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).
In 3 incidents I backed the car out of parking spot, then forward down the lane and right turn at the end of the lane, the steering locked and I lost control of the car. In panic, I braked, put the car in park and back in drive and I was able to regain control of the steering. A 4th incident occurred after I had been driving for a while and I was making a right hand turn into the grocery store. All 4 times happened turning right, and all 4 I had to brake, put in park, then drive. Took to the dealership, not helpful, if they can't recreate the problem they can't fix. It doesn't happen all the time, but serious safety issue. They said Hyundai's approach is to not replace parts but first recreate issue. Doesn't it seem like this is something related to steering wheel. All occurred in month of June 2018.
While driving approximately 50 MPH on a two lane hwy making my way to the main hwy the car lost all power, was unable to accelerate. I put car in neutral while trying to steer the car off the road. The power steering was also out, very hard to steer. After pulling over I put the car in park and tried starting the engine. It started up, I drove home in the slow lane so if it happened again I would be close to the shoulder. This was very scary, now I'm afraid to go anywhere. After searching google to see if I could find something that May have cause this, I read about a recall that maybe the problem. I believe my car has already had the recall repaired but feel it maybe defective again.
I bought tgis car in dec.2017 from a used car dealership..shoetly after the engine light came days later brought the car back and the salesman/owner said its the gas cap..came on 3 more times..they kept saying its the gas cap..well I tiggten that cap till it cant turn.another thing the back end of the car makes bumoing noises especially going over a bump!! It feels like back ends going to fall off..last week my w year old granddaughter was sitting in her carseat behind the driverside,I was in passenger seat and I heard a thump.I looked my granddaughter looked scared..uhoh she says.she didnt drop anything..the passenger front seat the back of it fell off!! Wth!!!
Sometimes when I make a left or ight turn, the anti lock brakes cause the vehicle to slow down. This isn't the only issue but the car turns off and the steering locks. Im not able to turn or stop. This happens when im at a very slow speed while turning. It happened numerous times. I went online and it was many compliants and reviews on the 2003 to 2006 models. Im really afraid this can cause a collision. Im not the only person who had issues with my vehicle. This happened when I got off the interstate and made a turn on a street while steering. Someone need to investigate this issue. I had other recalls on my vehicle in the past.
The Hyundai Santa Fe was parked without the key in the ignition on a slight incline. My 7 year old grandson got in the vehicle first. He knocked the vehicle out of park. When the vehicle started rolling, I tried to get in but I couldn't with it rolling. It hit a van and my drivers door caught on the front of the van pushing my drivers door completely back. I was caught between the two vehicles. My 4 year old grandkids (twins) could have been behind the Santa Fe or another child since we were at a ball field. Now we notice the Santa Fe can be easily pulled out of park without the key in the ignition.
On a June 3, 2017, we were exiting the highway. During the turn in traffic, the car slowly lost all power. All of the lights lit up and the speedometer, gas gauge and RPM indicators were moving back and forth. We were able to glide to the light in traffic and make it to a parking lot safely. I am so glad we did not have an accident!! My husband shifted the gear to park and the car restarted with no problems. We will be taking it to a Hyundai dealer because this could have been potentially life threatening. Is there a recall put there? This was our first experience like this with the car.
The front right driveaxle broke, resulting in the front tire falling off. I had to replace the driveshaft, the ball joints, control arm, serpentine belt and alternator belt and pay for an alignment, for a total cost of $876.01. At the time of the incident, the vehicle was traveling at approximately 1 MPH. 30 minutes prior to that, I was traveling at 70 MPH with my family. Can you imagine your tire falling off at 70 MPH? Hyundai has been contacted and has chosen to ignore my request for reimbursement. However, they have issued a recall for the 2013 for the same issue.
I have had to replace the control arm 3 times, (2/2013, 4/2014, 3/2015) and about to do it a 4th time (2019). It goes bad after about 20,000 miles and affects the alignment which causes the tires to wear incorrectly. Brand new tires are get worn down on the inside edge and is not visible. This causes a safety issue. My relatively new tire blew out on the highway and nearly caused a crash. I've spent $3000 in repairs and estimate another $1000 in tires that had to be replaced prematurely. I will fill one of these out for each of the incidents described above.
I have had to replace the control arm 3 times, (2/2013, 4/2014, 3/2015) and about to do it a 4th time (2019). It goes bad after about 20,000 miles and affects the alignment which causes the tires to wear incorrectly. Brand new tires are get worn down on the inside edge and is not visible. This causes a safety issue. My relatively new tire blew out on the highway and nearly caused a crash. I've spent $3000 in repairs and estimate another $1000 in tires that had to be replaced prematurely. I will fill one of these out for each of the incidents described above.
I have had to replace the control arm 3 times, (2/2013, 4/2014, 3/2015) and about to do it a 4th time (2019). It goes bad after about 20,000 miles and affects the alignment which causes the tires to wear incorrectly. Brand new tires are get worn down on the inside edge and is not visible. This causes a safety issue. My relatively new tire blew out on the highway and nearly caused a crash. I've spent $3000 in repairs and estimate another $1000 in tires that had to be replaced prematurely. I will fill one of these out for each of the incidents described above.
Steering complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the steering of the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe, 6% of the model year's 684 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 32% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering 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.