Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was "running lean on bank 1" and determined that the Engine Control Module needed to be reset. The vehicle had been repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated whenever gasoline gauge was below 1/2 tank full. The contact stated that the check engine warning was light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer, and it was determined that the timing belt, spark plugs, and fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. …
When I bought this vehicle they were in cahoots with the nearby dealership, so no issues like this recall were found. I was NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE RECALLS because they trying to CHARGE ME!!!! This HAS always HAD this PROBLEM AND AT ONE TIME HAD A FUEL SENSOR problem.....I was told it was no problem to make the appointment at one Hyundai dealership and they had the VIN & NOW .....Now, that I had made an appt. with another dealership this is an issue and ALL of the factory recall issues were fixed, except for the hitch. IT NEVER was. I called the Hyundai Recall customer service # number and of course, they say there are no issues...The recall # is 077.
Check Engine Light was lighting up on and off sporadically and fuel gage was showing E with light on and now both are not working properly. The check engine light stays on and fuel gage always shows empty even when it is full.
Fuel level gage readout is faulty, providing erroneous and irregularly fluctuating readings on remaining gas levels. Took it to dennis Hyundai of dublin oh and was informed by service manager that this is a regular problem on 2007 Santa Fe's. He said the yellow check engine light that sporadically lights is triggered by faulty gas level sensor. The dealer cleared the trouble code for me and suggested I not waste my money on the costly repair of the sensor and use my odometer to track when I should fill the tank. Unfortunately the odometer is not designed or intended for this purpose. Most of the time the fuel level gage on the dashboard reads completely empty so I have no idea how much fuel remains in my tank. …
I have recently experienced a faulty fuel gauge, therefore activating the check engine light coming on. Vehicle has 107236 miles on it. I got on line and sought out possible info for this problem, and was made aware that many, many other owners of this vehicle were having the same problem. So I went to the Hyundai web site looking to see if a recall had been issued. There was none this problem appears to be able to possibly endanger human life, and/or injury. It is mine, and several other's opinion that a recall should be administered by the NHTSA to force Hyundai motor corp. To engage a recall for this problem, as this is becoming symptomatic from the facts that have been posted on the web. …
My Santa Fe ESC light came on and the car went into a "limp mode". It slowed down to 10 MPH and wouldn't let me accelerate. I pulled over and I could feel the engine sputtering. I turned off the engine and waited a minute, turned the engine back on and everything was fine. Happened the next day as well , now when I drive whether its a cold start or after 30 minutes of driving the vehicle goes into limp mode. I took it to te dealer and $350 dollars later ihad the problem fixed, turned out to be a throttle position sensor. I have done research on this problem and I am not the only one this has happened to. This is a serious issue that I feel needs to be addressed by Hyundai immediately before someone gets injured or killed. …
For the last three years I have had issues with my fuel gauge not working. I have taken it in and was told it would cost a good amount of money to fix. I asked if this is a common problem with massey Hyundai and they told me yes this is a current issue, and could not be recalled because it was not dangerous. So on 3.9.17 as a result of not fixing this issue with my vehicle because of the price. My car has stalled out once while on the interstate and almost lost control of my car and crashed. And a second time while turning into work road and stalling out again mid turn and almost turning into a ditch. I was told that the fuel sensor needed to be replaced and they had to do both because they weren't sure which one it is. …
This is our 3rd Hyundai Santa Fe. Our 1st was an 2006 model, with which we had no problems. Our 2nd was totaled because of another drivers fault. We were forced to avoid her pulling into our lane- head on and went off the road hitting some pine bushes and a telephone guide wire. We were doing 45mph at the time we left the road and hot the bushes. No airbags deployed, but the vehicle was considered totaled by the adjuster. So we replaced the car with another 2007 Santa Fe limited and at first all was good. Now the fuel sending units are not working. In the fuel system the gas tanks(2) are considered saddlebacks and are located under the rear seat. The OBD errors codes state that neither unit is working and it is now costing us an additional $525 - as it failed the massachusetts state emissions test. Hyundai is aware that this is an issue and is not being told to fix it. …
After starting my vehicle and proceeded to work my Santa Fe ESC light came on and the car went into a "limp mode". It slowed down to 10 MPH and wouldn't let me accelerate. I pulled over and I could feel the engine sputtering. I turned off the engine and waited a minute. Turned the engine back on and proceeded to work without incident. Now no matter when I drive whether its a cold start or after 30 minutes of driving the vehicle goes into limp mode. While driving at a slow speed on back roads is not a serious issue I feel that when I am on the highway traveling at 65mph and it happens is a major safety issue. This has happened on numerous occasions and I no longer feel safe in my vehicle. I have done some research on this problem and I am not the only one. This is a serious issues that I feel needs to be addressed by Hyundai immediately before someone gets injured or killed.
I had just purchased gas a few days before and all of a sudden my gas gauge registered no gas. I knew I was not on empty and went to the gas station and purchased more gas, which was only a couple of dollars to top it off. In the past 6 weeks, my gas gauge fluctuates between empty or wherever else it wants to Land. It is very unreliable to use the odometer/trip calculator to pinpoint how much gas is left in the tank. I have researched this fuel sensor issue all over the internet and come to find out this has been a serious problem with the 2007 and 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe's. Hyundai has fixed the problem with the fuel sensor starting with the 2009's so they realized there was an issue. Unfortunately, the repair for the fuel sensor can run almost a $1,000, which is a huge amount of money for a problem that Hyundai knows exists. Please help.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage
On certain sport utility vehicles, the wall thickness of the right forward baffle of the fuel tank May be below specifications.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and, if necessary, replace them. All vehicles are either still at the manufacturing plant or in dealerships. No vehicles have been sold to consumers.
Fuel System complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 157 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe, 23% of the model year's 684 complaints. The component named most often is storage › fuel gauge system (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 06V-317 (storage, Aug 31, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.