2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. Part of Generation 2 — 2007–2012.

20062008
Complaints
981
per 10K Sold
106.1
US Sales
92,421
Crashes
42
Fires
12
Injuries
45
Fatalities
2
Recalls
4

Worst 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1121 complaints

Fuel System

Avg mileage:101,933 mi
Crash-related:2
#293 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:85,190 mi
Crash-related:1
Fires:5
#370 complaints

Airbags

Avg mileage:87,381 mi
Crash-related:9
Fires:1
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Fuel System
121
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
101,933
Electrical Faults
93
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
5
Avg Miles
85,190
Airbags
70
complaints
Crashes
9
Fires
1
Avg Miles
87,381
Electronic Stability Control
68
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
95,779
Unintended Acceleration
54
complaints
Crashes
9
Fires
Avg Miles
69,939
Engine Problems
53
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Avg Miles
112,516
Brakes
43
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Avg Miles
85,392
Visibility
42
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
66,428
Hydraulic Brakes
38
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
1
Avg Miles
41,339
Steering Defects
38
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
71,031
Wipers & Visibility
35
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
79,597
Gasoline Fuel System
33
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
77,999
Suspension Failures
29
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
81,209
Transmission / Drivetrain
26
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
89,363
Headlight/Taillight Failures
25
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
92,162
Air Bags:Frontal
21
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
6,775
Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch
15
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
71,847
Body Structure
14
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
95,081
Tire Defects
14
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
28,367
Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module
12
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
13,559
Engine & Cooling
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
48,947
Wheel Issues
10
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
103,936
Seat Belt Issues
6
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
53,035
Other Equipment
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Automatic Transmission
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Exterior Lighting:Headlights
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Other:Storage:Fuel Gauge System
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Interior Lighting
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe

4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~2,592,798 vehicles.

20V061000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module
~476,111 affected

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.

13V113000Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
~1,712,336 affected

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.

12V354000Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module-inactive
~199,118 affected

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.

11V472000Air Bags:frontal
~205,233 affected

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.

Other Hyundai Santa Fe Years

2007 Hyundai Santa Fe — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe has 981 NHTSA complaints, 42 crash-related, and 4 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Fuel System with 121 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Top reported problems: Fuel System (121 complaints, avg 101,933 mi); Electrical Faults (93 complaints, avg 85,190 mi); Airbags (70 complaints, avg 87,381 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 81,180 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA complaints for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe include 42 crash-related reports, 12 fire reports, 45 injuries, and 2 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,592,798 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (fuel system) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Hyundai Santa Fe reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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