2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
718 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 44/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 80,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all Santa Fe years
What owners report
“My fuel gauge in the car show no fuel at time and then 1/2, 1/4 or zero tank, check engine light is on, i have had the check engine light checked and was advised that it is the gauge in the fuel tank.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Santa Fe
“Fuel sending sensor is erratic causing chk engine code p0464. Unsafe driving condition and should be recalled to be fix.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Santa Fe
“Air bag clock spring causing air bag light to come on. Vehicle was made april of 2008 there is an existing recall for vehicles made in march of 2008 for this exact issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Santa Fe
“Leaking valve cover is allowing oil to leak down onto the alternator. Car be stationary or running. Most notable when car engine is running.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Santa Fe
“During the last few weeks the vehicle had a slight acceleration/deceleration. Then while moving the car lost engine pwr.acceleration was reduced to about 5mph had to stop and turn the car off then on to regain full pwr. The check engine light remaind on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Santa Fe
“I was driving my 2008 hyundai santa fe approx 60mph on hwy 277 when the sunroof exploded. Sounded like a bomb going off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Santa Fe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 579 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 76,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 56,000 and 104,115 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe,…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall…
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2009 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from April 19, 2006, through July 7, 2008. The occupant classification system (OCS) may need recalibration to accurately detect small statured adults.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the classification software free of charge. The safety recall began on September 7, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 26, 2006, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2008, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 19, 2006 THROUGH MARCH 20, 2008. THE CLOCK…
Fix: HYUNDAI DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VEHICLE'S DRIVER'S AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING CONTACT ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN IN NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI CUSTOMER CONNECT…
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,387 TRAILER HITCH WIRING HARNESSES EITHER INCLUDED WITH A TRAILER HITCH OR SOLD AS A SERVICE PART MANUFACTURED BY THULE TOWING SYSTEMS AND DISTRIBUTED BY HYUNDAI FOR INSTALLATION ON MY 2007-2008 SANTA FE AND VERACRUZ VEHICLES. THE…
Fix: THIS RECALL SUPERSEDES A PREVIOUS RECALL CONDUCTED BY HYUNDAI AFFECTING THE SAME TRAILER HITCH WIRING COMPONENTS CONCERNING HIGH CURRENT LEAKAGE OR A SHORT CIRCUIT OF CAPACITOR C1. (PLEASE SEE…
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 88,943 MY 2007-2008 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH P235/60R18 TIRES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE LABELING REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110 "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES."…
Fix: HYUNDAI WILL MAIL CORRECTED CERTIFICATION LABELS ALONG WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AFFECTED OWNERS. THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL…
THIS RECALL HAS BEEN SUPERCEDED BY RECALL 08E-055. HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,387 TRAILER HITCH WIRING HARNESSES EITHER INCLUDED WITH A TRAILER HITCH OR SOLD AS A SERVICE PART MANUFACTURED BY THULE TOWING SYSTEMS AND DISTRIBUTED BY HYUNDAI FOR INSTALLATION ON MY…
Fix: HYUNDAI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND WILL REPLACE THE TRAILER HITCH WIRING HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
64 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Santa Fe TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 718 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 44/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe are fuel system (274 complaints), electrical (86), and airbags (70).
At what mileage do 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 76,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 56,000 and 104,115 miles.
Does the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.