The 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,911,454 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 506 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. …
Consequence
Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional…
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
AIR BAGS12V3540002012-07-25199,118 affected
Defect
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2009 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from April 19, 2006, through July 7, 2008. The occupant classification system (OCS) may need recalibration to accurately detect small statured adults.
Consequence
Improper classification or detection may cause the front passenger airbag not to deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the classification software free of charge. The safety recall began on September 7, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Complaints by component
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
109
2crashes
ENGINE
60
3crashes
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
51
11crashes9injuries3deaths
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
50
1crashes2fires4injuries3deaths
SERVICE BRAKES
40
7crashes1fires7injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
31
2crashes1fires1injuries
AIR BAGS
27
7crashes8injuries
POWER TRAIN
20
2crashes3injuries3deaths
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
17
STEERING
17
1crashes
Total complaints506
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“*the mechanic diagnosed internal engine failure (may 14, 2026). The vehicle is at the second mechanic's shop. *the car stalled twice. The first time, over 20 miles, the air conditioning stopped, followed by the radio, and then acceleration. I pulled over and the acceleration returned but only for…”
“2 unrepaired recalls. Frame rusted and unsafe to lift to repair the other recall which is an oil leak onto the alternator. Car won't run now. Corporate asked if I had a lawyer. They have declared my car not fixable or drivable. Neither corporate nor dealer will return my calls. No info from them…”
“2 unrepaired recalls. Frame rusted and unsafe to lift to repair the other recall which is an oil leak onto the alternator. Car won't run now. Corporate asked if I had a lawyer. They have declared my car not fixable or drivable. Neither corporate nor dealer will return my calls. No info from them…”
“Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice.…”
“Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice.…”
“Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice.…”
“[xxx] we took out stanta fe to the hyundia dealership in columbia, tn 38401. The installed a new rover cover gasket left and service kit. The purpose was to stop oil from leaking into the alternator. I would like to point out we did not see any visible signs of the gasket was leaking. We had our…”
“[xxx] we took out stanta fe to the hyundia dealership in columbia, tn 38401. The installed a new rover cover gasket left and service kit. The purpose was to stop oil from leaking into the alternator. I would like to point out we did not see any visible signs of the gasket was leaking. We had our…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP21003 Opened 2021-11-12 · closed 2023-06-20
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003.…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.