There are 5 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2011 SANTA FE LEAKS OIL CONSTANTLY. IT'S MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY, BECAUSE OUR DRIVEWAY IS ALWAYS COVERED WITH OIL STAINS. OTHERS HYUNDAI MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT NOT THE SANTA FE. THE LEAK HAS BEEN PRESENT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, EVER SINCE I OWNED THE CAR. DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR AND NOTICED THE ISSUE.
I BOUGHT THE CAR IN LATE MARCH 2013 AND THE MILEAGE WAS AROUND 50,800. EVERY SINCE THEN IT PERIODICALLY HESITATES TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP OR SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS ROLLING FORWARD VERY SLOWLY. IN EVERY CASE THE GAS PEDDLE (THROTTLE) IS FULLY RELEASED AND WHEN I PUSH ON THE GAS PEDDLE, NOTHING HAPPENS. THE MOTOR DOES NOT SPEED UP, THE THROTTLE IS NOT ENGAGING ANYTHING. SEVERAL TIMES I PUSHED THE PEDDLE HALF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THEN ALL AT ONCE, IT CATCHES, AND THE CAR TAKES OFF AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE CAR IS NOT "CODING" SO THE BRUNSWICK, GA HYUNDAI DEALING WILL NOT REPAIR WHAT IS WRONG. AND NATURALLY IT HAS NOT HAPPENED THE FEW TIME THEY HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR. THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD RESULT IN DEATH WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP ON TO A BUSY ROAD. IT IS NERVE RACKING TO THINK, THIS MIGHT BE THE TIME THE CAR WON'T MOVE! I TOOK A QUICK LOOK AT THE DATA BASE OF COMPLAINTS AND THIS SAME COMPLAINT IS IN YOUR DATA BASE. AGAIN IT IS A PERIODIC HAPPENING WHICH MAKES IT MORE DANGEROUS. *TR
THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. IT HAPPENS AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES A MONTH. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN STOPPED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, BUT HAS OCCURRED ON A LEVEL STREET. THE CAR DOESN'T RESPOND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD. IF ON AN INCLINE, THE CAR ROLLS BACKWARDS. I HAVE TO KEEP MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE NOW AND PRESS THE ACCELERATOR WITH THE RIGHT FOOT. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE. *TR
2011 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ NEW VEHICLE HAS DISCHARGED HEAVY FUEL FUMES AND ODORS OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE CREATING A POSSIBLE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE/EXPLOSION AND CAUSING OBNOXIOUS IF NOT HAZARDOUS BREATHING. 12/31/2010 SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED 01/01/2011 AT START-UP, THERE WAS A "POP" AND ENGINE STARTED. REPLICATED AT DEALERSHIP AND RAW GAS WAS SMELLED. DEALER KEPT VEHICLE FOR SERVICE SHOP TO OPEN ON 01/03/2011. 01/03/2011 DEALER REPLACED PURGE CONTROL VALVE (P/N 28910-3C100). TOOK VEHICLE, SMELLED GAS FUMES IN GARAGE @ RESIDENCE. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. 01/04/2011 RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. PART ORDERED AIR FREIGHT. 01/05/2011 DEALER INSTALLED FUEL TANK AIR FILTER (P/N 31543-3J501-R). TOOK VEHICLE HOME, SMELLED GAS FUMES IN GARAGE @ RESIDENCE. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. 01/06/2011 FUMES IN GARAGE NOT PRESENT. THOUGHT ISSUE CORRECTED. FUELED VEHICLE, RAN ERRANDS, SMELLED FUEL OUTSIDE VEHICLE. HAD LUNCH, SMELLED FUEL INSIDE OF CAR. NOT PREVIOUSLY SMELLED INSIDE VEHICLE.RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP. 01/07/2011 DEALER ADVISES THAT THEY ARE DISMANTLING VEHICLE ABOUT THE FUEL FILL AREA TO EXPLORE FOR DEFECTS. *TR
I PURCHASED A HYUNDAI, NOT EVEN ONE MONTH AGO. DECEMBER 12TH 2010. VIN [XXX] HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2011 IT IS SUPPOSED TO GET 20-26 MILES PER GALLON. WHILE DRIVING THE HIGHWAY FROM FLORIDA TO NC IT GOT 15 MILES TO THE GALLON. ON THE WAY BACK THE SAME THING. IN ADDITION THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT AND MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE SEVERAL TIMES. WE DID NOT THINK WE WOULD GET HOME. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER AND REPORTED IT TO HYUNDAI. THEY CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THE CAR JUST NEEDS TO BE BROKEN IN. I WENT ON LINE AND SAW MANY CONSUMERS HAD THE SAME COMPLAINTS AND HYUNDAI IGNORED THEIRS AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN. I NEVER HEARD OF A CAR NEEDING TO BE BROKEN IN. THE MILEAGE IS A LIE. THE CAR IS NOT GETTING WHAT THEY CLAIM IT SHOULD AND OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME THING TO HYUNDAI. THERE APPEARS TO BE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH MY CAR AND WITH THOSE OF OTHER CONSUMERS AND THEY REFUSE TO HELP. CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *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 25, 2026