2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Fuel System

The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to display an accurate current fuel level. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the fuel lines replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was unavailable.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO DISPLAY THE CORRECT FUEL LEVEL AFTER THE TANK WAS FILLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ADVANTAGE HYUNDAI (440 PLAINVIEW RD, HICKSVILLE, NY 11801) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED AND THE FUEL SENSOR AND THE PURGE FLOW VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS THREE TIMES SINCE MARCH OF 2015 AND WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND KEPT REFERRING THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000. *TT

FUEL LEVEL SENSOR FAIL. THE GAS GAUGE DROPS FROM FULL TO 1/4 TANK TO 3/4 TANK. THE "RANGE" DISPLAY WILL GO FROM EMPTY TO 300 MILES LEFT TO 79 MILES LEFT. ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT WILL SAY YOUR FULL AND YOU ARE EMPTY IT WILL SAY YOUR EMPTY AND YOU ARE FULL. THIS HAPPENED WHILE YOU ARE IN MOTION ON ANY ROADWAY AT ANY SPEED AND ALSO WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. UPDATED 12/16/15.*JB

FUEL GAUGE (FUEL LEVEL SENSOR) IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES. WHETHER EMPTY OR FULL, FUEL GAUGE IS CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATED UP AND DOWN.AND RANGE MILEAGE KEEPS CHANGING. *TR

FUEL SENSOR PROBLEM. GAS TANK DOES NOT REGISTER FULL AND SOMETIMES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON BECAUSE OF A FUEL SENSOR PROBLEM. HAD A HALF A TANK OF GAS TODAY; FILLED IT UP AND FOR 15 MILES (AT LEAST) AFTER THAT IT READ EMPTY AND THE FUEL LIGHT WAS ON. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS SUPPOSE TO INDICATE REAL PROBLEMS -- NOW I DON'T KNOW WHEN TO TRUST IT. PLEASE MAKE HYUNDAI RECALL THIS PART AND MAKE THIS REPAIR. *TR

WE HAVE OWNED 2 HYUNDAI, SANTA FE. THE FUEL SENSOR HAS FAILED IN BOTH VEHICLES. AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT FUEL SENSOR FAILURE IS A PREVALENT OCCURRENCE IN THESE VEHICLES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOCUMENTATIONS ON THE INTERNET. FUEL SENSOR FAILURE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE DRIVER HAS NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE CAR. THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE MAY STALL AT ANYTIME ON THE ROAD, AND THE DRIVER WOULD BE INJURED ESPECIALLY IF HIT AT A HIGH SPEED. THE VEHICLE MAY STALL LATE AT NIGHT AND THE DRIVER MAY BE IN A REMOTE LOCATION. IF THE CAR WERE TO STALL AFTER DARK, ONCOMING TRAFFIC WOULD NOT SEE THE STALLED CAR. THE AVERAGE COST TO REPLACE THE SENSOR IS BETWEEN 500 AND 800 DOLLARS. I HAVE HAD TO MAKE THIS PAYMENT TWICE BECAUSE I CANNOT SLEEP AT NIGHT WITH MY DAUGHTER DRIVING A CAR WITHOUT ANY IDEA OF WHEN IT WILL STALL. I HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE SAFETY ISSUES. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO TO HELP ME OR OTHER OWNERS. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ABOUT WARRANTY. IT IS ABOUT DRIVER SAFETY. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO RECALL THESE AUTOMOBILES AND WOULD RATHER WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS DEAD/INJURED. *TR

FUEL GAUGE JUMPS AROUND LEAVING YOU WONDERING HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE TANK. MOST LIKELY A FAULTY FUEL SENSOR WHICH SHOULD NOT GO OUT ON A CAR THIS SOON. CAN BE VERY HAZARDOUS AS A CAR MAY STALL DUE TO UNKNOWN GAS AMOUNT. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS PARTICULAR CAR. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE FAILED TO DISPLAY CORRECT FUEL LEVELS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT FUEL LEVEL SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,400. *TR

FUEL SENSOR IS BAD AND CAUSING THE FUEL NEEDLE TO FLUCTUATE AND GIVE INCORRECT WARNINGS ABOUT LOW FUEL AND AMOUNT OF FUEL LEFT IN THE FUEL TANK. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TEST SHOWS IT IS THE FUEL SENSOR. FUEL GAUGE INSIDE FLUCTUATES. *TR

THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR IN THE TANK BEGAN TO FAIL, CAUSING THE FUEL GAUGE TO BEHAVE ERRATICALLY. FUEL LEVELS WOULD SWING WILDLY FROM FULL TO EMPTY. THE CEL WAS THROWN, BUT NOT UNTIL AFTER THE ERRATIC BEHAVIOR WAS OBSERVED. WITHOUT A CEL TO WARN OF A PROBLEM, THE DRIVER MAY THINK THEY HAVE FUEL WHEN THEY DO NOT AND POTENTIALLY RUN OUT OF GAS. THIS WOULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WE'VE SPOKEN WITH HYUNDAI AND THIS IS NOT A RECALL OR EVEN A TSB ISSUE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED AMONG OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS COMMON AND THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE FUEL GAUGE GOES FROM READING HALF THEN JUMPS TO EMPTY. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON THEN OFF AGAIN. I WENT TO A HYUNDAI DEALER A THEY DID A DIAGNOSTICS CHECK ON THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR A CIRCUIT WORKING INTERMITTENT. HYUNDAI IS WELL AWARE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, ALONG WITH MANY MECHANICS IN THE NEW YORK TRI-STATE AREA. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL REPLACEMENT ITEM, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. IF SOMEONE RUNS OUT OF FUEL UNKNOWINGLY WHEN DRIVING BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY THEY WILL LOOSE POWER STEERING AND POWER BREAKS AND MOST LIKELY LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE RESULTS CAN BE FATAL. THE SAME RESULTS CAN OCCUR IF SOMEONE IS DRIVING IN A REMOTE AREA IN THE WINTER AND THEY RUN OUT OF FUEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DISPLAY THE ACCURATE FUEL LEVEL READINGS. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS 55000 MILES AND RECENTLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY MECHANIC RAN A DIAGNOSTIC ON IT AND SAID THE FUEL SENSOR WAS BAD. I CALLED HYUNDAI TO TAKE IT TO THEM TO REPLACE AS UNDER WARRANTY HOWEVER THEY SAID THEY WOULD NEED TO RUN THEIR OWN DIAGNOSTIC WHICH WOULD COST ME $130 FOR WHATEVER THEY FIND AND IT WOULD NOT BE REFUNDABLE. NEXT THEY SAID THE FUEL SENSOR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST $800. THEY SAID IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH SHOULD BE FIXED BUT OUT OF MY POCKET AS THE CAR CAN STALL OR SEIZE WHEN OUT OF GAS. IF THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THEN THEY SHOULD RECALL. *TR

THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWS EMPTY WHEN WE WOULD JUST PUT GAS IN THE CAR. THE GAS GAUGE WILL SHOW 1/2 TANK THAN SOMETIMES GO DOWN TO EMPTY QUICKLY. WE ALSO NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES AFTER WE FILL GAS INTO THE CAR WE WOULD HAVE TO TRY A FEW TIMES BEFORE THE CAR WILL START. BUT THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN WE JUST PUT GAS IN THE CAR. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE FUEL GAUGE IN MY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. UPON FILLING UP IT GOES TO EMPTY WITH THE LOW FUEL LIGHT INDICATOR. AFTER DRIVING 40-60 MILE THE GAUGE MAY READ 1/4-3/4 TANK. OTHER TIMES IT DROPS TO EMPTY AND WILL NOT MOVE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE MILEAGE IS 75,000. *TR

FUEL GAUGE HAS BECOME ERRATIC AND CAUSES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. INFORMED ENTIRE FUEL PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AS SENSOR IS A PART OF PUMP ASSEMBLY, TOTAL COST $950. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, CANNOT TELL HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN CAR. RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED AS THE COMPLAINT SEEMS TO BE COMMON. *TR

AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK I NOTICED THAT THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOT WORKING. LATER IT MOVED OFF EMPTY AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WENT OFF. NOW IT READS WHAT EVER IT WANTS TO. *TR

WHEN DRIVING OUR 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE THE FUEL GAUGE SPORADICALLY MOVES DOWN TO EMPTY AND FLUCTUATES GIVING A FALSE READING AND CAUSING MAJOR CONFUSION. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. IT SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE AMONG THE 2008 MODEL BECAUSE WHEN I CONTACTED A MECHANIC HE KNEW WHAT EXACTLY I WAS TALKING ABOUT. *TR

OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, THE GAS GAUGE WILL SHOW EMPTY AND WARNING LIGHTS COME WHEN YOU JUST FILLED UP THE GAS TANK COMPLETELY FULL. AT OTHER TIMES, THE GAS GAUGE WILL GO FROM FULL TO 1/2 TANK. OTHER TIMES WHEN YOU START THE CAR, IT WILL SHOW EMPTY WHEN IT HAS 1/2 TANK. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE GAS GAUGE IS NOT WORKING. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE CAR OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. TO FIX THE PROBLEM, HYUNDAI WANTS EITHER $400 OR $700 TO REPLACE EITHER ONE OR TWO FUEL SENSORS. OF ALL THE CARS I HAVE OWNED, I HAVE NEVER HAD A FUEL GAUGE GO BAD. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HYUNDAI RIGHT NOW ! WITH AS MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE REPORTED, THIS SHOULD BE FIXED BY THE HYUNDAI. *TR

GAS GAUGE BEGAN TILING UP AND DOWN. DIAGNOSED AS BAD FUEL SENSORS, HAD SENSORS REPLACED. FILLED TANK WITH GAS ,GAS GAUGE SHOWED HALF TANK THEN FEW DAYS LATER SHOWED EMPTY. VEHICLE'S BEEN PARKED EVER SINCE FEARING ACCIDENT. SCARY BEING ON THE ROAD NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH FUEL REMAIN, HAD TO LIMP HOME CONSTANTLY CAPPING OFF TANK. WENT ON LINE TO FIND POSSIBLE PROBLEM AND FOUND SEVERAL HUNDRED DRIVERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. CALLED MANUFACTURER TO ISSUE A POSSIBLE RECALL AND NOT WAIT TILL SOMEONE GET KILLED OR STRANDED ON A DARK HIGHWAY. PLEASE CONVINCE HYUNDAI TO ISSUE A RECALL OR AT LEAST ABSORB THE PAYMENT TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. *TR

THE VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE FUEL TANK SENDER ASSEMBLY WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE HAS A SADDLE TANK DESIGN WITH A FUEL TANK SENDER ASSEMBLY IN EACH TANK SADDLE. WE WERE TOLD THAT WHEN A FAILURE IS INDICATED YOU CAN NOT KNOW WHICH ASSEMBLY IS FAILING AND BOTH HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE RATE OF FAILURE IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH THAT HYUNDAI DEALERS KEEP THE PARTS IN STOCK AT ALL TIMES. SINCE THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSEMBLIES IS TO SEND FUEL FROM THE SECONDARY TANK TO THE PRIMARY AND THEN FROM THE PRIMARY TO THE ENGINE YOU NEED TO REPLACE BOTH TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW AS YOU COULD BELIEVE YOU STILL HAD UP TO A HALF A TANK OF GAS AND RUN OUT OF GAS. *TR

WHEN FUEL TANK IS FILLED GAS GAUGE REGISTERS EMPTY, ONLY WILL CATCH UP WITH ITSELF WHEN A QUARTER TANK IS GONE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON REPORTING A "FUEL LEVEL SENSOR" ERROR. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ERROR WITH THE 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. *TR

AFTER THE VEHICLE REACHED ABOUT 70,000 MILES, THE GAS GAUGE STARTED TO SHOW ERRATIC LEVELS AND THEN AFTER A MONTH THE FUEL GAUGE STOPPED WORKING AT ALL. THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD GO ON AND OFF ALSO THEN STAYED ON CONSTANTLY. *TR

AS OF LATE, THE FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN ACTING VERY ERRATICALLY. THE LOW FUEL LIGHT IS LIT EVEN WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL. AS I'M DRIVING, THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES FROM EMPTY TO 3/4 OR FROM FULL DOWN TO EMPTY. SEEING THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING, HYUNDAI SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL - OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DEFECT WITH THE FUEL SENSOR. OVERALL, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A REALLY GOOD VEHICLE, BUT THIS FUEL GAUGE THING IS STARTING TO DRIVE MY CRAZY. I'M AFRAID ONE DAY I'LL RUN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE IS GIVING ME A FALSE READING! *TR