2009 Hyundai Santa Fe FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

LIKE THE OTHER POSTED COMPLAINTS, MY 2009 SANTA FE IS HAVING FUEL GAUGE ISSUES. IT NEVER SHOWS THE CORRECT LEVEL. I CHANGED THE FUEL CAP BUT THIS DID NOTHING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE READOUT COMES BACK: "FUEL LEVEL SENSOR". THIS CAN BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WILL PREVENT ME FROM PASSING A STATE INSPECTION. I USE MY TRIP ODOMETER TO GAUGE WHERE I AM WITH FUEL TANK LEVEL. I HAVE TO SET MY TRIP TO ZERO AT EVERY FILL-UP. AT 144 MILES I KNOW I'M AT 1/2 A TANK ROUGHLY. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HYUNDAI IS REFUSING TO ADMIT TO SO THEY CAN SAVE MONEY. MAYBE THIS ISN'T AN AIR BAG, BUT, IF I LOAN MY CAR TO MY DAUGHTER AND SHE RUNS OUT OF FUEL ON A HIGHWAY......I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT. FORCE HYUNDAI TO FIX THIS!

THE FUEL GAUGE SLOWLY OSCILLATES BETWEEN THE (ASSUMED) CORRECT VALUE AND ZERO, OFTEN TRIGGERING THE LOW-LEVEL LIGHT. IT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CONFIDENT ABOUT HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE IN THE VEHICLE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, IN MOTION, OR WHAT KIND OF DRIVING CONDITION YOU ARE IN, OR WHETHER THE ENGINE IS RUNNING OR NOT. IT SEEMS TO BE A MALFUNCTION IN THE SENSOR OR ELECTRONIC CONTROLS. MY LOCAL DEALER SAID THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE (~$400 TO FIX) BUT HYUNDAI HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL BECAUSE IT'S NOT A "SAFETY ISSUE". THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU ARE NEVER SURE WHETHER IT IS CORRECTLY INDICATING A LOW FUEL LEVEL OR NOT... I WORRY ABOUT MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVING BY HERSELF AT NIGHT WITHOUT KNOWING WHETHER SHE HAS ENOUGH GAS OR NOT TO MAKE IT HOME! IF THIS IS A KNOWN/COMMON ISSUE FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY HYUNDAI.

GAS GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER AMOUNT OF GAS THAT IS IN THE TANK. FILL UP TANK AND GAUGE REMAINS A EMPTY OR GOES TO FULL AND THE QUICKLY MOVES TO EMPTY. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME ISSUE WITH 2009 SANTA FE. SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE AND CAN VERY EASILY RUN OUT OF GAS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT.

I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ERRATIC AND MOSTLY INCORRECT. AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS IT QUIT WORKING AT ALL. IVE TRIED TO RESET THE TRIP ODOMETER AND KEEP UP WITH THE AMOUNT OF GAS I SHOULD HAVE IN THE TANK. I GAVE OUT OF GAS ON AN INTERSTATE AT 11PM IN SUB FREEZING WEATHER. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE FUEL SENSOR AS THE PROBLEM. I'VE NOTICED SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS HERE. THE ESTIMATED FIX IS $500. ADDITIONALLY THERE IS A HISSING SOUND FROM THE TANK WHEN I STOP TO FILL UP. UPON FILLING THE TANK THE ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK INITIALLY. IT APPREARS TO BE FLOODING THE ENGINE WITH GASOLINE. IF IM PATIENT I WILL EVENTUALLY GET IT CRANKED. WHEN I PULL OFF IT SHUTS OFF. THIS CONTINUES AS I INTENTIONALLY DRIVE AROUND IN THE PARKING LOT DUE TO HAVING THIS HAPPEN ONCE AFTER PULLING OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I AM A RETIREE ON FIXED INCOME. THE AUTO WILL NOT PASS NC EMISSIONS INSPECTION DUE THIS MONTH UNTIL THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF.

FUEL INDICATOR GAUGE FLUCTUATES SEVERELY AND DOES NOT SHOW CORRECT LEVEL. SINCE THE LEVEL IS INCORRECT, AND THE WARNING INDICATOR DOES NOT FUNCTION, THIS CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO UNEXPECTEDLY RUN OUT OF FUEL AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAUSES DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

FUEL SENDERS ARE FAILING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND FUEL GAUGE SHOWS NEAR EMPTY EVEN WHEN VEHICLE HAS FULL TANK.

THE FUEL READING FLUCTUATES CONTINUOUSLY WITH INCORRECT READINGS SOMETIMES IT SAYS EMPTY WHEN IT'S FULL OR HAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GAS IN IT. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I TOOK IT TO AN AUTO CARE SHOP TO HAVE THEM USE THEIR COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM TO SEE WHY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. IT SHOWED THE CODES P0464 AND P0463. THIS IS THE FUEL SENSOR CIRCUIT AND IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU COULD BE DRIVING AND THE GAGE SUDDENLY READS EMPTY AND YOUR CAR SHUTS DOWN. IF YOUR ON THE HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENS YOUR DEAD! THIS IS HAPPENING TO SO MANY HYUNDAI SANTA FE'S YET NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP OR THERE WILL BE EXTREME CONSEQUENCES! THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHEN IT'S STATIONARY AND EVERYTIME YOU START THE CAR! IT IS SO DANGEROUS AND I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW

MY FUEL GAUGE IS NOT WORKING NOW THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ONE

HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS OTHERS. FUEL GAUGE ISN'T WORKING, OR WORKS ERRATICALLY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS INTERMITTENT. NEVER KNOW IF THE ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON FOR FUEL ISSUE OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS. CODE RETURNED AS FUEL SENSOR OR SENDING UNIT. I NOW BELIEVE IT HAS CAUSED ISSUES WITH MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR HYUNDAI TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE?? I WILL NEVER BUY THIS AGAIN. TOO MANY PROBLEMS THAT NO ONE CAN FIX. I SWEAR THIS CAR IS HAUNTED!

ABOUT A MONTH AGO MY ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND EVERY TIME I FILLED THE TANK WITH GAS THE CAR WONT START UNLESS I KEEP THE FOOT ON THE GAS WHILE TURNING THE IGNITION KEY THEN I HAVE TO SWITCH THE GEAR TO DRIVE WITH A FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ONE ON THE GAS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD TO REPLACE THE PURGE VALVE AND THE PURGE HOSE. NOT EVEN A WEEK I WENT TO FILL THE TANK AND MY GAUGE DROPPED TO EMPTY AND WHILE I DRIVE IT STARTS TO GO UP AND DOWN CONSTANTLY IT IS HARD TO TELL HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE, I NOTICE IS VERY COMMON ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND YEAR. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL SINCE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD.

AFTER FUELING MY CAR, THE GAS GAUGE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED TO EMPTY AND THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. WHILE DRIVING IT WOULD THEN SLOWLY CREEP UP TO ABOUT 3/4 OF A TANK. AT THE HALF WAY MARK, IT WOULD GO UP AND DOWN GRADUALLY SO THAT I COULD NEVER TRUST HOW MUCH GAS WAS TRULY IN MY TANK, LEADING ME TO ALWAYS WANT TO REFUEL AT THE HALFWAY MARK. THIS HAPPENED CONTINUALLY IN BETWEEN FUELING AND NEVER CORRECTED ITSELF.

STARTING ON JULY 15, 2016, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (MIL) CAME ON, AS WELL THE FUEL GAUGE INCORRECTLY INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF FUEL, IN THE FUEL TANK, AT 107130 MILES. I HAD THE MIL DIAGNOSED AS P0464, FUEL SENSOR DEFECT. MANY OTHER HYUNDAI SANTA FE OWNERS, HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM, REQUESTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO REPAIR THIS SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM, TO HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE, TO NO AVAIL. THEIR RESPONSE HAS BEEN IT IS NOT THEIR CONCERN AND HAVE NOT OFFERED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IF I WERE TO BE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, E.G., 55-75 MPH, AND HAVE THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, DUE TO LACK OF FUEL, THE POWER STEERING WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRED, WITH LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE, WITH SUBSEQUENT PROBABILITY OF AN "ACCIDENT", RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY, RESULTING IN DEATH, TO ME AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS, AS WELL AS OTHERS, AS WELL AS SERIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS IS APPROXIMATELY $600.00 TO $800.00. THIS FUELS SENSOR PROBLEM AND MIL, OCCURS WHEN STATIONARY, WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED TO START, AS WELL AS WHEN IN MOTION, AT ANY SPEED. I BELIEVE THAT BEFORE SOME DISASTROUS EVENT OCCURS, HYUNDAI SHOULD ASSIST IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE DEFECTIVE FUEL SENSORS.

AROUND 90,000 MILES MY FUEL SENSOR STARTED NOT WORKING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE NEEDLE WILL GO UP AND DOWN AS WELL AS THE DIGITAL MILES LEFT ON TRIP, I BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, BUT IT ONLY LASTED UNTIL 80,000 MILES OF COURSE. THE SENSOR BARELY WORKS AND WHEN IT DOES IT ONLY LASTS FOR A LITTLE WHILE. I HAVE TO KEEP TRACK MYSELF OF HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE CAR. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND RECALLS FOR MUCH LESS. I DO NOT THINK VEHICLE OWNERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THESE SENSORS AND/OR FUEL PUMPS WHEN THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT BY HYUNDAI. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER HYUNDAI AGAIN.

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND LOW FUEL LIGHT COME ON EVEN WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS. I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL ESTIMATES TO HAVE THE FUEL SENSOR REPLACED AND IT WILL COST ANYWHERE FROM $600 TO $700. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND SAFETY ISSUES.

CK ENGIN LIGHT COMES ON CODE P0464 NOT A LL UNCOMMON.

I WANT TO JOIN THE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE LAUNCHED COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND OTHER WEBSITES ABOUT THE FAULTY FUEL GAUGE SENSORS OF THE 2009 SANTA FE. WHEN I FILL MY GAS TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE ONLY REGISTERS AT HALF A TANK AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT COMES ON. NOW MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO AUTO ZOHN TO HAVE THE ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED, IT DOES, INDEED, COME UP AS A FAULTY FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. HYUNDAI IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS EVIDENCED BY ALL OF THE CONSUMER FEEDBACK, YET IT HAS FAILED TO DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST. UNLIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS AT TOYOTA, VOLKSWAGEN AND CHRYSLER, IT SHOULDN'T TAKE A TRAGEDY FOR HYUNDAI TO STEP UP AND ADDRESS THIS SAFETY CONCERN.

FUEL SENSOR SHOWS GAS LEVEL ERRATICALLY BOTH ON GAUGE AND DIGITAL DISPLAY, USUALLY WHEN FUEL LEVEL IS BELOW 1/3 LEFT IN TANK. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO THEN DISPLAYS ERRATICALLY. THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC OR IN PARKED POSITION WITH ENGINE ON. HAPPENS ONLY ,SO FAR, IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND NOT ON THE HWY. HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE MAY 2016 WITH 105,000 MILES.

AT APPROX 65000 MILES OF NORMAL DRIVING FUEL GAUGE BECAME ERRATIC AND UNRELIABLE. GUAGE READS ANYWHERE FROM FULL TO ONE EIGHTH AND FLUCTUATES ALMOST CONSTANTLY REGARDLESS OF ACTUAL FUEL LEVEL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON PRODUCED ERROR CODE P0464. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. FUEL GAUGE READ EMPTY. I HAD JUST FILLED UP A DAY OR SO PRIOR. I TOOK TO MY MECHANIC HE SAID THAT IT IS THE FUEL SENSOR. SO I FILL UP THE CAR AND RESET MY TRIP TO 0 EVERY TIME I FILL UP NOW. OTHERWISE I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE CAR...THE FUEL GAUGE JUMPS AROUND...SOMETIMES IT SAYS HALF EMPTY...SOMETIMES IT SAYS LOW FUEL LIGHT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE SITUATION...THE FUEL SENSORS SHOULD NOT FAILING! I SEE THAT MAY OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM...ALTHOUGH THIS FIRST HAPPENED OVER THE SUMMER THE PROBLEM IS ONGOING AND APPARENTLY WIDE SPREAD.

FUEL LEVEL STOPPED WORKING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MECHANIC SAID THE CODE CALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF FUEL LEVEL SENSORS. $500 REPAIR AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED. I NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE AND I CAN NEVER PUT MORE THAN 8 GALLONS IN WHEN I FUEL UP. BUT GAS GAUGE WILL GO UP TO HAVE THEN DROP TO EMPTY THEN GO UP TO HALF A TANK. VERY HORRIFIC. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON WHICH WILL CAUSE ME TO FAIL INSPECTION.

AFTER FILLING VEHICLE WITH FUEL, FUEL GAUGE SHOWED TANK EMPTY AND YELLOW LIGHT ON DASH SHOWS FUEL EMPTY. FUEL GAUGE RECOVERED TO SHOW 1/2 FULL, THEN DISPLAYS ERRATIC RESULTS. ONLINE FORUMS SHOW DEFECTIVE FUEL SENSOR WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES. THERE SHOULD BE RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. DRIVERS MAY THINK THEY HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL, TO THEN HAVE VEHICLE RUN OUT OF GAS IN A DANGEROUS DRIVING ENVIRONMENT.

ONCE THE GAS GAGE REACHES 1/4 FULL, IT GOES TO EMPTY. AFTER FILLING WITH GAS, IT WILL TAKE OVER 1 HOUR TO RECORD A FULL TANK. CANNOT USE THE GAGE AS WE ARE NEVER SURE HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE TANK. THE ENGINE LIGHT ALSO APPEARS AND STAYS ON UNTIL THE GAS SENSOR RECORDS FULL.

VEHICLE FUEL SYSTEM GAUGE INACCURATE. AFTER A FILL UP, THE GAS GAUGE WOULD CHANGE FROM 3/4 FULL TO EMPTY, TO 1/4 FULL, TO 3/4 FULL TO EMPTY, REGARLDESS OF HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN THE VEHICLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON AND OFF. THIS IS CLEARLY THE MOST COMMON SAFETY COMPLAINT ON NHTSA, AND OTHER INTERNET COMPLAINT PAGES RELATED TO SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE. SEVERAL MODEL YEARS APPEAR TO BE HEAVILY AFFECTED. NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH FUEL THE VEHICLE HAS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND DEATHS. I'M HAVING TO PAY FOR VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF THIS, AND HYUNDAI REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THEIR SERVICE FOLKS ACKNOWLEDGE THEY SEE THIS OFTEN. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE PAID FOR THIS COSTLY REPAIR SHOULD BE REIMBURSED.

MY GAS GAUGE SHOWED A HALF TANK ONE DAY THEN IT SHOWED EMPTY THEN IT SHOWED EMPTY/ THE NEXT DAY IT WOULD NOT START I NEW THERE WAS GAS IN IT AN HOUR LATER IT STARTED BUT AFTER I WAS OUT IT WENT BACK TO EMPTY. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED SEVERAL PEOPLE I MEET IN PARKING LOTS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ARE YOU WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO GET IN THE REAR WHEN IT SHUTS OFF AND PEOPLE GET KILLED BIG LAW SUITS WILL HAPPEN IAM SURE IT WOULD CHEAPER TO FIX THIS THEN GET SUED. I SEE THERE ARE A LOT COMPLAINTS

FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. NO MATTER HOW MUCH GAS IS IN TANK IT USUALLY REGISTERS EMPTY, AND OCCASIONALLY IT WILL RANDOMLY FLUCTUATE UP AND DOWN. BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. THIS HAPPENS WHILE CAR IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY HYUNDAI.