2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe has a complaint index of 85, the 4th-worst among 21 model years, and carries an Avoid verdict. NHTSA lists 683 complaints, 7 recalls, and a top problem area of Fuel System (23% of complaints).
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 85/100
- #4 of 21 Santa Fe years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 683
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 30
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 8
- Injuries
- 32
- Top issue
- Fuel System
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 19
- 17 city / 23 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 32 / 2
Top 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Fuel System157 (23%)
- Electrical System137 (20%)
- Brakes136 (20%)
- Engine122 (18%)
- Airbags102 (15%)
- Visibility & Wipers78 (11%)
- Other49 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires49 (7%)
- Steering38 (6%)
- Transmission & Powertrain31 (5%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy during a rollover crash, resulting in a total loss of the vehicle.
- Electrical wiring or components near the dashboard and steering column caught fire while the car was parked, in some cases with the key out of the ignition.
- Seat warmer switches and electrical ports have melted or smoked without anything plugged in.
- Brakes have overheated with grinding or squealing noises, sometimes requiring rotor resurfacing and full brake replacement.
- Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration where the engine revved on its own and brakes reportedly failed to stop the vehicle.
- The gear shifter has moved out of park without the brake pedal being depressed, leading to a crash.
2007 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V061000Feb 4, 2020Brakes476,111 vehicles
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.
- NHTSA 13V113000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System1,712,336 vehicles
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
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. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: 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 movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
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.
- NHTSA 12V354000Jul 25, 2012Airbags199,118 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
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.
Risk: 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.
2007 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 23 MPG
- Combined
- 19 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,400
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2007 compared with other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 Santa Fe ranks 4th-worst of 21 model years with a complaint index of 85 and carries an Avoid verdict.
- What are the most common problems with the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe?
- NHTSA data shows Fuel System complaints lead at 23% of the 683 total, followed by Electrical System at 20%, Brakes at 20%, and Engine at 18%.
- Does the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2007 Santa Fe, covering brakes, electrical system (stop lamp switch), airbags (occupant classification and clock spring), tire labeling, and a fuel tank wall thickness issue.
- At what mileage do 2007 Santa Fe problems typically appear?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage at failure of 75,000 miles, with fuel system issues centered around 87,300 miles and airbag issues around 47,750 miles.
- How does the 2007 Santa Fe compare to other years?
- The 2007 model's complaint index of 85 is higher than most other Santa Fe years; only 2009 (95), 2013 (80, lower actually), 2017 (100), and 2023 (90) or 2025 (75) carry similarly high indexes, while 2011 is rated Best with an index of 15.