177 complaints reported

2008 Hyundai Santa Fe FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
177
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Feb 2024

Large leak detected P0455

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2023
Jul 2022

The fuel tank level sensor failed and yes can be inspected. Check engine light goes on and fuel says empty with little yellow light .My mechanic checked my car and told me it was the fuel tank level sensor. Check engine light goes on and the fuel needle goes up and down to empty. When I fill the tank, the check engine light goes off and the needle rises to full. When the gas reaches a certain level the check engine light goes on and fuel needle drops to empty . It will go up and down. This first occurred October 2022.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2022
May 2021

THE FUEL GAGE KEEPS MARKING THE WRONG LEVEL OF GAS. FIRST IT WENT CRAZY GOING UP AND DOWN. AFTER SENSORS WERE CHANGED, IT STAYED AT HALF OF TANK EVEN WHEN FULL. NOW THE FUEL SYSTEM WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE WHEN IT REACHES A CERTAIN GAS LEVEL, THE CHECK ENGINE SHOWS UP. ITS RANDOM ISSUES AND ALL HAVE TO DO WITH THE PUMP, AND SENSORS. BEEN TRYING TO FIX THIS FOR 2 YEARS AND REPLACING THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO WORK FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THEN THE ISSUES SHOW UP AGAIN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2019
Apr 2021

FUEL GAGE DOES NOT WORK. FILL UP CAR WITH GAS AND THE TANK SHOWS EMPTY FOR DAYS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. GETTING NEW SYSTEM DOES NOT FIX THIS ISSUE. EACH DAY YOU GET IN THE CAR IT WILL SHOW A DIFFERENT AND INACCURATE READYING. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER ONLINE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2021
Feb 2021

FUEL GAUGE FAILED. THE FUEL TANK WOULD BE FULL BUT THE GAUGE READ 1/4 TANK, (RAN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE) CONTACTED HYUNDAI, THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT OFFERED NO SOLUTION AS FAR AS RECALL, THEY STATED THE FIX WOULD COST APPROX. $600.00 WITH PARTS AND LABOR. I CHECKED THIS ISSUE ON LINE AND THIS DEFECT IN THE "FUEL SENSORS" HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM APPROX. 2007 TO 2015 EFFECTING THOUSANDS OF HYUNDAI SANTA FE'S. MY QUESTION IS, WHY HASN'T "THE HYUNDAI MOTOR CO." CORRECTED THIS SAFETY PROBLEM OR ISSUED A RECALL? THEY EXPECT CUSTOMER LOYALTY BUT IT APPEARS THE LOYALTY GOES ONLY ONE WAY. I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH MY 2008 SANTA FE BUT NOW I'M WONDERING HOW MANY OTHER SAFETY ISSUES ARE BEING COVERED UP. I WAS AT MY HYUNDAI DEALER JUST PRIOR TO THE FUEL SENSOR ISSUE LOOKING AT THE NEW PALISADE LIMITED" BUT NOW I'LL LOOK ELSEWHERE [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2020
Nov 2020

TAKE TO MUCH FUEL

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2020
Apr 2020

I HAVE A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE THAT HAS A FAULTY FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. THE GAS GAUGE DOES NOT SHOW THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE TANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF THE TIME IT SHOWS EMPTY, EVEN AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK. SOMETIMES THE GAUGE WILL MOVE JUST OVER HALF WAY, THEN IT GOES BACK TO EMPTY. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THREE DIFFERENT SHOPS TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY ALL SAY THAT FUEL LEVEL SENSOR NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TO FIX THIS ISSUE WILL BE BETWEEN $700 - $1000. AFTER LOOKING UP THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE FOR THE EXACT MY MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR VEHICLE THAT I AM MAKING THE COMPLAINT ABOUT. THIS ISSUE IS CONSENT IF I AM MOVING OR STATIONARY. THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE I DO NOT RUN OUT OF GAS IS TO FILL UP ABOUT THE 250 MILE MARK TO MAKE SURE I DO NOT GET STRANDED. I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF THE INDICATOR AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK COMPLETELY. IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT [XXX]. THANKS IN ADVANCE ANY HELP IN THIS MATTER. REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *CC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2015
Feb 2020

MY FUEL LEVEL GAUGE HAS BECOME ERRATIC TO NOT WORKING AT ALL CAUSING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. I HAVE TO SPEND $1700.00 TO GET THIS REPAIR MADE SO THAT I CAN REGISTER MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS, ONE OR BOTH HAVE FAILED. I HAVE NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE EVER. I HAVE GOOGLED THIS AND SEE THAT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ALSO FOR MANY OTHERS WHO OWN A 08 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. I WANTED TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WHICH HYUNDAI SHOULD RECALL TO FIX.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2019
Jan 2020

WITH 49,377 MILES, I ADDED PARTIAL FUEL (6.9 GALLONS) AND THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED ZERO WITH THE FUEL LIGHT ON. AFTER A FEW DAYS THE FUEL GAUGE READ NORMALLY. SINCE THEN I'VE ADDED FUEL FIVE MORE TIMES. EACH TIME THE GAUGE WENT TO ZERO AND THEN RAMPED UP GRADUALLY. YESTERDAY, FEBRUARY 29, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON STEADY. TODAY I HAD THE ERROR CODE READ: P0463 FUEL LEVEL SENSOR A CIRCUIT HIGH INPUT. ALTHOUGH THE PART REQUIRED LISTS FOR $79.99, IT IS APPARENTLY CHANGED IN THE FUEL TANK AND VERY EXPENSIVE TO ACCESS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2019
Aug 2019

I WAS GETTING CHECK SYSTEM WARNINGS. THEN MY FUEL GAUGES WENT CRAZY AND DID NOT REGISTER ACCURATELY AND I COULD NOT TELL IF MY GAS TANK WAS HOLDING THE GAS AND AS MUCH GAS AS I PUT IN WAS NOT REGISTERING AND ONCE THE CAR STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AND IT HAD GAS IN IT. APPARENTLY PER WHAT I'VE READ FROM OTHERS, THIS IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE YEAR AND MODEL AND I THINK OTHER YEARS TOO. I'VE WRITTEN TO HYUNDAI THREE TIMES AND THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING DIDN'T EVEN ANSWER ME. IN LAST EMAIL TO THEM I SAID I'D CONTACT YOU IF THEY CONTINUED TO IGNORE AND THEY DID?! THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AS IT IS DANGEROUS TO SAY THE LEAST. MY LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WANTED $221 TO JUST LOOK AT IT AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT HYUNDAI CORPORATE TO GET THEM TO RECALL THIS ISSUE. THEY WILL NOT AND THIS IS LUDICROUS. MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 76,000 MILES ON IT. I WOUND UP HAVING THE REPAIR DONE NOT AT A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP,BUT BY A VERY REPUTABLE MECHANIC. I PAID $540 FOR THIS AND IT IS OUTRAGEOUS HYUNDAI REFUSES TO DO A RECALL ON THIS. CAN YOU GET THEM TO REIMBURSE FOR THIS REPAIR PLEASE AND LIKEWISE FOR ALL OTHERS AFFECTED BY THIS. IT'S A DANGEROUS ISSUE. HOW CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS?? IT IS OUTRAGEOUS TO SAY THE LEAST! WHEN CAR STOPPED IT WAS LUCKILY ON A LOCAL STREET AND I WAS LUCKY LITTLE TRAFFIC OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT STOPPING WHILE DRIVING! HYUNDAI DOES NOT CARE! THE CAR JERKED ON STOPPING TOO. VERY FRIGHTENING TO SAY THE LEAST! I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SO I DID THE REPAIR AND I CANNOT AFFORD THE COST AND WILL BE PAYING THREE TIMES THIS VIA MY CREDIT CARD INSTALLMENTS! I LIVE ON SOCIAL SECURITY SOLELY AND AM 75 YEARS OLD. PLEASE HELP. IF YOU WANT MY RECEIPT PLEASE ADVISE. IF YOU WANT TO SEE MY EMAILS SENT TO HYUNDAI ADVISE TOO.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2019
Jul 2019

THE FUEL GAUGE STOPPED WORKING AT 84500 MILES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND EVEN THOUGH THE TANK IS FULL, THE GAUGE READS EMPTY AND THE FUEL LOW LIGHT COMES ON.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2019
Jul 2019

FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNIT FAULTY AND DOESN'T GIVE A CORRECT READING TO THE LEVEL OF FUEL IN THE CAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2019
May 2019

FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. GOES TO EMPTY WHEN I PUT GAS IN TO FILL TANK AND FUEL LIGHT COMES ON. AFTER DRIVING A FEW MILES, NEEDLE ON GAUGE FLUCTUATES. THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I RAN OUT OF GAS WHILE TRYING TO ENTER INTO TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY AND ALMOST GOT RAN OVER , ALMOST CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION! MY MECHANIC JUST REPLACED BOTH FUEL SENSORS ON 4/29/2019 AS CHECK ENGINE READOUT INDICATED. THIS COSTLY REPAIR DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE FUEL GAUGE STILL FLUCTUATES, READS EMPTY WHEN FILLING, FUEL LIGHT COMES ON AND NOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFTY PROPLEM AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY HYUNDAI. I AM AFRAID NOW WHEN DRIVING MY CAR BECAUSE OF THIS. IS HYUNDAI NOT RECALLING BECAUSE THEY KNOW EVEN WHEN REPLACED, THE NEW PARTS ARE FAULTY TOO? NHTSA, YOU NEED TO PLEASE STEP IN BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. YOU HAVE PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM AND I FEEL I JUST WASTED MY MONEY ON THIS REPAIR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2018
Apr 2019

GAS GAUGE SAYING IT'S ON EMPTY WHEN THERE IS GAS IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2019
Mar 2019

GAS GAUGE ERRATIC AND NOT READING PROPERLY. AFTER FUELING GAUGE DROPS TO E AND FUEL LIGHT COMES ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. WHILE DRIVING THE GAUGE CONTINUES TO GO ALL OVER THE PLACE, FROM E TO F. MECHANICS SAY FUEL SENSOR/SENDER UNIT(S) IN THE GAS TANK HAVE FAILED AND NEED REPLACEMENT, $400-$500. ONLY WAY TO KNOW THE FUEL AMOUNT IN THE TANK IS TO KEEP TRACK OF MILES DRIVEN AND ESTIMATE MILES PER GALLON AND REFUEL EVERY 200-250 MILES TO BE SAFE AND NOT RUN OUT OF GAS AND CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. PLEASE HELP TO MAKE HYUNDAI DO A RECALL ON THESE SENSORS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2019
Feb 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL GAUGE BECAME INOPERABLE AND FAILED TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE READING. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT COULD NOT DETERMINE WHEN THE FUEL WAS LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOCH HYUNDAI (LOCATED AT 391 PROVIDENCE HWY, NORWOOD, MA 02062, (781) 332-4542), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,547.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2018
Oct 2018

FUEL SENSOR FAILING. FILL TANK AND SENSOR STAYS AT EMPTY WITH WARNING LIGHT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2018
Oct 2018

FUEL GAUGE SHOWS EMPTY, LOW FUEL LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AFTER DRIVING A LITTLE SOMETIMES EVERYTHING GETS TO NORMAL NEXT DAY FUEL GAUGE SHOWS EMPTY OR HALF FULL WHEN IT IS FULL BECAUSE I KNOW I JUST HAD IT FILLED. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINS ABOUT THIS ONLINE FORUMS.HYUNDAI HAVE TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM THE REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUEL YOU HAVE IN YOUR TANK ALSO SINCE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON YOU CAN NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION. VEHICLE HAS 58000 MILES .

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2018
Oct 2018

FUEL SENSORS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY CAUSING GAS GAUGE TO MOVE ERRATICALLY AND TRIGGERING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. SENSOR IS NOT RELIABLE CREATING A RISK OF RUNNING OUT OF GAS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2018
Sep 2018

THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES AND DOES NOT SHOW AN ACCURATE FUEL LEVEL. IT'S ONLY ACCURATE AFTER FILLING AND THEN AFTER USAGE IS INACCURATE. THIS AT TIMES RESULTS IN CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS THAT WOULD FAIL EMISSIONS. HIGHWAY DRIVING IS A CONCERN IF THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER. STARTED AT 110K MILES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2018
Aug 2018

THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. CAN OCCUR ANYTIME, BUT MOSTLY AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK. VEHICLE CAN BE STATIONARY OR MOVING. HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2018
Aug 2018

FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR STOPPED WORKING. GAS TANK CAN BE FULL, AND IT STAYS ON EMPTY OR FLUCTUATES WHILE DRIVING OR STOPPED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2018
Jul 2018

AFTER FILLING MY TANK TO FULL, A FEW MINUTES LATER WHILE AT A LIGHT, MY GAS LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING LOW ON FUEL ALMOST EMPTY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WENT OUT, CAME ON FOR FEW DAYS. TOOK CAR TO SERVICE AT HYUNDAI AND WAS TOLD THAT FUEL SENSORS ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. WILL COST ALMOST $800. SERVICE SAID THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THE 2008 SANTA FE'S. AND, APPARENTLY, NONE IF IT IS WARRANTED. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND LEARNED THAT MANY ARE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME THING. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN RECALLED? THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND PUTS OWNER OF CAR IN A POSITION TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY DEALER. FRUSTRATED!!! ALSO, LIGHT IS OFF FOR A WHILE, THEN COMES BACK ON WHEN DRIVING AND STATIONARY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2018
Jul 2018

AS THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE, AT 70K MILES GAS GAUGE STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STUCK ON. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT NOT KNOWING THE AMOUNT OF GAS AND RUNNING OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN WITH THE VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN. SHOCKED HYUNDAI HAS NOT RECALLED THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL HYUNDAI'S BUT THIS IS THE LAST.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2018
Jun 2018

TAKATA RECALL GAS GAUGE NOT WORKING.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2017

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe has 177 FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.