2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

View complaints related to 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 350 complaints submitted for the 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - PETERSBURG, VA

    SAME THING THATS HAPPENED IN 90% OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS... DRIVING, LOUD KNOCKING SOUND AND ENGINE AND POWER STEERING DIED ON HIGHWAY TRAVELING 70MPH... YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY VERY AWARE AS I HAVE JUST SAT THROUGH AND READ THE COMPLAINTS ALL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE SOME DYING AT 58,000 MILES WHICH IS UNHEARD OF. I WORK AT A MECHANIC SHOP. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND YOU REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ARE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO DRIVE AROUND IN UNSAFE CARS.. WE OWN 3 HYUNDAIS RIGHT NOW. MY GRANDPARENTS OWN 4 THEMSLEVES... WE ARE ALL GOING TO SELL THEM AS FAST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AND WILL NEVER BUY FROM YOUR THIEVING DEALERSHIPS AGAIN. SHAME AS WE'VE BEEN A HYUNDAI FAMILY FOR 30 YEARS BUT YOU'RE ALL ABOUT GREED NOW AND FAILING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OR REIMBURSE ALL OF THESE FAMILIES WHO ARE OUT OF VEHICLES DURING THIS PANDEMIC TRULY SHOWS WHAT YOU'RE COMPANY IS ALL ABOUT. DONT BUY FROM HYUNDAI IF YOU'RE READING THIS. THEY'LL RECALL SOMETHING WITH THE SAME ISSUE AS YOURS BUT CLAIM IT'S A YEAR BEHIND OR AHEAD OF YOURS AND REFUSE TO COVER IT.. EVEN WITH 238 COMPLAINTS ABSOLUTELY ZERO RESPONSIBILITY. JUST READ THE COMPLAINTS YOURSELF.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - WILKES-BARRE, PA

    STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. STEPPED ON GAS TO MOVE AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND IT JUST TOOK OFF. HAD TO USE BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR. GOING ABOUT 1 MPH AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. THE ENGINE ACCELERATED AND WOULDN'T STOP. NEARLY HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. MAY BE COMPUTER OR THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR. AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN LATER. SAME DAY. GOING STRAIGHT, UP A HILL ABOUT 2MPH AND ONCE AGAIN THE ENGINE SPED UP AND THE CAR TOOK OFF. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - LAND O LAKES, FL

    ENGINE RATTLE ONE DAY, ENGINE SEIZE UP DURING DOWNSHIFT GETTING OFF EXPRESSWAY THE NEXT DAY. CRANKSHAFT BOLT WILL NOT ROTATE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - SUSSEX, NJ

    WAS DRIVING MY 2012 SANTA FE ON RT 565 WHEN THE CAR STARTED MAKING A LOUD BANGING SOUND IN THE ENGINE AND THE CAR JUST DIED. I WAS ABLE TO ROLL THE CAR OFF TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOUSE WHERE A MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND INFORMED ME THE ENGINE WAS SHOT AND TOLD ME ABOUT THIS WEB SITE SO I COULD SEE THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO THE ONE I EXPERIENCED. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW FROM SUSSEX HYUNDAI IT CURRENTLY HAS 108,000 MILES I PLAN ON GOING IN TOMORROW AND SPEAKING WITH THEM. WITH ALL THE ENGINE COMPLAINTS AND SCENARIOS THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS LISTED ON THIS WEB SITE YOU WOULD THINK THAT NHTSA OR HYUNDAI WOULD IMPLEMENT AN ENGINE RECALL. HOPING THE DEALER WILL GO TO BAT FOR ME AND CONTACT HYUNDAI AMERICA TO FIX MY ENGINE. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - TULSA, OK

    ENGINE KNOCK THAT CAUSED ENGINE TO FAIL WITH LESS THAN 95,000 MILES DESPITE DEFAULTS MAINTENANCE. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - BALTIMORE, MD

    I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A RURAL STREET AND HEARD A LONG CLANKING SOUND AND THEN STARTING TO SMELL RUBBER. I DROVE ABOUT 1.5 MILES LIKE THIS AND WHEN I GOT HOME, THE STRUT/COIL SPRING ON THE RIGHT FRONT WAS BROKEN OFF AND SCRAPING MY TIRE ON THE INSIDE. HAD I BEEN ON THE BELTWAY, MY TIRE COULD HAVE BLOWN AND A MAJOR ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. HYUNDIA REFUSES TO COVER EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE RECALLS FOR OTHER MODELS/YEARS. I NO LONGER TRUST THIS CAR.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - WASHOE VALLEY, NV

    THE ENGINE WENT OUT AT 50,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED AND THEN WENT OUT AGAIN AT 105,000 MILES. SAME ISSUE. HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. ENGINE STALLED ON FREEWAY FIRST TIME AND ALMOST CAUSED A COLLISION, 2ND TIME ON FREEWAY STALLED AT FREEWAY SPEED AND ALMOST CAUSED ANOTHER COLLISION. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - DAYTON, OH

    THE VEHICLE STOPS RUNNING IN THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING AND IS UNABLE BE RESTARTED. ATTEMPTS TO CHARGE THE BATTERY FAIL. WHEN TAKEN TO BE EVALUATED BY THE BRAND DEALERSHIP, THEY ONLY CHANGE THE BATTERY AND SAY THAT IT HAS BEEN FIXED. WITHIN 3-4 WEEKS, IT WILL SHUT DOWN IN THE ROAD AGAIN. THIS HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES, AND EACH TIME, I TAKE TO BE SERVICED AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE FAILING ISSUE. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO CORPORATE, AND HAVE QUICKLY DISMISSED MY CASE. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN 2016 CONCERNING THE EXACT ISSUES I AM EXPERIENCING WITH THE VEHICLE. I WOULD THINK WITH THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTED LIABILITY, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THE VEHICLES OR A WARNING NOTICE DEALERSHIPS WERE REQUIRED TO PRESENT WITH THE SALE. I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE TRADING THE CAR IN AS THE ISSUE WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER CONSUMER.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - PALMETTO BAY, FL

    WAS DRIVING 65 MPH HEADING SOUTH TO KEY LARGO. THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND KNOCKING. THE CAR BEGAN TO LABOR, I WAS ABLE TO PULL IT OFF THE ROAD BEFORE IT QUIT COMPLETELY. THE MOTOR DIED AND WOULDN'T TURN OVER. THE BATTERY APPEARED FINE AS RADIO, LIGHTS ETC., WERE STILL WORKING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE CAR OVERHEATED. I POPPED THE, HOOD, CHECKED MY FLUIDS WHICH ALL SEEMED TO BE FINE. I DID NOTE SOME OIL ON THE GROUND AND IT APPEARED TO HAVE A DRIP FROM ABOVE. I TOWED THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER LOOKING IT OVER, HE TOLD ME TO TOW IT TO THE DEALER. I'M AT JUST OVER 119,000 MILES; HE FELT THIS MAY BE COVERED. UPON INITIAL DIAGNOSIS, THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT I HAVE A HOLE IN MY ENGINE BLOCK AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE ROD SHOT OUT OF THE BLOCK. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THEY ARE WILLING TO PICK UP 60% OF THE REPAIR WHICH WOULD LEAVE ME WITH A REPAIR BILL OVER THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY DID AN INVESTIGATION, TODAY, AND DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS MECHANICAL AND NOTED THE CRANKSHAFT WAS BROKEN. MECHANICAL FAILURE IS NOT COVERED BY MY INSURANCE. THE 2012 SANTA FE WITH THE THETA II ENGINES SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE THETA II RECALL REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT WAS MANUFACTURED. I FEEL FOR THE HYUNDAI AND KIA OWNERS WHO CONTINUE TO SUFFER THROUGH THESE CONTINUED ENGINE PROBLEMS MAKING THE CAR WORTHLESS.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - WINTER SPRING, FL

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ALTERNATOR AND ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. *BF CONSUMER STATED ENGINE WAS REPLACED.*JB

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE