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
    - HAMMOND, LA

    MY SON WAS DRIVING WITH 3 OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CAR AT LOW SPEED AND THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN OVERPASS. HE HAD TO COAST BACKWARD OFF THE OVERPASS. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS BEHIND THEM OR THEY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! WHEN I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY SAID THE 2012 HAD 'NO RECALLS' BUT WHEN I REVIEWED THE INFORMATION ON OTHER RECALLED VEHICLES DIFFERENT YEAR BUT SAME ISSUES. MY QUESTION IS ARE PEOPLE GOING TO HAVE TO DIE FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS? WHY AREN'T THESE 2012 SANTA FE'S BEING RECALLED LIKE THE OTHERS? PLEASE MAKE THIS A MANDATORY RECALL SO NO ONE IS KILLED BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. PLEASE! MOTHER'S LOVE FOR HER CHILD AND HIS FRIENDS. RECALL THIS CAR!! HE HAS NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP YET AS HE WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT WAS TOWED TO HIS APARTMENT BECAUSE IT WAS 9:30PM. HE IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA BECAUSE HE'S IN COLLEGE FOR HIS MASTERS DEGREE. WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? HELP PLEASE! ELECTRICAL LIGHTS CAME ON VEHICLE MADE A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THE CAR STARTS BUT MAKES THE LOUD NOISE

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - ANCHORAGE, AK

    RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY LEAKS WATER SHORTING OUT THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT, THIS SHOULD BE A PRODUCT RECALL

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

    DROVE THE VEHICLE TO AN EVEN WITH NO ISSUES. PARKED IN THE EVENT VENUE GARAGE. CAR RAN PERFECTLY UP TO THIS POINT. AFTER THE EVENT AS WE WHERE LEAVING THE GARAGE WE HEARD KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE AND HAD TROUBLE ACCELERATING. WE THOUGHT WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN A BAD BATCH OF GASOLINE AS WE FILLED THE CAR UP ON OUR WAY TO THE EVENT. WE DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME WITH VERY CAREFULLY AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER THE NEXT MONDAY. WE WHERE TOLD THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO HE TUNE OF $10,000. AS STATED BEFORE THE CAR RAN PERFECTLY ON OUR WAY TO OUR EVENT AND THE ENGINE WAS KNOCKING WHEN WE STARTED IT BACK UP. THE CAR HAS 104000 MILES AND HAS HAD VERY MINOR ISSUES UP TO THIS POINT. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALER SO I DO NOT HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION AS OF YET.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - CHARLESTON, WV

    WATER KEEP GETTING INTO MY REAR LIGHT CASING. I HAD THEM REPLACED ONCE BUT THERE IS WATER IN THEM AGAIN AND I UNDERSTAND THIS MIGHT SHORT OUT MY REAR LIGHTS. WE ARE GETTI G A LOT OF RAIN THIS SEASON

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - PROVIDENCE, RI

    CAR ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED WHILE ON HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS I AM CHOCKED MY CAR HAS BEEN PERFECT UNTIL NOW MY CAR BARELY PASSED 100,000 AND BOTH WARRANTIES EXPIRED ALSO BODY PANT IS CHIPPING OFF.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - DOWNERS GROVE, IL

    NHTSA REPRESENTATIVE, I AM WRITING TO INFORM THE NHTSA THAT OTHER HYUNDAI'S ENGINES OUTSIDE OF HYUNDAI'S 2012 AND 2013 ENGINE RECALL ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO ROD KNOCK, WHICH POSES A SEVERE SAFETY RISK AND THAT HYUNDAI IS NOT HELPFUL IN ANY WAY WHEN REPORTING THIS. OUR VEHICLE WHICH FAILED ON US 40 IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS IS A 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VIN # #[XXX]. ON APRIL 10TH AT 6 PM WHILE TRAVELING ON US 40 IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS NEAR CHANDLER, NORTH CAROLINA IN OUR 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE TOWARDS OUR HOME IN DOWNERS GROVE, IL., WE BEGAN TO HEAR A KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE AT ANY SPEED GREATER THAN 65 MPH. SINCE WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO PLACE TO SAFELY PULL OFF SO WE SLOWED THE VEHICLE TO 60MPH HOWEVER THE KNOCKING SOUND BECAME WORST AND THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 55 MPH WITHOUT A TERRIBLE LOUD KNOCKING. THIS WAS OF COURSE VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE. WITH HAZARD LIGHTS ON, WE WERE ABLE TO EXIT US 40 IN CHANDLER NC ONLY ABLE TO DO <30 MPH AND THE VEHICLE DIED IN ENTRANCE OF THE SUNOCO GAS STATION IN CHANDLER NORTH CAROLINA. DURING THIS WHOLE TIME NO CHECK ENGINE OR ANY EMERGENCY LIGHT WARNED US OF THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONING AND THE SAFETY RISK WE HAD ENCOUNTERED WITH THE ENGINE DYING. THE SANTA FE WAS TOWED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP OF ASHEVILLE, NC AND DROPPED OFF AT 11PM WHERE IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE BAD ROD KNOCK AND NEEDING A NEW ENGINE. HYUNDAI SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ENGINES THAT PUT THEIR CUSTOMERS AT RISK AND 2012 SANTA FE ENGINE SHOULD BE ON THE CURRENT ENGINE RECALL FOR ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO ROD KNOCK. SEVERAL MECHANICS AT VARIOUS SHOPS HAVE STATED THIS IS HAPPENING REGULARLY TO HYUNDAI'S ENGINES. PLEASE ASSIST US IN HOLDING HYUNDAI RESPONSIBLE AND MODIFYING THE ENGINE RECALL TO CORRECTLY ENCOMPASS OUR MODEL (2012 SANTA FE ENGINES) BEFORE SERIOUS HARM COMES TO SOMEONE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - CHICAGO, IL

    TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN ,I CURRENTLY OWN SANTA FE THE PROBLEM IS HYUNDAI IS NOT RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM WITH THE VECHICLE I EXPIAIN TO THE SERVICE DPT,I ABSORB A JERK LOSES ACCELERATION POWER NEXT ESCINDICATOR DBC LIGHTS COMES ON TACHOMETER GOES 0.THE VECHICLE IS STILL IN MOTION .I TURN THE IGNITIONOFF RESTART THE VECHICLE THEVECHICLE RETURN BACK IN NORMAL STATE SERVICE REPLIED I HAVE TO WAIT FOR A SERVICE LIGHTS.IAM AWARE THAT SANTAFE FIRES BEGINS IN THE ENG ALSO IN THE REAR.HYUNDAI DONT HAVE AN ANSWER THEY WANT ME TO DRIVE IN DANGER.I DONT NEED A TRAGEDY.PLEASE HELP [XXX] THX YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - PHOENIX, AZ

    THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN A PRIVATE PARKING LOT AT A DOCTOR'S OFFICE. I TRIED MANY TIMES TO START THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WOULD KICK OVER BUT DID NOT. I THEN HEARD A KIND OF WHIRRING SOUND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND OPENED THE HOOD. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE. THE SMELL WAS KIND OF ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD CATCH FIRE SO I WENT INTO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, ASKED FOR A BOTTLE OF WATER, THEN DOUSED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I LEFT MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT AND WAS PICKED UP BY MY FAMILY. I AM QUITE AFRAID TO EVEN ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR AGAIN. I WILL HAVE TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR TO A MECHANIC. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THE ENGINE TO HAVE SMOKED LIKE THAT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - SHARPSBURG, GA

    ADD MY REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES FILLING WITH WATER AND CONDENSATION TO THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS. BACK UP AND BRAKE LIGHT BULBS MUST BE REPLACED AFTER ANY HEAVY RAIN EVENT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - NEW ALBANY, MS

    MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WHILE TURNING DOWN A CITY STREET AT SLOW SPEED. NO SAFETY/WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I CRANKED IT BACK UP AND IT RAN FINE FOR A FEW WEEKS. IT SEEMS TO RUN FINE ON OPEN HIGHWAY BUT AT A STOP OR SLOWER SPEED IT WILL CUT OFF LEAVING ME IN DANGER OF A COLLISION AT BUSY INTERSECTIONS. WITH NO WARNING AGAIN IT DID THE SAME THING AT A RED LIGHT. I CANNOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE NOW BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY HAZARD. I HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO A GARAGE-THEN WAS ADVISED THAT A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WOULD NEED TO FIX IT SO I HAD THE EXPENSE OF TWO TOWINGS. THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP HAS NOW INFORMED ME THAT THE COMPUTER CHECK SHOWS A TIMING TOOTH MAY BE OFF AND THAT WITH THE EXPENSE IN WILL INCUR I AM BETTER LETTING THEM PUT AN ENTIRE NEW MOTOR IN. I AM SO UPSET THIS IS HAPPENING DUE IT BEING MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE