YearToAvoid

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe Brakes Problems

NHTSA lists 30 brake-related complaints for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe, 8% of its 353 total complaints for the year, with 8 crashes and no fires or injuries reported. There is no related recall on file, and the median mileage at failure was 24,870 miles.

Brakes complaints
30
8% of 353
Crashes reported
8
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
24,870 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical brake symptoms owners report

  • Brake pedal sinks or goes to the floor with little to no stopping power, sometimes at low mileage.
  • Vehicle continues moving or lurches forward/backward even while the driver is pressing the brake pedal.
  • Braking response is delayed or intermittent, occurring at varying speeds and sometimes accompanied by a squeaking noise.
  • Loss of braking has led to collisions, including rear-end crashes and impacts with parked vehicles or obstacles.
  • Some owners report the issue recurring multiple times before repair, with no clear pattern tied to mileage.

When 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe brake complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 2, 2011, latest Dec 14, 2020.

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe brakes complaints: complaints filed per month3Nov 2011Nov 2012Sep 2013May 2014Sep 2016Jan 2018Dec 2020
30 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2011 to Dec 2020; peak Jun 2014 (3).

Brakes recalls for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Brakes complaints by Santa Fe model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201014 (5%)
  2. 201127 (15%)
  3. 201230 (8%)
  4. 201372 (12%)
  5. 201467 (14%)
  6. 201529 (11%)
  7. 201619 (8%)
  8. 201769 (7%)
  9. 201819 (17%)
  10. 201914 (7%)
  11. 202010 (5%)
  12. 20216 (4%)
  13. 202211 (6%)
  14. 202325 (12%)
  15. 202413 (9%)
  16. 20254 (3%)

Frequently asked questions

How many brake complaints does the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
NHTSA lists 30 brake-related complaints for the 2012 Santa Fe, which is 8% of the 353 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a brake recall for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe?
No. The data shows no related recalls listed for brake issues on the 2012 Santa Fe.
Did the brake problems cause crashes?
Yes, NHTSA records 8 crashes tied to brake complaints on the 2012 Santa Fe, though no fires or injuries were reported.
At what mileage do brake problems typically appear?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for brake complaints on the 2012 Santa Fe is 24,870 miles.
How does the 2012 Santa Fe compare to other years for brake complaints?
The 2012 model's brake complaints made up 8% of its total complaints, lower than the 2011 (15%), 2013 (12%), 2014 (14%), and 2018 (17%) model years.

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.