Worst 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Engine Problems
Electrical Faults
Unintended Acceleration
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Problems | 64 | 2 | 5 | 65,057 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 25 | 1 | 2 | 75,477 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 24 | 4 | — | 43,418 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 20 | 1 | — | 30,964 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 19 | 2 | 1 | 44,583 mi | |
| Brakes | 17 | 1 | — | 74,280 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 16 | 1 | — | 56,254 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 11 | 3 | 1 | 51,150 mi | |
| Airbags | 7 | 4 | — | 30,165 mi | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 7 | — | — | 93,520 mi | |
| Engine & Cooling | 6 | — | 1 | 20,606 mi | |
| Body Structure | 6 | 3 | — | 73,750 mi | |
| Fuel System | 5 | — | — | 84,180 mi | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 5 | 2 | — | 39,300 mi | |
| Wheel Issues | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Instrument Cluster | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Radiator Assembly | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Automatic Transmission | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Steering:Electric Power Assist System | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Structure:Body:Bumpers | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,714,121 vehicles.
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.
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 SANTA FE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 28, 2010, THROUGH NOVEMBER 25, 2010. SOME OF THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY MACHINED.
Other Hyundai Santa Fe Years
2011 Hyundai Santa Fe — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
What are common problems with the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe?
How safe is the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Does the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe?
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.
Check Your Specific 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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