There are 4 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I pulled up into my grandma's driveway, put the car in park. The car continued moving forward and when I depressed the brake pedal, the car accelerated for some unknown reason. So I put both feet on the brake and it still continued to accelerate. My car crashed into my grandparents garage door, then into their car, then pushed their car into their washer and dryer, causing those appliances to push against the wall, breaking the structure, busting water lines, smashing the washer and causing damage.
PASSENGER OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM IN 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IS MALFUNCTIONING/ BROKEN. ONLY WAY TO REPLACE IS BY PURCHASING AN ENTIRELY NEW SEAT, $4000, IN ORDER FOR THE AIR BAGS TO WORK PROPERLY. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN I CONTACTED HYUNDAI ABOUT THE ISSUE THEY WERE UNHELPFUL AND TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. DON'T FEEL I SHOULD EVER HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A FAULTY AIRBAG SENSOR EVEN IF IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT HAS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY DON'T SELL THE SENSOR ANY OTHER WAY IS ROBBERY. AIRBAGS SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED OR FIXED ON A VEHICLE WHEN THERE IS NO FAULT BY THE OWNER. ESPECIALLY ONLY AFTER 8 YEARS AND LESS THAN 50,000 MILES.
I GOT IN MAKE VEHICLE TO GO TO THE STORE AND MY SEAT BELT WOULD NOT FASTEN I TRIED EVERYTHING AFTER AN HOUR I GAVE UP
BROUGHT CAR IN FOR SERVICE ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH CRUISE CONTROL,AIRBAG ON PASSENGER SIDE,BAD SMUDGE MARK ON WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE WHICH DEALER COULD NOT FIX AFTER SEVERAL TRIES BUT NEVER WROTE UP A SERVICE ORDER. WHEN CAR IS SET AT 50MPH AND WE ARE COMING TO A LEFT TURN I TURN ON LEFT TURN SIGNAL CAR LURCHES FORWARD AT VERY HIGH SPEED.DEALER CLAIMS BECAUSE ON INCLINE, BUT I DO IT WITHOUT TURN SIGNAL DOES NOT SPEED UP. AIRBAG PASSENGER SIDE INTERMITTENT DEALER CLAIMS CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. ALSO WHITE POWDER SHOWS UP ON DASHBOARD ABOVE GLOVE COMPARTMENT,WE WIPE IT OFF COMES BACK POSSIBLYLEAK IN AIRBAG PASSENGER SIDE DEALER CLAIMS NOT POSSIBLE. THOUGHT DEALER SHOULD HAVE FIXED WINDSHIELD UNDER 5 YR WARRANTY? ALSO NOTICED 2014 HYUNDAI SPORT THEY SCANNED ME INTO BUYING HAS PROBLEM WITH AIRBAG PASSENGER SIDE OFF LIGHT STAYS ON. *TR
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 26, 2026