2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Fuel system Problems

My kids and I were going to town one afternoon and I started to smell gas coming from the air vents the gas smell was very strong I opened the hood and could see that it was wet I touched the spot and smelled it and it was fuel.i was worried about driving home with my children in the car so I called my brother he came looked and tracked down the issue and the fuel leak was coming from the front fuel rail.i had never heard of a fuel rail going out on a vehicle before so calling around to parts stores and auto parts recycling places to get it fixed and no one will sale me one they have all told me to take it to dealership.please help it's the only vehicle my children and i have.

NHTSA ID

11553044

Incident

Jun 14, 2023

Pulling into driveway. Car engine accelerated suddenly. Was just coasting in. The car wouldn't stop. Hit front of a home. The engine sounded like a race car.

NHTSA ID

11490460

Incident

Oct 22, 2022

The vehicle's check engine light came on and the fuel gauge shows "E". I did an OBD scan and it shows the fuel sending unit has issues. The gauge will work intermittently and the check engine light will go away. Further reviews from others show the same issues with their vehicle with each needing a bad sending unit replaced.

NHTSA ID

11487322

Incident

Sep 30, 2022

I was decelarating after going highway speed on the highway and the car stalled electrical still worked but braking power steering acceleation all stopped working and engine lights turned on and esc and other lights i retarted the car and no engine lights turned on i went to my mechanic he said it dosnt show on diagnostics so he cant fix it this is just one incident its happend numerous times and it almost caused accident its dangerous and must be dealt with right away

NHTSA ID

11486122

Incident

Sep 23, 2022

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Stalls out/DEATH TRAP, occasionally with no warning, seem to be when going up or down hills usually with quarter tank of gas approx. Possibly when decelerating. We have replaced both fuel pumps and it was ok for a while. The other day I was going down steep hill and it quit, i coasted to bottom and tried at least 10 times to restart. A DEATH TRAP for people, i had cars flying up on me almost rear ending me even thou I had my emergency flashers were on and my arm out the window flagging then around. I let car sit still a few minutes and it finally cracked. I started looking online for solutions but found many 2009 Santa Fe's have this problem. I called Hyundai and no Recall. I have already spend over $500 trying to repair this. I do see settlement against Hyundai for this problem on other years. They seem to know it is a problem but are not fixing unless forced. Please help.

NHTSA ID

11427441

Incident

Jul 31, 2021

THE FUEL GAGE IS BROKEN, IT READS EMPTY WHEN FULL. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND TOOK IT IN TO FIX IT. $400.00 LATER IT WAS FIXED. NOW I HEAR CLINKING SOUND FROM ENGINE. I THINK THE PISTONS RINGS ARE BAD. I'VE READ OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE!

NHTSA ID

11416198

Incident

Apr 12, 2021

Mileage

98,000 mi

MY GAS GAGE STARTED TO WORK IMPROPERLY. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC I TRUST. HE TOLD ME THE FUEL PUMP SENDERS WERE BAD. AFTER HE REMOVED THEM HE CALLED ME TO TELL ME I WAS LUCKY MY VEHICLE DIDN'T CATCH FIRE OR BLOW UP! ONE SENDER HAS INSULATION BROKEN AND THE WIRE IS EXPOSED. HE ALSO FOUND THAT AN INTERNAL WIRE WAS EVEN WORST. THE PROTECTIVE CONNECTOR WAS GONE! THAT LEFT THOSE WIRES WITH NO PROTECTION. THEY SHOW SIGNS OF BAD CORROSION ON BOTH THE WIRES AND THE TERMINALS. THEY APPEAR TO MAYBE EVEN HAVE SHORTED OUT. THEY ARE BLACK AND A RUST ORANGE COLOR. THEY ARE ALSO PITTED. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI. THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED THAT I HADN'T BROUGHT MY CAR TO A DEALER FOR OVER FIVE YEARS. I EXPLAINED THAT TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS HERE IN MIAMI HAD CHEATED ME AND TREATED ME BADLY. THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS TRYING TO INSIST IF I HAD BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN THEY WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM SOONER. THAT IS JUST NOT TRUE. THEY ONLY WAY TO OBSERVE THIS PROBLEM WAS TO PHYSICALLY REMOVE THE BACKSEAT AND OPEN THE FLOOR TO EXPOSE THE GAS TANK AND THEN REMOVE THE PUMP! THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING! I HAVE THE FEELING THAT THEY WON'T EVEN REPORT THIS TO THEIR OWN COMPANY OR TO YOU. I STILL HAVE THE PARTS. THEY WERE ALSO NOT INTERESTED IN SEEING THEM OR PICTURES. THEY JUST DON'T CARE! WHAT IF MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE? WHAT IF THE FUMES IGNITED? ANYONE IN THE BACKSEAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EITHER KILLED OR INJURED!

NHTSA ID

11365954

Incident

Oct 19, 2020

Mileage

98,220 mi

FILLED UP WITH GAS AND DID SOME GROCERY SHOPPING WITH MY WIFE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, WE STARTED SMELLING STRONG FUEL COMING THROUGH AIR VENTS WHILE DRIVING AROUND. GOT HOME AND REMOVED ENGINE COVER AND SPOTTED FUEL SEEPING FROM THE FUEL RAIL ABOVE THE FUEL INJECTORS. THE FUEL RAIL TUBE IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND HAD CRACKED.

NHTSA ID

11350175

Incident

Aug 15, 2020

Mileage

10 mi

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FOR FAILED FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. GAS GAUGE IS ERRATIC. WHEN I START THE CAR THE GAUGE FALLS TO EMPTY. NEVER KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE. VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR.

NHTSA ID

11315367

Incident

Feb 29, 2020

FUEL GAUGE BECAME ERRATIC AND TRIGGERED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON ALSO IT WILL FLUCTUATE A LITTLE BIT WHEN IT HITS THE 1/4 MARK AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WILL COME ON. IT WILL GO FROM 1/4 TO EMPTY CAN NOT TELL HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE TANK. WHEN I FILL THE TANK IT REGISTERS EMPTY AND THE AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT INDICATOR COMES ON. STARTING THE CAR AGAIN ON THE SAME DAY OR THE NEXT DAY, THE GAGE COMES UP AGAIN TO THE FULL OR HALF WAY MARK AND THE LIGHT GOES OUT. THE CAR STALLS WHILE IN CITY TRAFFIC CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION ANOTHER CAR COULD CRASH INTO ME.

NHTSA ID

11302087

Incident

Jan 17, 2020

Mileage

116,000 mi

THE FUEL GAUGE VARIES WIDELY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW AT TIMES HOW MUCH GAS THE CAR TRULY HAS. THIS SEEMS TO BY A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11300628

Incident

Jan 21, 2020

Mileage

63,245 mi

GAS GAUGE HIGHLY INACCURATE. FUEL WARNING LIGHT GOES ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO APPEARS. HAVE TO PULL OVER AS AFRAID TO DRIVE. FINALLY GO TO NEAREST GAS STATION ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT GAS TANK WAS STILL HALF FULL. THIS HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

11267570

Incident

Oct 9, 2019

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE BATTERY LIGHT KEPT BLINKING, MY BATTERY IS NEW, ALSO THE SEAT BELT LIGHT FOR PASSENGER SEAT KEPT BLINKING EVEN WHEN THE SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED. I STALLED OUT AND WOULDN'T START BACK UP. I WAS IN THE STREET WHEN IT WOULDN'T START BACK UP. I HAD IT LOOKED AT WHEN IT WAS TOWED AND THE SHOP SAID THERE WAS ALOT OF OIL ON MY ALTERNATOR AND I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY VALUE COVER GASKETS ALSO.

NHTSA ID

11242181

Incident

Aug 4, 2019

Mileage

10 mi

FUEL GUAGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. FLUCTUATES GREATLY CAUSING POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE IF ONE WERE TO RUN OUT OF GAS ON THE HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AFTER FILLING GAS TANK.

NHTSA ID

11240940

Incident

Jul 29, 2019

Mileage

79,000 mi

BOTH FUEL LEVEL SENSORS WENT BAD

NHTSA ID

11234636

Incident

May 16, 2018

Mileage

150,000 mi

CAR DOES NOT WANT TO START AFTER FILLING WITH GAS. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF 5 OR 15 GALLONS ARE PUT IN.

NHTSA ID

11234164

Incident

May 15, 2019

Mileage

150,000 mi

AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND DECELERATING, HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2009 VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STALLS WITH NO WARNING. NO ERROR CODES SHOW. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SHUTS DOWN AND IS AN ACCIDENT RISK. ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKE OPERATION SHUT DOWN.

NHTSA ID

11229149

Incident

Jul 1, 2019

Mileage

98,000 mi

BOTH OF THE FUEL GAUGES WOULD DROP DOWN TO EMPTY WYNFALL WHILE STATIONARY. IF I TURN OFF MY CAR THEN TURN IT BACK ON IT WOULD STAY EMPTY EVEN AFTER BEING AT THE GAS STATION. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE LEFT IN MY CAR AND HAS BEEN ON GOING PROBLEM AND A SAFETY ISSUE

NHTSA ID

11217714

Incident

Mar 1, 2019

Mileage

79,000 mi

ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GAS GAUGE DOES STOPPED READING FUAL PROPERLY.. I NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS DRIVING TO WORK EARLY IN THE MORNING THE VEHICLE STUDDARD I PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND HAD TO MANEUVER QUICKLY TO AVOID BEING HIT IN THE REAR. I FOUND OUT I HAD RUN OUT OF GAS. ATTACHED IS A LINK WITH OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH GAS I PUT IN IT I DO NOT GET CORRECT READING. IF I PUT $30 WORTH OF GAS IN MY VEHICLE IT WILL ONLY READ HALF FULL. I FEEL THIS IS A DANGER BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN I RUN OUT OF GAS AND BEING ON THE HIGHWAY ALL OF A SUDDEN RUNNING OUT OF GAS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/HYUNDAI/SANTAFE/OTHER-FUEL-SYSTEM-FUEL-GAUGE-PROBLEMS.PHP

NHTSA ID

11189776

Incident

Jan 17, 2019

Mileage

85,000 mi

I BOUGHT A 2009 HYNDAI SANTA FE IN 2013 WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL DECEMBER OF 2018. I DROVE ABOUT 20 MILES AND ON THE WAY BACK HOME IT STARTED GOING AS SLOW AS 5 MILES AN HOUR; I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS AN ISSUE ABOUT BEING RECALLED BUT I STILL HAVE 2 MORE YEARS OF PAYMENTS AND THE TRUCK ISN'T WORKING!!!

NHTSA ID

11182117

Incident

Dec 4, 2018

Mileage

60,000 mi

FOR THE LAST YEAR, MY FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING. AT FIRST, IT ONLY HAPPENED EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT ONCE I GOT TO ABOUT 8 MONTHS, THE GAUGE HAS CONSTANTLY TOLD ME THE WRONG FUEL LEVEL. I HAVE ASKED A MECHANIC ABOUT IT AND IT IS THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS LOCATED IN THE GAS TANK THAT ARE MALFUNCTIONING. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THE SANTA FE'S THAT WERE BUILT AROUND THAT TIME. I HAVE A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE. IT WAS BOUGHT IN 2016 WITH 22,000 MILES. THE GAS GAUGE PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 40,000 MILES AND ONLY HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. THE CONSTANT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND CONSTANT MALFUNCTION OF THE GAS GAUGE STARTED AT 50,000 MILES AND I AM NOW AT 60,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY AND WHILE I AM DRIVING IT. I HAVE TO KEEP A FULL TANK AT ALL TIMES JUST DO I DON'T RUN OUT IF GAS.

NHTSA ID

11170889

Incident

Feb 1, 2018

Mileage

40,000 mi

VEHICLE STALLED IN ROAD, ONCE ON LEVEL GROUND EXITING A PARKING LOT GOING STRAIGHT AND IN MOTION CROSSING TRAFFIC AND ABOUT TO TURN LEFT, ONCE ON SLIGHT DECLINE IN MOTION TURNING RIGHT. AFTER SITTING FOR A FEW MINUTES EACH TIME, CAR RESTARTED. HEAVY GAS SMELL IN CAR. FUEL SENDERS HAD BOTH BEEN REPLACED TWICE (SECOND TIME RIGHT AFTER FIRST STALL) BUT FUEL GAGE STILL MALFUNCTIONING. FUEL LEVEL INDICATION UNRELIABLE.

NHTSA ID

11165745

Incident

Jan 3, 2019

Mileage

113,000 mi

FUEL GAUGE WENT UP AND DOWN. RAN OUT OF GAS GOING 70MPH ON TURNPIKE IT WAS HARROWING. GAUGE SAYS FULL AND THEN EMPTY RIGHT AWAY. FUEL SENSORS NEED REPLACED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOW SHOWING. I NOTICE MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MINE COULDVE CAUSED A BAD ACCIDENT. OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE AND COST PROHIBITIVE TO FIX WHAT I THINK IS A SAFETY ISSUE. 70,000 MILES IS NOT A LOT FOR THIS TO HAVE HAPPENED.

NHTSA ID

11152585

Incident

Nov 18, 2018

Mileage

70,000 mi

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN YOU ARE AROUND A HALF A TANK OF GAS AND EVEN IF YOU FILL IT UP IT TAKES IT 2 OR 3 TIMES OF STARTING IT FOR IT TO GO OFF. I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. ALSO THE ESC AND THE ABS LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON AND WON'T GO OFF. THE BOOK SAYS THE ABS LIGHT IS FOR SERVICE BUT I HAVE HAS IT SERVICED SEVERAL TIME AND IT STILL DOESN'T GO OUT.

NHTSA ID

11143841

Incident

May 16, 2018

THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES ALL THE TIME. SOMETIMES I GET A READING BUT MOST TIMES IT TURNS ON THE EMPTY LIGHT . I HAVE CONSULTED SEVERAL HYUNDAI DEALERS MECHANICS AND BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A BIG AND FREQUENT PROBLEM. I HAVE READ OF SO MANY COMPLAINTS , THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON SAID DEFECT. .IT IS AS YOU KNOW VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE AND VERY EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FOR ME TO TRY TO FIX..I'VE RAN OUT OF GAS SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN IN HARMS WAY.

NHTSA ID

11121602

Incident

Feb 2, 2015