Home · 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev · Complaints

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

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (181)Crash / fire / injury (20)Engine (64)Electrical system (25)Speed control (24)Brakes (22)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Steering (20)Suspension (16)Lights (14)Body & structure (10)Engine & cooling (8)

8 of 181 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters

Apr 10, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on six occasions over 12 months, the vehicle overheated while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the contact observed white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe on the rear passenger’s side and the front of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated during the last failure. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle was taken to the residence, and on other occasions, the vehicle was towed to an independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the thermostat housing and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred several times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

NHTSA ODI 11582127

Jul 17, 2014Engine & coolingElectrical system

ON JUNE 11, 2014 MY 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ( 55051 MILES) STARTED MAKING A WHINING SOUND WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST STARTED. I TOOK THE CAR INTO A HYUNDAI DEALER AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE PULLEY IDLER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ON JUNE 27TH, 2014 MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE (55376 MILES), CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE. ABOVE 20 MPH. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY DISCOVERED THE 55376 PO638 LOST COMMUNICATION AND HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE SENSOR. COMING HOME TODAY JULY 17TH 2014, THE CAR WAS A LITTLE HESITANT WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AND TRYING TO STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL. HAS ANYONE REPORTED THESE PROBLEMS? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10611353

Oct 27, 2013Engine & coolingTransmission & drivetrain

VEHICLE HAS STALLED IN TRAFFIC WHEN DRIVING UNDER 10MPH AND ALSO WHEN AT A STANDSTILL AT A FOUR WAY INTERSECTION. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP 5.13.2013 AND A THROTTLE BODY PART WAS ORDERED AND INSTALLED 5.21.2013. VEHICLE AGAIN STALLED TWICE AT LOW SPEED AND ON 10.11.2013 (MILEAGE 37,710) AN ECM UPGRADE WAS DONE. YESTERDAY,10.26.2013, THE CAR STALLED AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10549692

Jul 17, 2013Engine & coolingSpeed control

TWICE, THE ENGINE HAS SHUT OFF, WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM AN IDLE OR STOPPED POSITION. LUCKILY, BOTH INCIDENTS WERE IN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. THE ENGINE SIMPLY STOPPED RUNNING AND I HAD TO PUT IT INTO PARKING GEAR, AND RESTART THE ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10525493

Mar 27, 2012SteeringBrakesEngine & coolingTransmission & drivetrain

DRIVING SLOWLY IN TRAFFIC DOWN A HILL MY STEERING WHEEL, GEAR SHIFT AND BRAKES LOCKED UP. IMMEDIATELY MY GENERATOR LIGHT CAME ON MY DASHBOARD. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND SOMEHOW GET THE CAR IN PARK. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND REALIZED THROUGH MY MANUAL MY GENERATOR LIGHT WAS ON. I OPENED THE HOOD AND COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. WHEN TURNING THE CAR BACK ON THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THAT MONDAY I TOOK THE CAR TO MY DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY TOLD ME THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING. PUT THE CAR UP TO A COMPUTER, DROVE IT AROUND, TEST EVERYTHING COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. I HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEM SINCE BUT SOMETHING HAD TO OCCUR FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. I AM PLEASE WITH MY CAR OTHERWISE. JUST HOPE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. IT COULDN'T BE WEATHER RELATED BECAUSE IT WAS NEITHER SUPER WARM OR SUPER COLD IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. FORTUNATELY I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC OTHERWISE IF I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT THIS COULD HAVE ENDED UP VERY BADLY POSSIBLY EVEN FATAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10453272

Nov 17, 2011Engine & coolingFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 68 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EMIT A LOUD BANGING NOISE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. A STATE TROOPER APPEARED ON THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 673.

NHTSA ODI 10436180

Jul 11, 2011SteeringBrakesEngine & cooling

ON MAY 26TH 2011 AROUND 6:20 PM WHEN I DROVE ON A LOCAL DOWN HILL ROAD WHICH IS ABOUT 400 YARD LONG, AT A SPEED ABOUT 20 MPH, MY CAR LOST BRAKE AND POWER STEERING. I SUPPOSED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN I PRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR CAN'T STOP AND THE PEDAL WAS VERY HEAVY, AND I CAN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER. MY CAR KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. I KEPT STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL VERY HARD AND MY CAR FINALLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET GRADUALLY. WHEN I LOOKED, I NOTICED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND OIL LIGHT WERE ON. I THEN TURN OFF MY CAR AND REST A WHILE. I THEN TURNED MY CAR BACK ON AND FOUND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND OIL LIGHT WENT OFF AND EVERYTHING SEEMED BACK TO NORMAL. WORTH TO NOTE THAT IT WAS HOT THAT DAY ABOUT 90 DEGREE AND I RIDE ON BRAKE SLIGHTLY FOR ABOUT 300 YARD ON THAT DOWN HILL ROAD BEFORE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SLOWLY BACK HOME THAT DAY AND BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE CLOSEST HYUNDAI DEALER AT 7:30 AM THE NEXT MORNING. HOWEVER THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE FAILURE AND FOUND NOTHING. I THEN CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND HYUNDAI CREATED A CASE NUMBER AND SUGGESTED ME GO TO THE SELLING DEALER. ON JUNE 7TH, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE SELLING DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE FAILURE EITHER AND ASKED ME TO COME BACK TO THEM WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. HOWEVER, IT COULD BE DANGEROUS WHEN MY CAR LOSES BRAKE AGAIN WHEN I AM DRIVING. I AM WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY OTHER WAY TO INVESTIGATE ROOT CAUSES OR STRESS MY CAR TO REPRODUCE THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10412636

Jun 30, 2011Engine & cooling

NEW SANTA FE, 45 DAYS OLD, SCREECHING / METAL ON METAL GRINDING SOUND. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AT 3 MONTHS OLD, CAR ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. DO NOT TRUST CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10410037

Working with the data? Download all 181 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev verdict →