2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe has a Complaint Index of 55 and ranks 10th out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Fuel System complaints dominate (273 complaints, 50% share) alongside four recalls, including two airbag-related campaigns.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 55/100
- #10 of 21 Santa Fe years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 541
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 17
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 7
- Injuries
- 12
- Top issue
- Fuel System
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 19.5
- 17 city / 24 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 12 / 0
Top 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Fuel System273 (50%)
- Engine115 (21%)
- Electrical System82 (15%)
- Airbags70 (13%)
- Brakes42 (8%)
- Other25 (5%)
- Structure & Body24 (4%)
- Transmission & Powertrain24 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires15 (3%)
- Steering14 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report sudden unintended acceleration where the engine revs and the vehicle fails to stop with the brakes, in some cases crashing into objects or buildings.
- Some describe the engine losing power suddenly while driving, in one case tied to a failed throttle position sensor.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a head-on collision, resulting in serious injury to a passenger.
- Owners report electrical fires, including one where a parked, unoccupied vehicle spontaneously caught fire near the rear electrical box.
- Brake calipers were found rusted and overheated, producing a burning smell and smoke from a rear wheel.
- One owner reported a fire originating from the rear differential after hearing a clunking noise when shifting into reverse.
2008 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- NHTSA 11V472000Sep 9, 2011Airbags205,233 vehicles
Air bags:frontal
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 hyundai veracruz vehicles manufactured from december 26, 2006, through march 21, 2008, and model year 2007-2008 hyundai santa fe vehicles manufactured from april 19, 2006 through march 20, 2008. The clock spring contact assembly for the driver's air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) may become damaged through usage over time. The driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition, potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.
Risk: If the clock spring develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the drivers air bag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.
Remedy: Hyundai dealers will replace the vehicle's driver's air bag clock spring contact assembly free of charge. The safety recall began in november 2011. Owners may contact hyundai customer connect center at 1-800-633-5151.
2008 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 24 MPG
- Combined
- 19.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,325
- 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.
2008 compared with other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2008 Santa Fe a Complaint Index of 55 and a Caution verdict, ranking 10th out of 21 model years for this model. It sits in the middle of the pack, better than the 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2023 Avoid years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe?
- Fuel System complaints make up 50% of all reported issues (273 complaints), followed by Engine problems at 21% (115 complaints) and Electrical System issues at 15% (82 complaints).
- Does the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists four recalls for the 2008 Santa Fe, covering the stop lamp switch, airbag occupant classification software, the driver's airbag clock spring, and tire labeling compliance. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- What year Hyundai Santa Fe should I avoid?
- Based on NHTSA data, the 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023, and 2025 Santa Fe model years carry Avoid verdicts, with 2017 having the highest Complaint Index at 100.
- At what mileage do 2008 Santa Fe problems typically appear?
- Median mileage at failure across all reported problems is 74,209 miles, with Fuel System issues showing up around a median of 80,000 miles.