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
    - MOUNT KISCO , NY

    AS I WAS DRIVING VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER ON A HIGHWAY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AGAIN THIS HAS HAPPENED A SECOND TIME NOW WITH 17000 MILES. DEALERSHIP SAID COMPUTER UPDATE THE FIRST TIME NOW THROTTLE BODY I DON'T THINK THERE IS AN ANSWER VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

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

    THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME SINCE THE PURCHASE IN APRIL, 2012. THE ENGINE JUST SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY AT A LOW SPEED. THE DEALER SHOP OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS TYPE OF HIGHLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY NHTSA URGENTLY. I SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE REPORTED. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I HAVE TO RISK OUR FAMILY LIVES TO PROVE THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS FAULT WITH THIS VEHICLE! *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - NACOGLOCHES, TX

    AT 2 TIMES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS THE CAR ENGINE HAS SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY ON LEVEL GROUND. LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. CAR RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. SO FAR DEALERSHIP UNABLE TO REPRODUCE OR HELP WITH PROBLEM. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - HUDSON OAKS, TX

    IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO COAST TOWARDS THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS PATTERN HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MILES. I WAS NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR AND IN FACT, MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE BRAKE EITHER, AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FULL THROTTLE. I HAD JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS TO TRY TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I SWERVED TO THE RIGHT, TOWARDS THE SHOULDER, BUT I HIT THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS BRAKING THE ENTIRE TIME, BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. MY LEFT BUMPER HIT HIS TRUCK ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF HIS BUMPER. MY RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AND LEAKED ALL THE FLUID OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE BECAUSE OF THE RADIATOR. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - SAN DIEGO, CA

    JUST GOT OUT OF A SHOPPING CENTER AND ONTO MIRA MESA BLVD, SAN DIEGO. CAR STALLED! I WAS GOING @ 30 MILES/HOUR OR SO. TOTAL MILES ON THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED WERE 5177 MILES. WHEN IT STALLS, IT BEHAVES AS IF KEY IS MOVED TO ON POSITION BUT CAR HAS NOT BEEN STARTED. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME CAR HAS STALLED SINCE I BOUGHT NEW IN AUGUST (YES, IN 5 MONTHS AND WITHIN @ 5,000 MILES). PRIOR TWO TIMES WERE JUST A BEFORE CHRISTMAS ON 12/23/2012 (ON THE SAME DAY, @ 1 MINUTE APART). AT THIS TIME I WAS GOING SLOW SPEED @ 25 MILES/HOUR ON A WINDY DOWN HILL ROAD. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO FAST MOVING CARS BEHIND ME IN ALL 4 CASES. I AM AFRAID THAT SOMEONE MAY HIT ME FROM BEHIND WHEN CAR STALLS LIKE THIS. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THEY SEEMS TO HAVE NO CLUE. LAST TIME I WENT, JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS, THAT CHANGED THROTTLE BODY. I WAS HOPPING THAT IT WILL FIX THE ISSUE BUT I AM NOT THAT LUCKY AS IT CAME BACK IN JUST 3 WEEKS! I HAVE OPENED A CASE WITH HYUNDAI ALREADY RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AGAIN. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - HUDSON OAKS, TX

    IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO COAST TOWARDS THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS PATTERN HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MILES. I WAS NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR AND IN FACT, MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE BRAKE EITHER, AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FULL THROTTLE. I HAD JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS TO TRY TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I SWERVED TO THE RIGHT, TOWARDS THE SHOULDER, BUT I HIT THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS BRAKING THE ENTIRE TIME, BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. MY LEFT BUMPER HIT HIS TRUCK ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF HIS BUMPER. MY RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AND LEAKED ALL THE FLUID OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE BECAUSE OF THE RADIATOR. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

    THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A SLOPING DRIVEWAY. THE KEYS WERE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION AND THE CAR WAS SHIFTED TO PARK. A 2 YEAR OLD CHILD ALONE IN THE CAR MANAGED TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT THE KEY BEING IN THE IGNITION OR APPLYING ANY BRAKE PRESSURE. THE CAR THEN ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND INTO TRAFFIC. BY SHEER LUCK AND ADRENALINE, I MANAGED TO RUN AFTER THE CAR, GET THE DOOR OPEN, DIVE IN, AND STOP THE CAR BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MY HAND BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AFTER THIS EVENT, I WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE SHIFT-FROM-PARK-TO-NEUTRAL-WITHOUT-KEY-OR-BRAKE BEHAVIOR 100% OF THE TIME. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.... MY KID COULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR WORSE. THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

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

    I WAS AT A MAJOR INTERSTATE INTERCHANGE, OVER 6 HOURS FROM HOME WHEN I HEARD A SLIGHT NOISE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR DECELERATED, BUT I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, I HEARD THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVING, AS IF I WERE PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT SAT FOR A WEEK, WAITING FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE (I WAS TOLD) THE PART COULD NOT BE LOCATED ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. ON MONDAY MORNING, I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO INQUIRE ABOUT MY CAR AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE FIXED BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE LATEST. ON TUESDAY, I CALLED TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF MY CAR AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY EXPECTED THE PART TO BE IN ON THE NEXT TRUCK. THIS SCENARIO WAS REPEATED TWICE MORE. AT THE END OF THE 3RD DAY, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PART COULD NOT BE LOCATED AND THAT MY CAR WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED.THE WARRANTY COVERS UP TO 3 DAYS OF TRIP INTERRUPTION SERVICE, SO I ASKED WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO TO GET HOME FOR WORK AND HOW TO GET BACK TO MY CAR. HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS TOLD ME MY SITUATION WAS A UNIQUE CASE AND THEY SET UP ANOTHER CASE # AND TOLD ME TO KEEP THE RENTAL AND FILE THE REMAINDER OF THE COST TO THE SECOND CASE AFTER THE TRIP INTERRUPTION CASE WAS SETTLED. I DROVE THE RENTAL CAR HOME AND BACK TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AGAIN THE NEXT SATURDAY, WHEN MY CAR WAS FINALLY REPAIRED. I WAS OUT OVER $600, HAD A BOTCHED VACATION, LOST MY TRUST IN THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE AND, AS THE ICING ON THE CAKE, HYUNDAI HAS REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE SECOND CLAIM. IT SCARES ME TO KNOW, NOW, THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE 2007 MODEL OF THE SANTA FE, CAUSING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND SUDDEN DECELERATION, PUTTING INNOCENT PEOPLE AT RISK. IT ALSO SCARES ME THAT THIS COMPANY CONDUCTS THEMSELVES IN SUCH A DECEPTIVE MANNER WHEN DEALING WITH VULNERABLE PEOPLE. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - ANDERSON, MO

    WHILE DRIVING MY 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE (MILEAGE APPROX. 13366) ON THE HIGHWAY IN FAIRLY HEAVY TRAFFIC AT AROUND 70 MPH AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR, SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. I HEARD A LITTLE "BLIP" NOISE AND FELT A VERY SLIGHT JERK, KIND OF LIKE A SUDDEN GEAR CHANGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED DECELERATING. I BARELY MISSED GETTING REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND MANAGED TO COAST ACROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING HIT. I STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF AND CALLED THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM WHAT I SHOULD DO. I TOLD THEM THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WAS ON. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF A VEHICLE DOING THIS BEFORE. THEY SAID IF THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WASN'T BLINKING, THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND TO BRING IT IN AT MY EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. ON THE WAY HOME, THE DECELERATION ISSUE HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 3 OR 4 MORE TIMES.THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THE PAPERWORK SAID THEY FOUND ISSUE VIA TSB. THEY DID AN ECM UPGRADE. VEHICLE WORKED JUST FINE FOR A MONTH AND A HALF AND THEN THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. THIS TIME I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME, FORTUNATELY WITHOUT GETTING INTO A MAJOR ACCIDENT. HAD TO STOP AND START THE CAR ABOUT 3 TIMES TO GET HOME. CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD IT TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIND THE REAL PROBLEM THIS TIME. AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT SURE IF I WILL EVER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. HOW WILL I KNOW IF THE ISSUE HAS REALLY BEEN FIXED? THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS, DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ISSUED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
    - AUSTIN, TX

    WHILE DRIVING ON AN OVERPASS AND TURNING TO THE LEFT, I HAD JUST APPLIED THE BRAKES AND WAS APPLYING THE GAS AS I HAD TO GET ONTO THE INTERSTATE. I NOTICED THE CAR DECELERATED, I HAD NO BRAKING POWER AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR SO I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY SEVERAL CARS BEHIND ME. ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON THE CAR BUT IT SEEMED DEAD. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. WHILE TALKING TO MY HUSBAND, I TURNED THE CAR ON AND IT STARTED AND OFF I DROVE OFF WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. WHAT'S WORSE IS THAT DAY I HAD MY TWO LITTLE GIRLS AND MY MOTHER IN THE CAR. I HAD TO CONTINUE TO DRIVING SINCE WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO AN IMPORTANT DOCTORS APPOINTMENT. I CAN'T IMAGINE IF I WERE ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. WHEN I CALLED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HYUNDAI SERVICE THEY ACTED LIKE IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE