inner lip of right front fender caused paint to crack and flake off. Hyundai paid for body shop repair and rental car. 
23000 mi Condensation formed in passenger side inner taillight and began pooling at bottom. Persisted for two weeks, dealer ordered new lamp unit. 
54560 mi Replaced rear taillight which had water getting inside and shorting out bulbs. 

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2010 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

31620 mi 2 doors sagging.Not closing very well.Mechanic hits strike on doorframe with hammer.I tell him it's a door and not a strike problem.He is not listening.Problem still exist. Hunt Club Hyundai Ottawa. 
13830 mi Rear window door (Rubber, vinyl or plastic) trim changed color and lustre. Dealer will order and replace on next visit  Ajustable back support on drivers seat (Limited model) is noisy (Squeaking), when applying variable pressure while driving. Dealer will validate on next trip. Suspect noisy spring hooks.  Rear window door (Rubber, vinyl or plastic) trim changed color and lust. Dealer will order and replace on next visit  
19000 mi Front doors make a hollow rattling noise when closing the door - dealer identified the interior door skin had become unglued 

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2010 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

175-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

6000 mi Rear seat cover removes itself from bottom bracket when passengers sit in the back seat, and comes detached from cushion. Plastic mounting strip is defective. Ordered new rear seat under warranty (not there yet). Concern also (web) - trans. 
8000 mi Interior plastic scratches (permanently) VERY easily, making a new vehicle look less than new, from the inside of the car.  
40000 mi

US $25
Rear seat cover clips defective - rear seat cover comes off most times when people sit on the rear seat. Had to configure some clips for the bottom to keep the seat cover from coming off - shoddy plastic clips put on at the factory. 
42000 mi Stopped by the dealer I purchased the Santa Fe from (and 4 other new Hyundai's, through the years). In addition to the interior panels being fragile/prone to scratches, the steering wheel cracks are larger, but they never called back 2 fix 
53100 mi Clip broke on cargo net for hatch area - plastic (typical Hyundai problem) failed, was ordered under warranty, and I replaced it. 

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2009 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

68000 mi

US $50
dealer replace door seal under Goodwill warrenty. Customer paid labor charge 

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2009 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

17700 mi Cabin air filter tabs broken 
28000 mi

US $135
Finish on the wheels is starting to come off, 
31000 mi Wheel finish. The wheel finish on the driver's side was peeling off. The wheels were replaced under warranty. 
21700 mi Plastic strip on the bottom of front passenger door became unglued at the front of the door. It caught on the frame when the door opens and ripped it open even more. Ordered new part N/C, but the first one was damaged so they reordered it 

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2009 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

185-horsepower 2.7L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD

28000 mi Bought car used 10/11/10. New tires were put on before buying. Have vibration between 60 and 75 mph. Took to tire dealer to see if alignment/balance was off. Tire dealer aligned and rotated/balanced. Still have vibration.  
40000 mi headliner pulling away, drivers side area was broken 

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2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

turbocharged 148hp 2.2L I4 Diesel 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

14880 mi Random plastic clicking/knocking sound under drivers side of dashboard (right hand drive vehicle) 

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2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

55700 mi Replaced driver door rubber sealing. 
6200 mi Front windows squeak - manufacturer is aware of problem and will do recall when a fix is available and able to resolve. 
5362 mi Squeaking from rear hatch area. Dealer performed TSB 08-BD-008 at no cost. No more squeaks! 
60000 mi Sunshade binding - Dealer replaced sunshade under factory warranty. 
39060 mi front links replaced. they decided to give up in a short time about a week from notice of rattle to "oh my god" rattle 

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2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

47900 mi Rust bubble under rear hatch window. Dealer removed rear window and repainted entire hatch door. 
4340 mi Hatch door needs adjustment. Body shop says shims are required and to leave it for a half day. Hyundai will pay. 
41540 mi Plastic seat frame cover came off often. Dealer repaired. rubber moulding on driver side thin and worn had to be reordered wrong coloured part came in defective left front weather strip replaced under warranty 
45880 mi defective catch on ash tray 
1240 mi Third Brake Light--Condensation inside. Unit Replaced 
12400 mi right side lamp over rear licence plate has condensation in the lens. Seal likely gone, dealer ordered part for warranty repair 
17980 mi Cracking noise in Windshield/dash area when turning and going over bumps. Clips broken/loose where dash meets firewall. Dash pulled to repair issue Rubber trim around inside of Door openings had shrunk and come away from the corners.. dealer ordered parts and replaced all 4 door trims. 
18600 mi Vinyl side of driver seat bottom was tearing.. small but noticible.. new seat bottom ordered  Rusting from inside out on the back hatch where the bottom of the glass meets the metal. Car into body shop in a week or so. 
22320 mi Rust Repaired Bottom seat cover replaced. Hyundai did NOT reimburse dealer but they did not charge me for the replacement part or labour 
44520 mi Rust showing on rear hatch handle 
13020 mi Replace weather stripping around doors 
15000 mi weather stripping on all four doors pulled away from body during cold weather and would not stay attached to body after weather warmed up. Dealer replaced under warranty. 2nd time this has occurred in less than two years of ownership. 
17200 mi Retaining grommet came out of driver side carpet mat, letting carpet move. Replaced damaged carpet with new carpet mat, under original warranty 
620 mi Nylon strap that holds flap when second row seating folded down broken. Seat strap has not been repaired nor likely will be until there is a sufficient reason to bring it back to the shop for something more substantial. 
1860 mi Strap for rear seat flap broken. Repaired by dealer. 

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2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

185-horsepower 2.7L V6 5-speed manual FWD

55040 mi Rear sash replaced due to rust and trunk door refinished also due to rust.  

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2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

185-horsepower 2.7L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD

32000 mi Drivers side visor was loose and replaced. Rear seat cover was fraying at the bottom. Replaced. 
34500 mi Water in passenger front floor. Replaced windshield seal and defective driver and passenger front door seals. 
35300 mi Again water was leaking into the passenger floorboard. Dealer repaired windshield seal again and we will continue to watch for additional leaking. 

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2007 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

824 mi Repair middle rear seat belt buckle. Buckle was falling through hole in seat. 
2480 mi leaking windshield, at 1st I thought it was the sun/moon roof, but in fact was the windshield 
2000 mi replaced rubber trim/seal on windshield 
11500 mi none dealer stated this is normal for vehicle 
12900 mi Ash tray jammed in had replaced. rear cup holder lid in armrest pops up everytime a bump is hit replaced armrest. 
17000 mi The car squeaked on the rear driver side everytime the car was on uneven pavement. They oiled the area and it's fine now. Seat belt clip in second row middle seat kept falling in hole and you couldn't get it out. They fixed it and it works fine now. 
14000 mi Heat shield rattled. 
110000 mi Broken driver's side sun visor. Poor design. It is well documented on the Internet. 
158000 mi

US $5
Both sun visors are broken. Found fix on YouTube using 6/32 screws. 
7440 mi plastic front right pillar came loose, squeaky right front window when closing 

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2007 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

13640 mi Moonroof leaking. 
18600 mi Fixed moonroof leaking. 
16000 mi ordered new grill, paint coming off, one that came with the car 
17000 mi New grill installed. 
16740 mi Weather stripping for drivers side door was falling apart, part ordered and replaced. 
4960 mi Rear passenger side bumper not flush with body -- paint coming off where bumper meets body. Repair looked successful at pick-up, but one week later, it has returned. 
15500 mi Paint peeling from rear bumber. This was repaired unsuccessfully in Aug 07, nd problem returned within a month. This is the second repair. 
21700 mi Sticky seatbelt. 
24800 mi Sticky seatbelt. 
33480 mi License plate light cover replaced. 
28520 mi Squeaking noise from dash area 
1240 mi Sunroof was leaking. Vehicle was in the shop for one day. Dealer tried to fix by adjusting the fit of the sunroof. The sunroof still leaked. He called later in August to recommend replacement parts. We decided not to do this as we heard the fix did n 
9000 mi Loose Interior panel panel in cargo area. Rear bumper was loose. 
4000 mi Bad welds in rear frame caused creaking noise. Rewelds successfully fixed problem. 
44000 mi seat pockets behind front seats were tearing off. Both pockets replaced under warranty, no charge. 
3000 mi The black finish on the rear drivers side door panel had lost its sheen. Needed to be repainted. 
31000 mi Rear bumper fascia clip undone. Dealer pushed in and called it repaired on 1st visit. Problem persisted.  Dealer made fix on 2nd visit. 
15000 mi The driver's side window was squeaking. 

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2007 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

185-horsepower 2.7L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD

27000 mi

US $350
Passenger's side sunvisor fell apart and had to be replaced. Interior rubber seal behind front door on driver's side cracked apart and had to be replaced.  
142000 mi

US $130
New sun visor 
16000 mi Rattle in left rear area of vehicle. Told by service department that many Santa Fe's have this same rattle. 
32000 mi Rear hatch creaks badly. Second time repair was tried. Still creaks and I will be taking it in again. 
38000 mi Rear hatch creaked, rattled. Mechanic adjusted latching mechanism so hatch seals more securely. 

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2003 Hyundai Santa Fe

Engine not specified

108000 mi

US $1800
In the middle of traffic with 9 month baby and completely stopped. Almost caused accident. Had to be towed. Now sounding loud, squeaking and riding extremely rough. 

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2003 Hyundai Santa Fe 4dr SUV

138-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD

160000 mi

US $100
Frame on driver's side rusted through and cracked. 
176000 mi

US $3200
Engine subframe rusted through due to faulty corrosion prevention on certain hyundai models with the 2.4L four-cylinder. Hyundai was sued in 2011 for this problem, it was a class-action lawsuit. Had I have known, I would have taken up to the dealership instead of attempting a frame repair. 

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Hyundai Santa Fe Body Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Hyundai Santa Fe problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.