2007 Hyundai Santa FE problems & reliability
682 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2007 Hyundai Santa FE, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
16 complaints report injuries (32 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2007 Hyundai Santa FE vehicles were involved in 53 fatal crashes with 18 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 121 | 18% |
| Air Bags | 102 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 97 | 14% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 68 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 58 | 9% |
| Engine | 53 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 44 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 44 | 6% |
| Visibility | 44 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 43 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 46,000 and 100,000 miles), based on 542 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Engine valve cover gaskets leaking oil, causing oil drip on pavement. Could cause fire and alternator failure. My mechanic pin-pointed the leak location. The google search indicated that other Hundai vehicle owners also had this problem. Mechanic estimated cost to repair the problem was quoted at $700.00 dollars. Thx…”
Engine · filed Feb 17, 2026
“I am writing to formally report an incident involving the service department at Lakeland Hyundai (1500 W Memorial Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33815). My 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe was brought in on 12/31/25 for an active engine recall involving the Cylinder Head Cover Oil Leak Repair (Recall Code 976 / Campaign 24-01-026H). The…”
Suspension · filed Jan 15, 2026
“UNKNOWN Went to the grocery store and vehicle was working fine. Upon leaving the store, started the car, ESC OFF light was on and when I went to press the brake to put the vehicle in reverse, the gearshift was locked and I couldn't move the gear. Long story short, I had to get my vehicle towed to the house as the…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Sep 17, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities
Defect Petition DP21003 · opened Nov 12, 2021 · closed Jun 20, 2023
- STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE09003 · opened Jan 14, 2009 · closed Apr 24, 2009 · led to recall 09V122000
Technical service bulletins
78 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2007 Hyundai Santa FE. The 10 most recent:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…
DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of…
25-BD-012H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 6, 2025
Some Santa Fe (CM) vehicles may have an engine that potentially leaks oil from the front cylinder bankâ s valve cover onto the alternator. Oil could damage the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system…
24-01-026H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 9, 2024
Some Santa Fe (CM) vehicles may have an engine that potentially leaks oil from the front cylinder bankâ s valve cover onto the alternator. Oil could damage the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system…
24-01-026H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 9, 2024
This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and…
24-BD-001H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2024
Some Santa Fe (CM) vehicles may have an engine that potentially leaks oil from the front cylinder bankâ s valve cover onto the alternator. Oil could damage the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system…
23-01-076H-2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 19, 2023
Some Santa Fe (CM) vehicles may have an engine that potentially leaks oil from the front cylinder bankâ s valve cover onto the alternator. Oil could damage the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system…
23-01-076H-2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 19, 2023
Some Santa Fe (CM) vehicles may have an engine that potentially leaks oil from the front cylinder bankâ s valve cover onto the alternator. Oil could damage the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system…
23-01-076H-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 3, 2023
Some Santa Fe (CM) vehicles may have an engine that potentially leaks oil from the front cylinder bankâ s valve cover onto the alternator. Oil could damage the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system…
23-01-076H-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 3, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2007 Hyundai Santa FE has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2007 Hyundai Santa FE?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.