2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Visibility Problems

Paint is peeling/delaminating off the car in chunks - from the roof and the hood. Paint peeled off of the hood in a large chunk while I was driving, and got stuck on the windshield & caught up on the wipers while in use. This damaged the wipers and created a dangerous situation, as it blocked my vision while driving. The paint peels off and flies off the car in chunks and can land on another car windshield as well and block their view. I brought the car to the dealer years ago when the paint first starting peeling, and was told it was just past the warranty and there was nothing they could do. I read online that there was a class action suit on this exact issue and it has been a problem for many, many years and Hyundai continues to manufacture this paint despite being aware of the problem. I contacted Hyundai corporate to report this issue, and they said there is nothing they can do. So I have decided to report the issue to warn other drivers, as the last chunk that peeled off became a safety hazard. Note: Car was only used occasionally, has very low mileage, and is garaged for a portion of the year. The paint should not be in this condition - it is defective. I paid extra for this particular pearl white paint when I purchased the car new - it was an upgrade, presented as self-healing paint.

NHTSA ID

11510904

Incident

Nov 12, 2022

SUN ROOF EXPLODED. NO APPARENT REASON. STATIONARY PARKED.

NHTSA ID

11156472

Incident

Dec 5, 2017

Mileage

105,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FELL OUT OF THE CEILING AS IF THE WIRES WERE CUT IN HALF IN THE HOLE THAT HELD THE VISOR IN PLACE. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUDDEN EVENT BUT I HAVE BARELY BEEN ABLE TO SEE WHILE DRIVING EARLY IN THE MORNINGS OR LATE IN THE EVENINGS WHEN THE SUN IS LOW IN THE SKY AND SHINING DIRECTLY THROUGH THE WINDOW.

NHTSA ID

11129155

Incident

Sep 10, 2018

OUR SUNROOF BURST WHILE DRIVING ON A CLEAR, SUNNY DAY. OUR SPEED WAS ABOUT 40MPH, THE SHADE ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS CLOSED AS WAS THE SUNROOF. WE HEARD A LOUD "POP" AND WHEN WE SLID THE INTERIOR SHADE OPEN A SHOWER OF GLASS FELL INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.

NHTSA ID

11036067

Incident

Feb 3, 2012

Mileage

45,000 mi

PAINT COMES OFF THE CAR IN LARGE PIECES THAT, IF RAINING, WILL STICK TO WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR AND THE CAR BEHIND YOU, WHILE DRIVING. THIS BLOCKS THE VISIBILITY OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSES WIPER PROBLEMS AS THE LARGE PIECES GET STUCK TO THEM. AGAIN THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. THE LARGE PIECE OF PAINT WILL STILL COME OFF DURING NORMAL DRIVING, BUT THE SAFETY CONCERN IS WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. PIECES AS LARGE AS 1 INCH BY 1 INCH ARE NOT UNCOMMON, WITH THE LARGEST PIECE CURRENTLY MISSING IS ABOUT 8 INCHES BY 8 INCHES. PROBLEM STARTED HAPPENING OVER 2 YEARS AGO. WHEN THE PIECES GET STUCK TO THE WINDSHIELD, YOU HAVE TO PULL OVER TO REMOVE THEM FROM BOTH THE WINDSHIELD AND WIPER BLADES. THIS IS ALSO DANGEROUS AS WE HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER ON A MAJOR FREEWAY BEFORE TO REMOVE THEM FROM PARTS OF THE VEHICLE, NAMELY THE WINDSHIELD AND WIPERS. THIS PROBLEM AGAIN CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH VISIBILITY OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR AND POSSIBLY THE CAR(S) BEHIND YOU WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT LARGE PIECES (SHEETS) OF PAINT SHOULD BE COMING OFF OF A CAR AND STICKING TO A WINDSHIELD OF THE AFFECTED CAR AND CARS AROUND IT, WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. TRULY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10991234

Incident

Mar 28, 2017

Mileage

96,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR, BETWEEN 20-25 MPH, LESS THAN HALF A MILE FROM MY DESTINATION AND I HEARD THIS VERY LOUD BANG. IT SCARED ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GUN SHOT. I PULLED OVER AND SOMETHING TOLD ME TO SLIDE MY SUNROOF COVER BACK, THAT'S WHEN I SAW THAT MY SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. THERE WAS NOTHING AROUND TO HIT IT, NO CARS, OVERPASSES ROCKS, NOTHING. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE TOP AND ALL OF THE GLASS WAS BOWED UPWARDS. IT CAME FROM THE INSIDE, IT EXPLODED. I'D NEVER HEARD OF SUCH. IT WAS ABOUT 47 DEGREES WHEN THIS HAPPEND. NOW I'M SOON TO BE OUT OVER 600 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS FOR SOMETHING AT NO FAULT OF MY OWN.

NHTSA ID

10966346

Incident

Mar 15, 2017

Mileage

115,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED AND THE ENTIRE REAR WINDSHIELD EXPLODED, CAUSING GLASS TO SHATTER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE REMAINED PARKED FOR THIRTY MINUTES WITH THE HEATER AND DEFROSTER ACTIVATED. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERAURE WAS 27 DEGREES. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZED IN WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

NHTSA ID

10808884

Incident

Dec 6, 2015

Mileage

87,000 mi

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK ON VERY COLD WINTER DAYS (ALL DAY, MULTIPLE DAYS). *TR

NHTSA ID

10565928

Incident

Jan 13, 2014

Mileage

82,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE . WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE WINDSHIELD WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF DUE TO THE GLAZE COMING FROM THE SUN. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD POLISH THE WINDSHIELD IN ORDER TO CLEAN THE OUTSIDE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS STILL DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDOW WHILE DRIVING. THERE HAVE BEEN NO WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3097 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10114.

NHTSA ID

10356030

Incident

Dec 15, 2009

Mileage

3,097 mi