YearToAvoid

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

95/100

#2 most-complained of 21 Santa Fe years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe has 358 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 95, ranking 2nd worst out of 21 model years, with an Avoid verdict. Fuel System (35%) and Engine (32%) issues dominate, alongside 2 recalls covering electrical and airbag systems.

Complaints
358
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
27 / 5
Injuries / deaths
26 / 3
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19.5
17 city / 24 hwy

Top 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Fuel System127 (35%)
  2. Engine116 (32%)
  3. Electrical System57 (16%)
  4. Brakes54 (15%)
  5. Other36 (10%)
  6. Airbags29 (8%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain24 (7%)
  8. Steering17 (5%)
  9. Structure & Body16 (4%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (3%)

What owners report

  • Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration while parking or maneuvering at low speed, sometimes resulting in collisions with walls, poles, or other vehicles.
  • Some vehicles reportedly moved on their own while parked, with one owner describing being dragged before the vehicle rolled downhill and struck a tree.
  • Engine compartment fires were reported, in one case traced to an electrical origin with no further cause determined.
  • Brake failure was described in at least one case where the vehicle could not stop and struck a light pole after contact with another car.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a crash into a fire hydrant at highway-adjacent speed, alongside a seatbelt that failed to lock.
  • Owners reported surging or jerking acceleration when easing into parking spaces or driveways, sometimes overpowering brake pressure.
2009 Hyundai Santa Fe complaints: complaints filed per quarter372009 Q32012 Q12014 Q32016 Q42019 Q12021 Q22023 Q32026 Q2
498 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2015 Q4 (37).

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

2009 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.

2009 compared with other Santa Fe years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Avoid85683719
2008Caution55541419.5
2009Avoid95358219.5
2010Good35258223
2011Best15181222

All Hyundai Santa Fe years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Santa Fe ranks 2nd worst of 21 model years, with a complaint index of 95 and an Avoid verdict relative to other Santa Fe years.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA data shows Fuel System complaints make up 35% of reports and Engine complaints make up 32%, followed by Electrical System issues at 16%.
Does the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2009 Santa Fe, one for a stop lamp switch in the electrical system and one for airbag occupant classification recalibration.
At what mileage do 2009 Santa Fe problems typically show up?
NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage at failure of 77,000 miles overall, with brake complaints centered around 44,234 miles and fuel system complaints around 85,000 miles.
How does the 2009 Santa Fe compare to other years?
The 2009 model's complaint index of 95 is worse than most other Santa Fe years; only 2017, with an index of 100, ranks worse.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.