What 181 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear chassis was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The independent mechanic performed no repairs on the vehicle. The contact stated that while touching the metal parts the parts were disintegrating. The contact stated that the 4x4 failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the abnormal sound was worsening. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

NHTSA ODI 11704202

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NHTSA ODI 11574426

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while taking the vehicle to the yearly inspection, the vehicle failed the inspection due to a hole in the rear driver’s side subframe. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 170,000.

NHTSA ODI 11495326

ON JUNE 14,2020, I BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPOT IN A LOT OUTSIDE A GROCERY STORE AND MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACK HITTING A BARRIER POLE. WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE, IT LEAPT FORWARD AND SPED BETWEEN A POKE AND A PARKED CAR, RACED DOWN A TEN-FOOT EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED INTO THE CORNER OF A BRICK BUILDING. I LATER LEARNED THAT THIS WAS CALLED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND THAT THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK WHEN SUA HAPPENS. IT WAS ALL OVER WITHIN SECONDS AND I HAD NO TIME TO ACT. MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED AND I SUFFERED RIB CAGE AND STERNUM CONTUSIONS FROM THE SEAT BELT. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CAR SCRAPED THE PARKED CAR AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY PAID FOR THAT DAMAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11361175

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WATER WAS COLLECTING IN THE REAR PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WINNER HYUNDAI (591 S DUPONT HWY, DOVER, DE 19901, (302) 877-2489) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SEAL FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11255907

PURCHASED 2011 SANTA FE W/ 29000 MILES ON 5/15/2015. NOTED EXCESSIVE RUST ON REAR SUSPENSION AND FRAME COMPONENTS, PARTICULARLY AT WELD JOINTS AND ON SUSPENSION MEMBERS - TO THE EXTENT THAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT VEHICLE SAFETY. HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED AT TWIN CITY HYUNDAI IN KNOXVILLE AND RECEIVED EVASIVE ANSWER ABOUT HOW IT WAS A NEW YORK CAR AND THAT THE LEVEL OF CORROSION WAS BASICALLY TO BE EXPECTED. NO OFFER TO CONDUCT ANY REPAIR WORK. VEHICLE IS IN WARRANTY AND HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY CARED FOR IN ALL RESPECTS (INTERIOR, ENGINE BAY, AND OTHER BODY WORK IS EXCELLENT). I GREW UP IN COLORADO AND HAVE NEVER SEEN CORROSION THIS EXTENSIVE ON ANY VEHICLE AND DO NOT FIND THE DEALER RESPONSE ACCEPTABLE. CORROSION RESISTANCE PREPARATION DURING MANUFACTURE APPEARS TO BE INADEQUATE.

NHTSA ODI 10715867

FIRST OF ALL I KNOW OUR 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IS NOT MADE IN USA, IT IS A KOREAN 2.4 L, 7 SEATER BOUGHT IN PANAMA. I WROTE TO THE HYUNDAI COMPLAINT WEBSITE AND THEY VERY POLITELY ANSWERED THAT THE CAR WAS A NON-US MODEL AND THEY SENT ME A LINK TO A WEBSITE WHERE I COULD FILE THE COMPLAINT. I DID IT BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN ANSWER, YET. MY FIRST PROBLEM AFTER THE CRASH WAS THE UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS FOR REPAIRING THE CAR. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH OUR LOCAL CONSUMER AUTHORITY HERE IN PANAMA. OUR CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR MORE THAN 9 MONTHS, ITS RUNNING NOW BUT STILL SOME PARTS MISSING. THE ISSUE IS THAT AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK FROM THE SHOP I RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER (PETROAUTOS) TELLING ME ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN OF THE FAULTY BRAKE SWITCH (JUST AS IN THE US MODELS) AND THAT I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. SO I LOOKED UP IN INTERNET AND I FIND SEVERAL RECALLS RELATED TO THE BRAKES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHANGED THE SWITCH. SO IM WONDERING IF THIS WAS RELATED TO THE CRASH BECAUSE I ALWAYS HAD MY DOUBTS OF WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I BRAKED THAT DAY. FINALLY THERE WAS A CRASH AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW THIS MAY ONLY BE FOR YOUR INFORMATION OR FILES, AND THAT YOU CAN'T HELP ME; PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT FOR YOUR EVALUATIONS. THANKS.

NHTSA ODI 10541823

ON JUNE 11, 2013 I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND HAD PULLED INTO A PARKING PLACE. I WAS STOPPED AND PUTTING MY CAR INTO PARK. AS I REACH NEUTRAL MY CAR ACCELERATED FAST...THIS WAS MORE THEN A LUNGE FORWARD, IT WAS MORE LIKE A POWER SURGE. MY CAR CONTINUED FORWARD AT A VERY FAST SPEED, DESPITE MY BRAKING ( THERE WERE SKID MARKS) AND HIT A WALL. I ENDED UP WITH LOTS OF MASSIVE BRUISING AND SPRAINED MUSCLES. PLUS I WAS VERY FRIGHTENED. THERE WAS LOTS OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE I PURCHASED IT. IT IS SILL IN THEIR BODY SHOP. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT I CHECKED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THERE WERE LOTS & LOTS OF EXAMPLES OF THIS, SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION PROBLEM, WITH THE 2011 SANTA FE. I DON'T SEE ANY RESPONSES FROM HYUNDAI. THIS PROBLEM HAS TO BE DEALT WITH. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10521561

THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LAST MONTHLY SINCE PURCHASE IN AUGUST 2011. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP PLACEMENT OF ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS CAUSES MY FOOT TO PRESS BOTH PEDALS AT SAME TIME. YESTERDAY WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A "T" INTERSECTION THE FRONT END ENTERED THE INTERSECTION AS ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING. QUICK ACTION BY THE OTHER DRIVER AVOIDED A COLLISION. MY BROTHER SAID HE HAD SAME PROBLEM (FOOT ON BOTH PEDALS AT SAME TIME) WHEN TEST DRIVING HIS WIFE'S SANTA FE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10482694

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN PARKED ON A SNOW BANK, THE DRIVER SIDE BUMPER COVER POPPED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO FIX THE COVER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE COVER BACK IN TEMPORARILY BUT IT WAS NOT FULLY REPAIRED. UPDATED 03/29/11 *BF UPDATED 04/06/11 UPDATED 04/06/11

NHTSA ODI 10386657