There are 50 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
My kids and I were going to town one afternoon and I started to smell gas coming from the air vents the gas smell was very strong I opened the hood and could see that it was wet I touched the spot and smelled it and it was fuel.i was worried about driving home with my children in the car so I called my brother he came looked and tracked down the issue and the fuel leak was coming from the front fuel rail.i had never heard of a fuel rail going out on a vehicle before so calling around to parts stores and auto parts recycling places to get it fixed and no one will sale me one they have all told me to take it to dealership.please help it's the only vehicle my children and i have.
The vehicle's check engine light came on and the fuel gauge shows "E". I did an OBD scan and it shows the fuel sending unit has issues. The gauge will work intermittently and the check engine light will go away. Further reviews from others show the same issues with their vehicle with each needing a bad sending unit replaced.
2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Stalls out/DEATH TRAP, occasionally with no warning, seem to be when going up or down hills usually with quarter tank of gas approx. Possibly when decelerating. We have replaced both fuel pumps and it was ok for a while. The other day I was going down steep hill and it quit, i coasted to bottom and tried at least 10 times to restart. A DEATH TRAP for people, i had cars flying up on me almost rear ending me even thou I had my emergency flashers were on and my arm out the window flagging then around. I let car sit still a few minutes and it finally cracked. I started looking online for solutions but found many 2009 Santa Fe's have this problem. I called Hyundai and no Recall. I have already spend over $500 trying to repair this. I do see settlement against Hyundai for this problem on other years. They seem to know it is a problem but are not fixing unless forced. Please help.
MY GAS GAGE STARTED TO WORK IMPROPERLY. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC I TRUST. HE TOLD ME THE FUEL PUMP SENDERS WERE BAD. AFTER HE REMOVED THEM HE CALLED ME TO TELL ME I WAS LUCKY MY VEHICLE DIDN'T CATCH FIRE OR BLOW UP! ONE SENDER HAS INSULATION BROKEN AND THE WIRE IS EXPOSED. HE ALSO FOUND THAT AN INTERNAL WIRE WAS EVEN WORST. THE PROTECTIVE CONNECTOR WAS GONE! THAT LEFT THOSE WIRES WITH NO PROTECTION. THEY SHOW SIGNS OF BAD CORROSION ON BOTH THE WIRES AND THE TERMINALS. THEY APPEAR TO MAYBE EVEN HAVE SHORTED OUT. THEY ARE BLACK AND A RUST ORANGE COLOR. THEY ARE ALSO PITTED. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI. THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED THAT I HADN'T BROUGHT MY CAR TO A DEALER FOR OVER FIVE YEARS. I EXPLAINED THAT TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS HERE IN MIAMI HAD CHEATED ME AND TREATED ME BADLY. THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS TRYING TO INSIST IF I HAD BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN THEY WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM SOONER. THAT IS JUST NOT TRUE. THEY ONLY WAY TO OBSERVE THIS PROBLEM WAS TO PHYSICALLY REMOVE THE BACKSEAT AND OPEN THE FLOOR TO EXPOSE THE GAS TANK AND THEN REMOVE THE PUMP! THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING! I HAVE THE FEELING THAT THEY WON'T EVEN REPORT THIS TO THEIR OWN COMPANY OR TO YOU. I STILL HAVE THE PARTS. THEY WERE ALSO NOT INTERESTED IN SEEING THEM OR PICTURES. THEY JUST DON'T CARE! WHAT IF MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE? WHAT IF THE FUMES IGNITED? ANYONE IN THE BACKSEAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EITHER KILLED OR INJURED!
FILLED UP WITH GAS AND DID SOME GROCERY SHOPPING WITH MY WIFE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, WE STARTED SMELLING STRONG FUEL COMING THROUGH AIR VENTS WHILE DRIVING AROUND. GOT HOME AND REMOVED ENGINE COVER AND SPOTTED FUEL SEEPING FROM THE FUEL RAIL ABOVE THE FUEL INJECTORS. THE FUEL RAIL TUBE IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND HAD CRACKED.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FOR FAILED FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. GAS GAUGE IS ERRATIC. WHEN I START THE CAR THE GAUGE FALLS TO EMPTY. NEVER KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE. VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR.
THE FUEL GAUGE VARIES WIDELY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW AT TIMES HOW MUCH GAS THE CAR TRULY HAS. THIS SEEMS TO BY A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.
FUEL GAUGE BECAME ERRATIC AND TRIGGERED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON ALSO IT WILL FLUCTUATE A LITTLE BIT WHEN IT HITS THE 1/4 MARK AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WILL COME ON. IT WILL GO FROM 1/4 TO EMPTY CAN NOT TELL HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE TANK. WHEN I FILL THE TANK IT REGISTERS EMPTY AND THE AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT INDICATOR COMES ON. STARTING THE CAR AGAIN ON THE SAME DAY OR THE NEXT DAY, THE GAGE COMES UP AGAIN TO THE FULL OR HALF WAY MARK AND THE LIGHT GOES OUT. THE CAR STALLS WHILE IN CITY TRAFFIC CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION ANOTHER CAR COULD CRASH INTO ME.
GAS GAUGE HIGHLY INACCURATE. FUEL WARNING LIGHT GOES ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO APPEARS. HAVE TO PULL OVER AS AFRAID TO DRIVE. FINALLY GO TO NEAREST GAS STATION ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT GAS TANK WAS STILL HALF FULL. THIS HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES.
FUEL GUAGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. FLUCTUATES GREATLY CAUSING POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE IF ONE WERE TO RUN OUT OF GAS ON THE HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AFTER FILLING GAS TANK.
CAR DOES NOT WANT TO START AFTER FILLING WITH GAS. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF 5 OR 15 GALLONS ARE PUT IN.
BOTH OF THE FUEL GAUGES WOULD DROP DOWN TO EMPTY WYNFALL WHILE STATIONARY. IF I TURN OFF MY CAR THEN TURN IT BACK ON IT WOULD STAY EMPTY EVEN AFTER BEING AT THE GAS STATION. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE LEFT IN MY CAR AND HAS BEEN ON GOING PROBLEM AND A SAFETY ISSUE
ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GAS GAUGE DOES STOPPED READING FUAL PROPERLY.. I NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS DRIVING TO WORK EARLY IN THE MORNING THE VEHICLE STUDDARD I PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND HAD TO MANEUVER QUICKLY TO AVOID BEING HIT IN THE REAR. I FOUND OUT I HAD RUN OUT OF GAS. ATTACHED IS A LINK WITH OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH GAS I PUT IN IT I DO NOT GET CORRECT READING. IF I PUT $30 WORTH OF GAS IN MY VEHICLE IT WILL ONLY READ HALF FULL. I FEEL THIS IS A DANGER BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN I RUN OUT OF GAS AND BEING ON THE HIGHWAY ALL OF A SUDDEN RUNNING OUT OF GAS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/HYUNDAI/SANTAFE/OTHER-FUEL-SYSTEM-FUEL-GAUGE-PROBLEMS.PHP
VEHICLE STALLED IN ROAD, ONCE ON LEVEL GROUND EXITING A PARKING LOT GOING STRAIGHT AND IN MOTION CROSSING TRAFFIC AND ABOUT TO TURN LEFT, ONCE ON SLIGHT DECLINE IN MOTION TURNING RIGHT. AFTER SITTING FOR A FEW MINUTES EACH TIME, CAR RESTARTED. HEAVY GAS SMELL IN CAR. FUEL SENDERS HAD BOTH BEEN REPLACED TWICE (SECOND TIME RIGHT AFTER FIRST STALL) BUT FUEL GAGE STILL MALFUNCTIONING. FUEL LEVEL INDICATION UNRELIABLE.
FUEL GAUGE WENT UP AND DOWN. RAN OUT OF GAS GOING 70MPH ON TURNPIKE IT WAS HARROWING. GAUGE SAYS FULL AND THEN EMPTY RIGHT AWAY. FUEL SENSORS NEED REPLACED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOW SHOWING. I NOTICE MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MINE COULDVE CAUSED A BAD ACCIDENT. OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE AND COST PROHIBITIVE TO FIX WHAT I THINK IS A SAFETY ISSUE. 70,000 MILES IS NOT A LOT FOR THIS TO HAVE HAPPENED.
AFTER FILLING GAS TANK THE FUEL GAUGE WENT TO EMPTY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BAD FUEL SENSOR
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN YOU ARE AROUND A HALF A TANK OF GAS AND EVEN IF YOU FILL IT UP IT TAKES IT 2 OR 3 TIMES OF STARTING IT FOR IT TO GO OFF. I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. ALSO THE ESC AND THE ABS LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON AND WON'T GO OFF. THE BOOK SAYS THE ABS LIGHT IS FOR SERVICE BUT I HAVE HAS IT SERVICED SEVERAL TIME AND IT STILL DOESN'T GO OUT.
BOTH FUEL LEVEL SENSORS WENT BAD
THE FUEL SYSTEM LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON, I PUT GAS IN IT BUT IT KEEPS TELLING ME THAT THE TRUCK IS EMPTY AND IT SOMETIMES STALLS. THEN IT I LET IT SIT A DAY OR 2, THEN THE GAS ARROW STARTS TO MOVE UP AND DOWN, I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT, MOST OF THE TIME IT DOESN'T SHOW IF I HAVE GAS OR NOT.
SERIOUS FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTION. GAUGE ALWAYS READS EMPTY, EVEN AFTER A FILL UP. GAUGE CONTINUES TO READ EMPTY WHETHER STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON A CITY STREET, TURNING BRAKING, ETC. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THE SAFETY RISK IS A FAILED FUEL SENDER ASSEMBLY, LIKELY PARTS 94460-0W000 AND 94430-0W000. THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM IN THE 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE MODEL. DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD, AS I CANNOT TELL HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN MY TANK WHILE DRIVING. ANOTHER COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL IS A FAILURE OF THE PURGE VALVE. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED IN MY VEHICLE. THIS DEFECT WILL PROHIBIT THE CAR FROM STARTING IF YOU FILL UP A FULL TANK. SO, THE DRIVER IS FORCED TO FILL UP LESS THAN A FULL TANK SO THAT THEY CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THE CAR WILL START AFTER PUTTING GAS IN THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A LESS SERIOUS HAZARD THAN THE FUEL GAUGE, BUT WORRISOME NONETHELESS.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026