2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

THE FUEL GAUGE SLOWLY OSCILLATES BETWEEN THE (ASSUMED) CORRECT VALUE AND ZERO, OFTEN TRIGGERING THE LOW-LEVEL LIGHT. IT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CONFIDENT ABOUT HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE IN THE VEHICLE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, IN MOTION, OR WHAT KIND OF DRIVING CONDITION YOU ARE IN, OR WHETHER THE ENGINE IS RUNNING OR NOT. IT SEEMS TO BE A MALFUNCTION IN THE SENSOR OR ELECTRONIC CONTROLS. MY LOCAL DEALER SAID THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE (~$400 TO FIX) BUT HYUNDAI HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL BECAUSE IT'S NOT A "SAFETY ISSUE". THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU ARE NEVER SURE WHETHER IT IS CORRECTLY INDICATING A LOW FUEL LEVEL OR NOT... I WORRY ABOUT MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVING BY HERSELF AT NIGHT WITHOUT KNOWING WHETHER SHE HAS ENOUGH GAS OR NOT TO MAKE IT HOME! IF THIS IS A KNOWN/COMMON ISSUE FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY HYUNDAI.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD POP SOUND AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL GAUGE READ EMPTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 08/23/17*LJ *CN

FUEL INDICATOR GAUGE FLUCTUATES SEVERELY AND DOES NOT SHOW CORRECT LEVEL. SINCE THE LEVEL IS INCORRECT, AND THE WARNING INDICATOR DOES NOT FUNCTION, THIS CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO UNEXPECTEDLY RUN OUT OF FUEL AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAUSES DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

MY FUEL GAUGE IS NO LONGER WORKING. IT DOESN'T REGISTER THE AMOUNT OF GAS. THE GAUGE GOES UP AND DOWN RANDOMLY AND MAINLY STAYS ON EMPTY.

GAS GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER AMOUNT OF GAS THAT IS IN THE TANK. FILL UP TANK AND GAUGE REMAINS A EMPTY OR GOES TO FULL AND THE QUICKLY MOVES TO EMPTY. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME ISSUE WITH 2009 SANTA FE. SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE AND CAN VERY EASILY RUN OUT OF GAS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT.

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.

MY 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE STALLED OUT AGAIN. THIS EVENT HAPPENED WHILE TURNING LEFT ONTO A BUSY STREET AFTER SITING AT A RED LIGHT. THE CAR LOST ALL POWER, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHILE PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT IN THE WAY OF OTHER DRIVERS. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THEN THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY. THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS FORCED TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES, AS IT APPEARS THAT I HAVE JUST DECIDED TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED. VERY DANGEROUS AND COMPLETELY OUT OF MY CONTROL.

MY 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE KEEPS RANDOMLY STALLING OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY, WHILE MAKING TURNS ONTO BUSY STREETS DURING RUSH HOUR AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A LIGHT, MAKING TURNS AFTER DECELERATING, NO PARTICULAR PATTERN. THERE IS ALSO NO WARNING WHATSOEVER! WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS OUT, I LOSE MY POWER STEERING, THUS BASICALLY HAVING MINIMAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK MY CAR DIRECTLY INTO THE DEALER AFTER THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN ONE DAY. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE EVENT. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THEY COULD TRY REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY AND THAT IT MAY FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY WERE NOT SURE BECAUSE THEY DID FIND A PROBLEM. AS I STATED BEFORE, THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. THERE IS A PROBLEM. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR MANY TIMES BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO STALL.

I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ERRATIC AND MOSTLY INCORRECT. AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS IT QUIT WORKING AT ALL. IVE TRIED TO RESET THE TRIP ODOMETER AND KEEP UP WITH THE AMOUNT OF GAS I SHOULD HAVE IN THE TANK. I GAVE OUT OF GAS ON AN INTERSTATE AT 11PM IN SUB FREEZING WEATHER. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE FUEL SENSOR AS THE PROBLEM. I'VE NOTICED SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS HERE. THE ESTIMATED FIX IS $500. ADDITIONALLY THERE IS A HISSING SOUND FROM THE TANK WHEN I STOP TO FILL UP. UPON FILLING THE TANK THE ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK INITIALLY. IT APPREARS TO BE FLOODING THE ENGINE WITH GASOLINE. IF IM PATIENT I WILL EVENTUALLY GET IT CRANKED. WHEN I PULL OFF IT SHUTS OFF. THIS CONTINUES AS I INTENTIONALLY DRIVE AROUND IN THE PARKING LOT DUE TO HAVING THIS HAPPEN ONCE AFTER PULLING OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I AM A RETIREE ON FIXED INCOME. THE AUTO WILL NOT PASS NC EMISSIONS INSPECTION DUE THIS MONTH UNTIL THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF.

DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED ONE BLOCK FROM HOME, ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN.