2011 Hyundai Santa Fe Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
While driving about 35mph a fast ticking sound came from the turn signal/steering column area then it started smoking so I turned on the turn signal and it stopped ticking I almost panicked. Incident has happened 2 more time's but I put on the turn signal quickly before it overheated and it did not smoke. The car has not been to a service center or dealer and there we no warning lights on or prior symptoms
WHEN TRYING TO START THE TRUCK USING THE REMOTE STARTER THE AREA WHERE THE TURNING SWITCH IS STARED TO SMOKE AND THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRE WAS SMELT AND THE SOUND LIKE MY HAZARD LIGHT WAS HEARD I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF THEN TURN IT BACK ON THE NOISE WAS GONE. THE TRUCK WAS STATIONARY( PARK) AND THE TURNING SWITCH WAS NOT BEING USED, AND THE HEADLIGHT WAS OFF . I WAS TRYING TO WARM THE TRUCK UP.
BLINKERS KEEP GOING ON BY THEMSELVES. SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN. HAPPENS WHEN CAR IS RUNNING WHETHER DRIVING OR IN PARK.
AFTER SIGNALING LANE CHANGE/TURN FROM HIGHWAY, TURN SIGNAL SWITCH CONTINUED CLICKING WHEN TURN WAS COMPLETED AND TURN SIGNAL WAS IN OFF POSITION. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT VENT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, STARTED THE VEHICLE, CLICKING CONTINUED, TURN SIGNALS WERE IN THE OFF POSITION, LEFT SIGNAL WAS FLASHING. I REMOVED FUSE BOX COVER INSIDE VEHICLE AND SMELLED THE ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING. CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND WAS ADVISED THERE IS NO RECALL INVOLVING SIGNALS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS. A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
LED SCREEN ON A/C AND MILEAGE BACK LIGHTING FLICKERING ON AND OFF. VERY DISTURBING AT NIGHT. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON ANY CAR 2011. LCD BLUE SCREENS ARE SHORTING OUT. MID PANEL RADIO DOWN TO A/C CONTROLS AND ODOMETER SCREEN. DEALER WANTS 2,000 REPLACE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A 7 YEAR OLD CAR AND MECHANIC SAYS HE SEES IT ALL THE TIME ON MANY MODELS OF HYUNDAI.
WHILE ON A LONG TRIP ABOUT 100 MILES INTO THE DRIVE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 78 MPH THE STEERING COLUMNS (FROM THE TURN SIGNAL SIDE) STARTS SMOKING AND IT SMELLED LIKE ELECTRICAL WIRING BURNING. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN BUT DID NOT STOP IN FEAR OF BEING STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. AT THE SAME TIME THE TURN SIGNAL STARTED MAKING THIS VERY FAST CLICKING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE TURN SIGNAL WAS STUCK ON, BUT IT WAS NOT ON. NO IDIOT LIGHTS EVER CAME ON TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES THE SMOKE FINALLY STOPPED THE THE SMELL WENT AWAY. HOWEVER THE FAST TURN SIGNAL CLICKING NOISE CONTINUED OFF AND ON FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE NEXT 250 MILES HOME WITH THE CLICKING NOISE. I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN WHEN I STOPPED FOR GAS AND IT STARTED JUST FINE. I PLAN TO TAKE THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY MORNING TO HAVE THE ISSUE DIAGNOSED. JUST AFTER THIS HAPPENED I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP FOR ADVISE ON WHAT TO DO AND HE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. MY BIGGEST FEAR WAS THAT THE INSIDE OF THE CAR WAS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE AND I WAS GOING TO BE STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE WITH NO HELP. NOT TO MENTION THE FEAR ON ME CATCHING ON FIRE AS THE STEERING COLUMN IN RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY BODY. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PLEASE RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE.
DIRECTIONAL WAS BLINKING FAST AND WAS NOT ON THEN SMOKE CAME FROM STEERING WHEEL.
CENTER INFORMATION CONSOLE (RADIO/NAVIGATION) CONSOLE SCREEN IS BLACK IN COLD WEATHER UNTIL IT THAWS OUT. MAKE RADIO AND NAVIGATION UNUSABLE UNTIL IT THAWS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF SOMEONE IS TRAVELLING AND THE CAR GETS COLD THEY'LL BE UNABLE TO NAVIGATE. IMAGINE GETTING UP FOR AN EMERGENCY TO GO SOMEWHERE AND THE SCREEN IS BLACK PREVENTING YOU FROM TRAVELLING OR YOU'RE TRAVELLING AND STOP FOR A REST AND THE VEHICLE GETS COLD PREVENTING YOU FROM CONTINUING UNTIL IT THAWS OUT. IF SOMEONE HAD AN EMERGENCY AND NEEDED TO FIND A HOSPITAL OR IN CASE OF DIABETIC NEEDED TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO EAT AND THEY COULDN'T BECAUSE THE NAVIGATION SCREEN WAS FROZEN.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE DIED MULTIPLE TIMES AFTER REPLACING IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE STARTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
CAR IS STOPPED AND IN THE GARAGE BUT THE FAN WILL NOT SHUT OFF WITHOUT DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY. CAR WAS NOT OVERHEATED. *TR
NOTE: IT IS AT PRETTY MUCH ALL SPEEDS AND NOT JUST 55 THAT THE VARIATION CAN BE SEEN BETWEEN DEVICES AND THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THIS USED WITH 29K MILES ON IT. I NOTICED ON THE DRIVE BACK FROM MD TO PA THAT THE SPEED ON THE SPEEDOMETER WAS DIFFERENT THAN MY TOMTOM GPS. A FRIEND WAS DRIVING IN A SEPARATE CAR AND SO I CALLED THEM AND TRIED TO IDENTIFY THEIR SPEED TO MINE AND IT SEEMED OFF TO THEIRS AS WELL. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE HYUNDAI DEALER IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO TO ASK THEM TO ADJUST THE SPEEDOMETER TO WHICH I WAS TOLD IT CANNOT BE ALTERED. WELL HERE I AM OVER A YEAR LATER AND EVERY SINGLE GPS BASED SYSTEM I HAVE PUT INTO MY CAR, ANOTHER TOMTOM, MY SONS GARMIN, MY WIFE'S GARMIN, MY NEW GARMIN AND MY PHONE ALL ARE IN SYNCH WITH EACH OTHER. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY SANTA FE IS ALWAYS STATING I AM TRAVELING ABOUT 3 MPH FASTER THAN ALL THESE OTHER DEVICES. IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN THIS WOULD SHOW A HIGHER NUMBER OF MILES BEING DRIVEN THAT WHAT IS ACTUALLY OCCURRING. I DRIVE 20-25K MILES A YEAR AND THIS WOULD MOST DEFINITELY ADD UP OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE THUS SHOWING ME TO BE OUT OF WARRANTY SOONER THAN WOULD BE EXPECTED. WHY DOES EVERY ELECTRONIC DEVICE SHOW THE SAME SPEED BUT MY CAR IS TELLING ME I'M GOING FASTER? *TR
Trend Over Time
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Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe has 12 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.