2012 Hyundai Santa Fe Suspension Problems

Rear subframe suddenly collapsed and broke due to extreme corrosion. Incident occurred while driving, allowing rear wheel to turn out causing loss of control. Luckily I was traveling at a low rate of speed and nobody was hurt. Found rear subframe was completely rotten out and collapsed on the driver side. Vehicle is now completely undrivable and has to be towed. Found that there was a recall/service program from Hyundai (campaign #947) and my vehicle was affected. I called my local dealership to schedule an inspection appointment regarding the recall. Dealership told me I had to call Hyundai customer care. I called customer care on Tuesday and my claim was escalated. The representative told me that I would be contacted by Hyundai within two days. I have not received any correspondence from the case manager. Called Hyundai Customer Care once more and the representative told me that they can't contact claims representatives directly and I would have to wait until they decide to call me.

NHTSA ID

11727316

Incident

Mar 22, 2026

Engine will RANDOMLY CUT OFF AND IT WOULD DO THAT EVEN WHEN IN DRIVE LIKE IT WASNT GETTING GAS. The dash board would light then continue going WOULD START RIGHT BACK AWAY AND HAS DONE THAT EVER SINCE.i purchased it I ALSO HAD THE O2 CENSOR REPLACED AS WELL. THE TIRES ARE AWFUL THE SUSPENSION. Electrical Problems I have to hit my headlight to come on before I leave when it's dark. Sometimes when I first start driving it pulls me to the right not like wheel balancing . But pulld then back to driving . One last thing I went in for recall update or something. The mechanic say hell do the update and drive the car if it has a problem going in drive they had to replace a sensor or something my car wouldn't move they were going to fix it and give me a loaner car . The guy said let me try something he did then the car started to drive. They were supposed to replace something and didn't. My engine light came on and stayed on I complained to him he just cleared the code it came back on and has been on every since. I told him it want on before I got here he said well it wasn't from anything they did. But it was.

NHTSA ID

11578384

Incident

Mar 13, 2023

When my daughter returned home from college this summer I took her Santa Fe to a local shop for an oil change and other preventive maintenance. During the vehicle safety inspection, the mechanic noted the subframe and front suspension components were failing due to excessive corrosion and the Santa Fe was not safe to drive. My question is about the effectiveness of Campaign 947 - Underbody Corrosion Prevention Service. The countermeasure to the Hyundai subframe rusting issue appears to have not been an effective action to prevent the subframe's failure. The Corrosion Preventive Service was completed on our Santa Fe on Feb 13, 2018. Given the amount of corrosion on our Santa Fe, the Service Campaign was not effective, and the subframe failed due to corrosion. Both the independent shop and the Hyundai dealer indicated that the failed subframe would eventually lead to a catastrophic failure and possible loss of control of the vehicle. Given my daughter drives the Santa Fe from home to school on I70 I am glad the failure was identified early so the car could be repaired and prevent an accident.

NHTSA ID

11535158

Incident

May 12, 2023

Front coil spring rotted and broke while driving vehicle. 2007-2011 vehicles had recall for this but the 2012 did not. Broke after 115K miles which is not excessive.

NHTSA ID

11466979

Incident

May 3, 2022

The front coils of the vehicle were totally deteriorated and could have led to an accident. I noticed that earlier models were recalled due to this same condition. I paid ~2K to have this problem fixed and the garage stated the coils should have lasted to 120k miles. Hyundai has subsequently issued extended warrantees for their elantra vehicles of which we own one. I am concerned that this defect could affect more cars than Hyundai has identified similar to the engine recall situation that was recently repaired.

NHTSA ID

11446640

Incident

Jan 26, 2018

BROKEN RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING FOIUND DURING ROUTINE AUOT INSPECTION BY SERVICE MECHANIC

NHTSA ID

11399045

Incident

Mar 3, 2021

Mileage

103,387 mi

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A RURAL STREET AND HEARD A LONG CLANKING SOUND AND THEN STARTING TO SMELL RUBBER. I DROVE ABOUT 1.5 MILES LIKE THIS AND WHEN I GOT HOME, THE STRUT/COIL SPRING ON THE RIGHT FRONT WAS BROKEN OFF AND SCRAPING MY TIRE ON THE INSIDE. HAD I BEEN ON THE BELTWAY, MY TIRE COULD HAVE BLOWN AND A MAJOR ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. HYUNDIA REFUSES TO COVER EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE RECALLS FOR OTHER MODELS/YEARS. I NO LONGER TRUST THIS CAR.

NHTSA ID

11322944

Incident

Apr 29, 2020

Mileage

96,000 mi

LOUD NOISE, FRONT RIGHT, RIGHT FRONT AXLE BOX. ALSO 3 WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON INCLUDING ABS,

NHTSA ID

11307864

Incident

Feb 7, 2020

Mileage

104,000 mi

AFTER HEARING A METAL RUBBING SOUND WHEN TURNING RIGHT, TOOK THE 2012 SANTA FE INTO THE SHOP. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT STRUT RUINED WAS RUINED, THE PLATE IT WAS ATTACHED TO WAS BROKEN, AND BOTH FRONT COILS RUSTED AND BROKEN AT THE SAME SPOT. THIS SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR DEFECT FOR BOTH COILS TO BE BROKEN AT THE SAME SPOT. THIS GREATLY JEOPARDIZED ME, MY WIFE AND THE THREE CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT.

NHTSA ID

11233220

Incident

Jul 15, 2019

Mileage

5 mi

LOUD CLANKING NOISE ON RIGHT FRONT SIDE. STRUT IS BROKEN. POPPING COVER OFF UNDER HOOD. LOT OF MOVEMENT. I READ THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION ON 2012 SANTA FE. IF THIS IS TRUE WHERE IS THE RECALL. PARTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE

NHTSA ID

11228743

Incident

Jul 1, 2019

Mileage

110,600 mi

NOTICED MY VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND JUST FELT WRONG WHEN I DROVE, TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO CHECK THE ALIGNMENT AND BRAKES (BECAUSE IT WAS TIME FOR PADS). THE MECHANIC WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THE STRUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD RUSTED AND BROKEN COMPLETELY. HYUNDAI WAS GOING TO CHARGE ME TO CHECK IT OUT AND REPAIR BECAUSE I WAS OUTSIDE OF MY WARRANTY. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME TO CHECK FOR A RECALL SINCE IT WAS NOT A COMMON ISSUE, THERE WAS NOT A RECALL SO HE SUGGESTED I FILE A COMPLAINT.

NHTSA ID

11182423

Incident

Dec 17, 2018

Mileage

113,000 mi

HAD MY 2012 SANTA FE TOWED IN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR A HORRIBLE NOISE, AND WAS ADVISED NOT ONLY DID I NEED NEW BRAKES AT ONLY 43,159 MILES (SEEMS EARLY FOR THIS TOO) BUT THAT BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS AND STRUT MOUNTS WERE EXTREMELY RUSTY AND COMPLETELY BROKEN. THESE SPRINGS ALREADY HAD THE 'BOOT' FROM THE FACTORY WHICH WAS THEIR 'FIX' FOR PRIOR MODEL YEARS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM UP TO 2011 MODEL YEAR - BUT NOT THE 2012. MY VEHICLE WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. --- NOTE - I STILL HAVE THE BROKEN COIL SPRINGS AS PROOF.

NHTSA ID

11112398

Incident

Mar 15, 2018

Mileage

43,159 mi

FRONT SPRINGS RUSTED, CALL RECALLED DUE TO UNDERCARRIAGE RUST, RUB AGAINST TIRE, VERY DANGEROUS HYNDAI OF TURNERSVILLE HAS VEHICLE NOW WAITING TO SEE IF HYUNDAI CORPORATE WILL FIX THIS ISSUE FREE OF CHARGE

NHTSA ID

11092017

Incident

Apr 27, 2018

FRONT COIL SPRING RUSTED AND BROKE; IT RUBBED AGAINST MY TIRE. NOT SURE HOW TIRE DID NOT RUPTURE WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I-95. THE OTHER FRONT COIL SPRING WAS RUSTED, BUT IT DID NOT BREAK YET. CLEARLY THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE. COIL HAD PLASTIC SLEEVE ON IT, WATER MUST COLLECT UNDERNEATH AND RUST IT OUT. CREATED CASE NUMBER 11066195 WITH HYUNDAI, BUT THEY HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED ANY RESPONSIBILITY, DESPITE MY REPEATED CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY. THEY ALSO WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR REPAIR BECAUSE 'IT WAS OUTSIDE WARRANTY' AND THAT I WENT TO MY FAMILY MECHANIC (DUE TO LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS FROM HYUNDAI). I SAW ONLINE THAT HYUNDAI HAS HAD A HISTORY OF DEFECTIVE FRONT COIL SPRINGS (EVEN AS RECENT OF 2018), YET THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN MY COMPLAINT SERIOUSLY.

NHTSA ID

11080306

Incident

Mar 5, 2018

Mileage

87,824 mi