2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Complaint Log

FUEL LEVEL SENSOR FAIL. THE GAS GAUGE DROPS FROM FULL TO 1/4 TANK TO 3/4 TANK. THE "RANGE" DISPLAY WILL GO FROM EMPTY TO 300 MILES LEFT TO 79 MILES LEFT. ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT WILL SAY YOUR FULL AND YOU ARE EMPTY IT WILL SAY YOUR EMPTY AND YOU ARE FULL. THIS HAPPENED WHILE YOU ARE IN MOTION ON ANY ROADWAY AT ANY SPEED AND ALSO WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. UPDATED 12/16/15.*JB

WHILE ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE PEDAL STARTED GOING TO THE FLOOR. PRYING UP ON THE PEDAL WITH YOUR FOOT DID NOT HAVE AN AFFECT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE AND THE DEALER HAS LOOKED AT IT TWICE AND HAS ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM.

I ALSO HAVE THE FUEL LEVELING SENSOR ISSUE ON MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LIMITED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CODE INDICATED A FAILING FUEL LEVELING SENSOR. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY FLUCTUATION IN THE FUEL GAUGE AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH FUEL IS LEFT AND WHEN THE CODE IS CLEARED WILL COME BACK ON RANDOMLY. IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN TO A LOT OF THESE VEHICLES BETWEEN 60,000 AND 120,000 MILES. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL OR CLASS ACTION SUITE AS IT IS AN ESTIMATED $800 REPAIR AND WILL OFTEN FAIL EITHER BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRES OR WITHIN 20,000 MILES OUTSIDE THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I THEN NOTICED WHEN THE LOW FUEL LIGHT CAME ON AND I FILED THE TANK IT ONLY TOOK 12 GALLONS INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 15-16. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY IMMEDIATELY STATED IT WAS THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. CAUSING BOTH ISSUES. IT MUST BE A COMMON ISSUE. $500 QUOTED REPAIR. NOW WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON AND YOU FILL IT TAKES BETWEEN 10 AND 12 GALLONS. NOT SURE IF THAT MEANS THERE WAS 4-6 IN THE TANK OR SOMETHING ELSE IS RESTRICTING THE VOLUME OF FUEL YOU CAN ADD. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO THE LOW FUEL NIGHT MAY COME ON AND THE GAUGE SHOWS NEARLY EMPTY AND THEN IT MIGHT GO OFF AND SHOW 1/4. IS IT EMPTY OR IS IT A QUARTER. MILEAGE ON THE CAR ABOUT 63000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT READING. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TWO FUEL SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

I EXITED A TOLL AND PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE NJ TURNPIKE, SUDDENLY, THE STEERING BECAME TIGHT. I NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS OUT, ALONG WITH THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE JUST TURNED OFF. THANKFULLY, NO TRAFFIC, I PROCEED TO PULL TO THE FEEDER OF THE ENTRANCE. PUT CAR IN PARK, AND THE CAR RESTARTED. I AM NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED, AND FEARFUL THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN, WITH TRUCKS BEHIND ME, UNABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND RISK SERIOUS INJURY. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WARNING WAS INDICATED. I RECENTLY HAD TWO KNOCK SENSORS REPLACED AT THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP.

FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN FAULTY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD TURN ON AND OFF AFTER REPLACING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BAD BATTERY ONE MONTH AGO. ONE WEEK AGO WHILE DRIVING, ALL LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD CAME ON (BATTERY, CHECK ENGINE, ABS, ESC...), ENGINE STARTED TO REV, ELECTRICAL AND POWER STEERING FAILED, AND CAR HAD TO BE TURNED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED HOME. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE DRIVING NOW. ISSUE IS FROM A FAILING/FAILED ALTERNATOR CAUSED BY OIL LEAK FROM FRONT VALVE COVER. THIS PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO ISSUES WITH '06-'12 VERACRUZ, RECALL #121.

GAS FUMES AND SMELL ARE IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS MOST PREVALENT WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS A FULL TANK OF GAS. THIS OCCURS BOTH WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND WHEN IT IS GARAGED. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULD FIND NO CAUSE BUT THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF THE GAS FUME BUILD IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE.

THE ISSUE BEGAN ABOUT A MONTH AGO DURING A LONG INTERSTATE TRIP. IF THE FUEL GAUGE REACHED THE 1/4 TANK MARK, IT WOULD PLUMMET TO EMPTY. AS THE CAR RAN, THE GAUGE WOULD RISE UP AND FALL AGAIN REPEATEDLY. SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED (EVEN WITH A FULL TANK), THE GAUGE WOULD NEVER RISE ABOVE "E." THANKFULLY, THE CAR NEVER STALLED AND ALWAYS STARTED. I JUST HAD IT SERVICED TODAY. BOTH SENDING UNITS WERE REPLACED AND WAS TOLD BY A HYUNDAI DEALER THAT THEY KEEP THESE PARTS (FUEL SENSORS) IN STOCK DUE TO THE HIGH FREQUENCY OF CALLS THEY RECEIVE FROM OTHER OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. SURPRISED THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ISSUED YET!

I FILLED UP MY TANK TO FULL ONE EVENING. AFTER WHICH I CAME HOME AND PARKED FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING I WAS LEAVING AND NOTICED MY LOW GAS LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS ON EMPTY. THIS HAD HAPPENED PRESVIOUSLY TO ME BUT CORRECTLY ITSELF SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. EVENTUALLY THE TANK READ 1/2 FULL AND THE LOW GAS LIGHT TURNED OFF. HOWEVER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON. THIS IS NOT OK. I TAKE GREAT CARE OF MY VEHICLE AND SHOULD FEEL SAFE DRIVING IN IT WITH MY CHILDREN. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HYUNDAI.

THE GAUGE ON THE FUEL TANK HAS STOPPED OPERATING AND DOESN'T ACCURATELY SHOW HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE TANK. AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK THE EMPTY LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE FUEL GAUGE MOVES UP AND DOWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND STAYS ON.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE FUEL GAUGE BEGAN JUMPING ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT WOULD SAY I HAD 88 MILES TO EMPTY AND THEN JUMP BACK UP TO 130. THE NEXT DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF AND THEN THE NEXT IT WOULD BE BACK ON AGAIN. HAD A MECHANIC CHECK THE CODES AND IT WAS A BAD FUEL SENSOR. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED BOTH FUEL SENSORS FOR $416. IF I HADN'T GOTTEN IT FIXED, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PASS EMISSIONS TESTING WHICH IS MANDATORY IN MY COUNTY. ALSO, I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY CLUE HOW MUCH GAS I HAD AND COULD'VE BEEN STRANDED.

LOST POWER STEERING, WITHOUT WARNING. LUCKILY I WAS GOING SLOW CROSSING AN INTERSECTION, AND STOPING. AFTER THAT IT WAS A LOSING TUG OF WAR WITH THE STEERING. MECHANIC FOUND RACK LINES RUSTED AND LEAKING. IF I WAS TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED, I MAY HAVE LOST CONTROL. VERY DANGEROUS! PLEASE HELP PREVENT AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE TECHNICIAN MADE THE CONTACT AWARE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V472000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

MY WIFE INDICATED THAT WHEN SHE GOT ON THE RAMP TO RT. 80 , THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. SHE ALSO STATED THAT SHE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT SINCE SHE HAD NO BRAKES NOR POWER STEERING. THIS OCCURRENCE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY BY A NUMBER OF OWNERS YET YOU CONTINUE TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM WHICH COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO OIL DRIPPING FROM THE VALVE COVER ON TO THE ALTERNATOR. I GUESS YOU'RE WAITING FOR SOME ACCIDENTS TO HAPPEN BEFORE TAKING ACTION....MAYBE A FEW DEATHS RESULTING FROM A CRASH. VERY PROACTIVE!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.

IN JULY/AUG OF 2015 MY GAS GAUGE AND MILES-TO-EMPTY INDICATOR STARTED GOING CRAZY. I WOULD FILL THE TANK WITH GAS BUT THE GAUGE READ EMPTY. WHILE DRIVING, THE MILES-TO-EMPTY INDICATOR WOULD CONSTANTLY, RAPIDLY CHANGE FROM 200 TO 40 TO 68 TO 113 TO WHATEVER SO I COULDN'T TELL HOW MUCH GAS I HAD LEFT. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AT HYUNDAI ON AUG 8, 2015 AND ASKED THEM TO ALSO LOOK AT THE GAS GAUGE. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO UNTIL THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON AT THE END OF NOVEMBER 2015 SO I TOOK THE CAR IN 12/10/15, AND THEY SAID THEY HAD TO REPLACE TWO FUEL SENSORS IN THE GAS TANK. WHEN THE PROBLEM INITIALLY STARTED, I HAD ABOUT 64000 MILES ON THE CAR.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH IN MY HYUNDAI SANTAFE THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT AND THERE WAS NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOULEVARD STREET AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. I WAS VERY FRIGHTENED DURING THE INCIDENT THAT SOMEONE WAS GOING TO RUN INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR AND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AGAIN BEFORE I GOT HOME. I REFUSED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND FOLLOWED MY HUSBAND IN ANOTHER VEHICLE AS HE DROVE THE FAULTY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE TECH REP WE SPOKE WITH AT THE DEALER CASUALLY SAID THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR WAS BAD AND IF WE WANTED IT REPAIRED IT WOULD COST ABOUT $400. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD LET ME LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP WITH THIS MALFUNCTIONING PART. THE SYMPTOMS ARE THE SAME AS THE GENERAL MOTORS IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM. I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE HYUNDAI SANTAFE. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? WHERE ARE THE RECALLS? IS IT GOING TO TAKE MANY DEATHS AND 10 YEARS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM LIKE GM IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM? DOES SOMEBODY HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THIS IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY? HYUNDAI MANAGEMENT REFUSES TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM. I SINCERELY HOPE I CAN APPEAL TO YOUR SENSIBILITY AND FORCE THIS KOREAN COMPANY TO ADDRESS THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN THE GAS TANK IS LESS THAN HALF FULL, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYS TANK AS NEARLY EMPTY AND THE AMBER LOW FUEL LIGHT APPEARS. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ALSO COMES ON. THE FUEL GAUGE SWINGS BACK UP TO NEARLY HALF FULL, DROPS DOWN TO 1/4 FULL, THEN DROPS DOWN TO ALMOST EMPTY, THEN SWING BACK TO HALF FULL. ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER THIS PROBLEM STARTED, THE FUEL GAUGE REMAINS NEAR EMPTY WITH THE AMBER LOW FUEL LIGHT LIT. WHEN I FILL UP THE GAS TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE IS ONCE AGAIN ACCURATE UNTIL THE TANK GOES BELOW 1/2 FULL. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES AND CAN ONLY BE CLEARED BY A MECHANIC. I'VE HAD MY MECHANIC CLEAR IT TWICE. THIS IS A FUEL SENSOR ISSUE WITH THE TWO SENDERS IN THE GAS TANK. I WAS GOING TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED BY HAVING THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY REPLACED BUT FOUND OUT IT WOULD COST $1000. I CAN'T AFFORD THAT SO I'M STUCK. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO RESET THE ODOMETER EVERY TIME I FILL UP AND MAKE SURE I FILL UP THE TANK EVERY 300 MILES. I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH AND THIS IS A KNOWN, WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES. I SAW MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE FILED ON THE NHSTA SO THIS AGENCY IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT HAS CHOSEN NOT TO RECALL THE SANTA FE FOR THE 2008 MODEL YEAR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS: THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS A GROSS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS. THE FUEL GAUGE STARTED BEHAVING ERRATICALLY A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AFTER WE BOUGHT IT IN MAY 2014, WHICH WOULD BE AROUND LATE JULY 2015. HE FIRST SIGN OF A PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER I FILLED THE GAS TANK IN LATE JULY 2015. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON EVEN THOUGH THE GAS TANK WAS FULL. I HAD MY MECHANIC CLEAR IT. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED ABOUT 6 WEEKS LATER. AFTER THAT THE ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE BEHAVIOR I DESCRIBED STARTED OCCURRING.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE FUEL PROPULSION SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND THE FUEL GAUGE READ EMPTY. HOWEVER, BASED ON MILEAGE AND THE LAST TIME I HAD FILLED THE GAS TANK, I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE CLOSE TO HALF A TANK. THE NEXT MORNING THE GAUGE READ CLOSE TO HALF A TANK. WHILE DRIVING THE FUEL GAUGE MARKED ONCE AGAIN EMPTY. AS A DRIVER, I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH GASOLINE THE CAR REALLY HAD. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY RETRIEVED THE CODE P0469: FUEL LEVEL SENSORS A AND B FAILURE. HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP/WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR ONLY HAD 40, 228 MILES. I HAD TO PAY $600.00 FOR THE REPLCEMENT OF THE TWO FUEL SENSORS.

FUEL GAUGE STOPPED WORKING AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. FUEL GAUGE NOW READS EMPTY EVEN IF TANK IS FULL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS AMOUNT OF GAS IN TANK IS UNKNOWN AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY HYUNDAI.

AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AS THE ENGINE COMPUTER ENTERED "LIMP HOME" MODE. PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR HAD NO EFFECT. DIAGNOSED AS THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES, WITH AN ENGINE RESTART CLEARING THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. WHILE THESE INCIDENTS DID NOT RESULT IN A CRASH, THEY COULD EASILY HAVE, DEPENDING ON TRAFFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.

FUEL GAUGE STARTED INTERMITTENTLY GOING UP AND DOWN, THEN STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. WHILE DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE ON I95, AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED RUNNING OUT OF GAS ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH, DUE TO THE LOSS OF ALL POWER.

I LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN GOING UP A VERY STEEP GRADE. I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK SO THAT I COULD TURN MY CAR OFF. I HAD TO LAY ON THE BRAKE WITH ALL MY WEIGHT TO KEEP FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS INTO CARS BEHIND ME. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS. AFTER A MINUTE, WHICH FELT LIKE MUCH LONGER, I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO PARK AND TURN MY CAR OFF AND BACK ON. THE SECOND TIME I LOST ALL POWER, WAS A COUPLE MONTHS LATER. I WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MPH ON A CURVY HILLY ROAD. I WAS UNABLE TO STEER, ACCELERATE, DECELERATE, OR APPLY THE BRAKES. THERE WERE CARS BEHIND ME AND I WAS TERRIFIED I WOULD END UP OFF THE ROAD OR HEADING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP WHEN IT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO MAKE IT UP A HILL. I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. BOTH TIMES MY INFANT WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME. THANK GOODNESS BOTH OF US WERE UNHARMED, BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE VERY EASILY BEEN HURT OR HURT OTHERS. I WAS IN A SEVERAL THOUSAND POUND VEHICLE WHICH WAS OUT OF CONTROL. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AS I REFUSED TO DRIVE IT. THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO THINK IT WAS A BIG DEAL AND SAID I NEEDED A NEW ALTERNATOR. LUCKILY, I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH COVERED THE ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT.

JUST AS THE OTHER NOTED COMPLAINTS, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND OFF AND MY FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY TEMPERAMENTAL. RARELY IT'LL SHOW THE CORRECT LEVEL - USUALLY ONCE I FILL MY TANK, MY FUEL GAGE SHOES I AM BELOW EMPTY AND FLASHES THAT I HAVE NO MILES LEFT TO DRIVE UNTIL MY TANK IS EMPTY. I HAVE RESORTED TO TRACKING MY MILEAGE WITH THE TRIP FUNCTION BECAUSE AS OTHERS HAVE DISCOVERED - TO REPAIR IT COSTS AN ARM AND A LEG DUE TO EXPENSIVE LABOR FROM WHERE THE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE ACCESSED TO REPLACE IT, UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT.

THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT ACCURATELY READ THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK. IT CONSTANTLY MOVES FROM EMPTY TO FULL. THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO BE A FAULTY FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. HYUNDAI SHOULD OWN UP TO THIS PROBLEM AND RECALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. NHTSA WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE NO ONES GOTTEN KILLED YET DUE TO THIS ISSUE.

FILLED TANK AND READ EMPTY WITH LOW FUEL LIGHT ON. THE NEXT DAY WHILE DRIVING THE MORE I DROVE THE MORE THE FUEL NEEDLE WENT UP UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY READ FULL AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WENT OUT. NOW USUALLY WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO ABOUT 1/2 TANK NEEDLE WILL DROP TO EMPTY, FUEL LIGHT WILL COME ON, RANGE INDICATOR WILL READ----AND NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES AND GOES.

ERRATIC FUEL GUAGE REGISTRATION. THEN EMPTY WITH LOW FUEL LIGHT ON. TANK HAD JUST BEEN FILLED.

AFTER FUELING UP, TO A FULL TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE STILL REGISTERED EMPTY AND FUEL LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. UPDATED 09/01/2015*LJ UPDATED 10/14/2015 *JS

HYUNDAI SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 103: IN RELATION TO THE ABOVE RECALL, MY VEHICLE DID NOT QUALIFY DUE TO IT BEING MANUFACTURED ON 2 JUNE 2008. MY CLOCK SPRING FOR THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG HAS BECOME INOPERABLE AS INDICATED BY THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER STATES SINCE THERE IN NO RECALL, I MUST PAY FOR THIS PART AND THE DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE I HAVE SURPASSED THE 5YR/60K WARRANTY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I AM SURPRISED IT IS NOT COVERED FOR FREE. AS SEEN WITH THE ABOVE RECALL CAMPAIGN, I WAS A FEW MONTHS SHY OF HAVING IT REPLACED FOR FREE REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE MY VEHICLE QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL?

WHEN THE GAS TANK IS LESS THAN HALF FULL, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYS TANK AS NEARLY EMPTY AND THE AMBER LOW FUEL LIGHT APPEARS. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ALSO COMES ON. THE FUEL GAUGE SWINGS BACK UP TO NEARLY HALF FULL, DROPS DOWN TO 1/4 FULL, THEN DROPS DOWN TO ALMOST EMPTY, THEN SWING BACK TO HALF FULL. AFTER FILLING THE TANK THE FUEL GAUGE IS ONCE AGAIN ACCURATE UNTIL THE TANK GOES BELOW 1/2 FULL. . THIS IS A FUEL SENSOR ISSUE WITH THE TWO SENSORS IN THE GAS TANK. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO RESET THE ODOMETER EVERY TIME I FILL UP AND MAKE SURE I FILL UP THE TANK EVERY 300-325 MILES. I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH AND THIS IS A KNOWN, WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES. I SAW MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE FILED ON THE NHSTA SO THIS AGENCY IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT HAS CHOSEN NOT TO RECALL THE SANTA FE FOR THE 2008 MODEL YEAR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS: THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS A GROSS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.

SUN VISOR ON DRIVERS SIDE DROPS DOWN INTO VISION OF DRIVER WITHOUT WARNING. OTHER YEARS OF HYUNDAI HAVE A RECALL FOR THE SAME DEFECT AND THIS YEAR CONTINUES THE SAME PROBLEM.

AFTER 141,000 MILES THE ENGINE THREW A ROD, I HAD HEARD A CLICKING NOISE FOR A WHILE BUT WAS ASSURED IT WAS A NORMAL ENGINE SOUND AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALER. I CHANGE MY OIL REGULARLY AND HAVE MY SLIPS, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE DRIVING. IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF I AM HAVING TO REPLACE APPROXIMATELY ONE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP PER MONTH.

MY GAS GAUGE STOPPED WORKING CORRECTLY, GOING UP AND DOWN BUT NEVER PASSING ONE HALF A TANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON ALL THE TIME. THE MECHANIC SAID THE SEATS WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN OUT TO GET TO THE SENSOR, THAT IT WAS PROBABLY BAD AND WOULD NEED A NEW ONE. I TRIED TO ESTIMATE HOW MUCH GAS I HAD IN THE TANK BY USING THE ODOMETER AND RESETTING AT 0 FOR A GAS FILLUP TILL I GOT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THE TANK WOULD KICK THE GAS BACK AT HALF A TANK SO I WAS GETTING ONLY 8 GALLONS IN. ON TUESDAY I RAN OUT OF GAS ON A HIGHWAY GOING 55, WHICH WAS DANGEROUS, AS THERE WAS A TRUCK BEHIND ME AND HE HAD TO SWERVE INTO THE MEDIAN TO AVOID HITTING ME WHEN MY CAR DIED. I WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC CHECKED BYTAKING THE SEATS OUT AND PUTTING IN A NEW SENSOR. HE FILLED THE GAS TANK UP (19.9 GALLONS) AND YET WITH THE NEW SENSOR IN, THE GAUGE STILL READS ONLY HALF A TANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON. SOMETHING ELSE IS WRONG AND I SEE THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AND IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED OR RESOLVED EFFECTIVELY. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE FIRST? ARE WE SURE SOMEONE HAS NOT ALREADY? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000.

MY SANTA FE AWD 2008 WAS BOUGHT IN JUNE 2009 AND NOW HAS ~99K MILEAGE. I HAD FOUR OR FIVE SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH MY SANTA FE STARTING ON 4/21/15, WHICH LED TO SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS AND SPEED LOSS OF THE CAR ON THE ROAD. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD AT ~25 MPH. SUDDENLY I FELT THE CAR LOST THE POWER AND BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. I STEPPED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THE CAR COULD NOT ACCELERATE (THE SPEED DROPPED TO ~10 MPH). I SAW 3 SYSTEM INDICATOR/WARNING LIGHTS ON: THE ESC OFF(ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS HAD A STEADY LIGHT AND THE AWD SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT OFF THE CAR, WAITED ~1 MINUTE, AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, BUT THE OTHER LIGHTS WENT OUT. THEN I DROVE THE CAR TO CONTINUE TO MY JOB. THE 2ND INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MY WAY HOME. THE SAME SCENARIO EXCEPT THAT I WAS DRIVING AT ~40 MPH AT THE TIME. THE SUDDEN POWER LOSS CAUSED THE CAR SPEED QUICKLY DROPPED TO ~10 MPH AND PROBABLY LED THE CAR BEHIND MINE TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP TO AVOID A CRASH. AGAIN, I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYING ON. THE OTHER TIMES I WAS ON THE CRESENT CITY CONNECTION (BRIDGE) IN THE CENTER LANE. I HAD TO WORK MY WAY OVER TWO LANES TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF TO RESTART TO CONTINUE ON MY WAY TO OR FROM WORK. AFTER THE 5TH TIME, I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND AN ARTICLE STATING THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS ON THE TSB (TECHNICAL SAFETY BULLETIN). MAYBE SOMEONE SOMEWHERE SHOULD BE AWARE OF MORE THAN ONE VEHICLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM.......

WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED THE GAS TANK EMPTY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, AND THE EMPTY GAS TANK LIGHT WAS ON, EVEN THOUGH THE GAS TANK WAS FILLED YESTERDAY. THEN FUEL LEVEL GAUGE IS FLUCTUATING FROM FULL TO EMPTY TANK WHEN DRIVING. *TR

WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE ON OUR 2008 SANTA FE AS DESCRIBED BY MANY OTHER DRIVERS HERE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF AND THE FUEL GAUGE UP AND DOWN. I'M SURPRISED THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE YET, SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY COMMENTS/COMPLAINTS HERE.

MY RED AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND THEY WANTED $1500. MY ISSUE IS I DID NOTHING TO CAUSE THE AIR BAG MALFUNCTION SO WHY SHOULD I PAY THIS EXTREMELY HIGH COST. (I'M RETIRED) I ALSO SPOKE WITH THE HYUNDAI REGIONAL MANAGER AND THEY OFFERED ME $200. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND I WANT HYUNDAI TO FIX THIS!!! I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR THE AIR BAG RECALL IN 2012, SO SOMETHING CONTINUES TO BE WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WOULD ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATE WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. IF THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN WARMED UP FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES, THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY OCCUR IN COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND ESC SUDDENLY ACTIVATED AND THE SPEED REDUCED TO 10 MPH. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN JAMESVILLE, WI WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I HAVE A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE THAT HAS A FAULTY FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. THE GAS GAUGE DOES NOT SHOW THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE TANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF THE TIME IT SHOWS EMPTY, EVEN AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK. SOMETIMES THE GAUGE WILL MOVE JUST OVER HALF WAY, THEN IT GOES BACK TO EMPTY. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THREE DIFFERENT SHOPS TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY ALL SAY THAT FUEL LEVEL SENSOR NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TO FIX THIS ISSUE WILL BE BETWEEN $700 - $1000. AFTER LOOKING UP THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE FOR THE EXACT MY MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR VEHICLE THAT I AM MAKING THE COMPLAINT ABOUT. THIS ISSUE IS CONSENT IF I AM MOVING OR STATIONARY. THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE I DO NOT RUN OUT OF GAS IS TO FILL UP ABOUT THE 250 MILE MARK TO MAKE SURE I DO NOT GET STRANDED. I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF THE INDICATOR AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK COMPLETELY. IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT [XXX]. THANKS IN ADVANCE ANY HELP IN THIS MATTER. REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *CC

FUEL GAUGE HAS FAILED, LEAVING NO INDICATION OF FUEL REMAINING IN VEHICLE. COULD CAUSE CRASH DUE TO VEHICLE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.

IT HAPPENED IN THE MORNING WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED THE GAS TANK EMPTY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, AND THE EMPTY GAS TANK LIGHT WAS ON, EVEN THOUGH THE GAS TANK WAS FILLED 2 DAYS BEFORE AND THE RANGE ON ODO KEEPS FLASHING WITHOUT NUMBER SHOWN. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 2, 3 MILES, THE FUEL LIGHT WAS OFF, AND THE FUEL GAUGE HAD MOVE UP JUST A LITTLE ABOVE EMPTY LINE. MONDAY MORNING 3/16/15 WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE TO GO TO WORK, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF BUT THE RANGE ON ODO STILL FLASHING. I WAS TERRIFIED WHEN I SEE THOSE LIGHT ON AND OFF, SPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING FOR LONG DISTANCE NOT KNOWING WHEN THE GAS IS EMPTY. *TR

I FILLED UP THE TANK AND THE GAS GAUGE LEVEL READ EMPTY. CONTINUED AND HAS BEEN ON EMPTY. SOMETIMES IT WILL RISE GRADUALLY TO CORRECT LEVEL. AND WHEN YOU TURN OFF ENGINE THEN IT GOES BACK TO EMPTY. I FIND THIS TO BE DANGEROUS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF THE CAR WILL STOP. I HAVE READ MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. A RECALL IS IN ORDER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL. *TR

NHTSA: OCT, 24, 2012 COMPONENT:EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE. 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. ACTION NO: 947168 SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER:1041335 COMPONENT: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM , SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE WRONG GAS READING, VEHICLE MAY STOP SUDDENLY IF NO FUEL, GAGE READING WRONG 1*TR. HYUNDAI FINDS SERVICE BULLETIN BUT NO RECALL OR ORDER TO REPLACE.ADMIT'S TO THAT YEAR HAS PROBLEMS BUT NOT WILLING TO HELP IN ANYWAY TO REPAIR. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ACTIVATED AND FUEL GAUGE READS EMPTY AT ALL TIMES. CONSTANTLY ADDING FUEL AS THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCURATELY ESTIMATE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL IS A CONSTANT ISSUE FOR ANYONE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR HYUNDAI SANTA FE AS DOCUMENTED. DEALER ESTIMATE FOR COST TO REPAIR IS $900 AS BOTH FUEL SENSORS WOULD BE REPLACED AT ONE TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO DISPLAY THE CORRECT FUEL LEVEL AFTER THE TANK WAS FILLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ADVANTAGE HYUNDAI (440 PLAINVIEW RD, HICKSVILLE, NY 11801) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED AND THE FUEL SENSOR AND THE PURGE FLOW VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS THREE TIMES SINCE MARCH OF 2015 AND WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND KEPT REFERRING THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000. *TT

FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES A LOT . WHEN I FILL TANK IT SAYS EMPTY. THEN IT CHANGES WHILE I DRIVE TO 3/4. IT MOVES ALL OVER. NEVER A CORRECT READING. *TR

AFTER FUELING MY GAS TANK COMPLETELY 16 GALLONS OF GAS I BEGAN TRAVELING ON FREEWAY ONLY TO HAVE MY GAS GAUGE PLUMMET TO EMPTY AND DIGITAL RANGE WENT BLANK. SINCE THEN I AM UNABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE. THE READING FLUCTUATE RAPIDLY. I AM TERRIFIED THAT I WILL RUN OUT OF FUEL ON A BUSY EXPRESSWAY OR DURING SEVERE COLD WEATHER DUE TO RISK OF HARM AND OR INJURY. I WAS TOLD BY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THAT SENSORS ARE FAULITY.

FUEL LEVEL GAUGE IS REGISTERING AS EMPTY WHEN COMPLETELY FULL AND THEN FLUCTUATING FROM FULL TO EMPTY TANK WHEN DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE IS REGISTERING AS FAULTY FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH FUEL IS ACTUALLY IN THE TANK AND FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF UNSURE HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL AS THERE ARE 95 OTHER COMPLAINTS JUST ON THIS SITE AND MANY MANY MORE WHEN LOOKING AT OTHER COMMENTS POSTED ONLINE. *JS