There are 10 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR CALIPERS SEIZED. ALSO, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, THE PEDAL FELT SPONGY AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE CALIPERS SEIZED AND THE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V613000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.*DT*JB
THERE IS A REAR CALIPER RECALL ON HYUNDAI SANTAFE 2011 MANUFACTURED SEP.28 - NOV.25 2010 , MY VEHICLE IS MANUFACTURED IN THIS TIME FRAME - NOV.16.2010 AND HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL BUT THE HYUNDAI REPS REFUSED THE REPAIR BECAUSE MY VIN IS NOT ON THE "LIST"? NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V-613 HYUNDAI RECALL 098: BRAKE CALIPERS
TAMARA RECALL. MY CALIBERS KEEPING STICKING ON THE ROTORS. I REPLACED THEM BOTH AND 1 MONTH LATER IT KEPT STICKING AND WORE THE BRAKES AND ROTOR. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO MY 2009 HYUNDAI DANTE FE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE FLUID WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V613000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PERIOD OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V113000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BURNS FROM THE AIR BAG AND A NECK INJURY WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/12/16*LJ UPDATED 4/18/18*JB *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,759.
WE OWN A 2011 HYNUDAI SANTA FE AND HAD AN INCIDENT LAST NIGHT PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT, WHICH APPEARS TO BE SOMETHING OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED: SUA SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE MOTOR JUST STARTED RACING FULL THROTTLE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I MASHED ON THE BRAKE AND FELT IT FADE OUT UNDER THE FORCE OF THE INCREASED MOTOR RPM. I QUICKLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE BUT I HAD MY FOOT COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR PEDALS. I THEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. MY WIFE AND I WERE SHAKEN BUT UNINJURED. AFTER COMPLETING OUR REASON FOR THE STOP, THE VEHICLE STARTED NORMALLY AND WE RETURNED HOME WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. BUT OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE HAS GONE TO ZERO. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED SO FAR ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED HE NOTICED PIECES OF METAL NEAR THE VEHICLE ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ROTORS HAD CORRODED AND RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,512. UPDATED 9/12/14*CN UPDATED 02/4/2015 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL SPONGY FEELING WHEN DEPRESSED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN BRAKING POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V613000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
FIRST OF ALL I KNOW OUR 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IS NOT MADE IN USA, IT IS A KOREAN 2.4 L, 7 SEATER BOUGHT IN PANAMA. I WROTE TO THE HYUNDAI COMPLAINT WEBSITE AND THEY VERY POLITELY ANSWERED THAT THE CAR WAS A NON-US MODEL AND THEY SENT ME A LINK TO A WEBSITE WHERE I COULD FILE THE COMPLAINT. I DID IT BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN ANSWER, YET. MY FIRST PROBLEM AFTER THE CRASH WAS THE UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS FOR REPAIRING THE CAR. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH OUR LOCAL CONSUMER AUTHORITY HERE IN PANAMA. OUR CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR MORE THAN 9 MONTHS, ITS RUNNING NOW BUT STILL SOME PARTS MISSING. THE ISSUE IS THAT AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK FROM THE SHOP I RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER (PETROAUTOS) TELLING ME ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN OF THE FAULTY BRAKE SWITCH (JUST AS IN THE US MODELS) AND THAT I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. SO I LOOKED UP IN INTERNET AND I FIND SEVERAL RECALLS RELATED TO THE BRAKES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHANGED THE SWITCH. SO IM WONDERING IF THIS WAS RELATED TO THE CRASH BECAUSE I ALWAYS HAD MY DOUBTS OF WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I BRAKED THAT DAY. FINALLY THERE WAS A CRASH AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW THIS MAY ONLY BE FOR YOUR INFORMATION OR FILES, AND THAT YOU CAN'T HELP ME; PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT FOR YOUR EVALUATIONS. THANKS.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026