Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the contact stated that after depressing the brake pedal the cruise control briefly failed to disengage. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The Electronic Power Control (EPC) and power train warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the stop lamp switch. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V113000 (Exterior Lighting); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had already been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 195,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact stated that he shifted into neutral(N) to stop the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that two unknown sensors and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
Reference Number: 11520065 This is a follow up to a previously submitted incident involving this same vehicle. My first submission was May, 2023, This vehicle experienced the exact same hazardous condition on February 26, 2024. on I-75 south. After driving on an interstate highway for about 1 hour, I noticed a traffic backup and proceeded to slow down as the traffic was nearly stopped. As I slowed my car down to nearly a complete stop, the engine suddenly surged forward with high rpm's as though the accelerator was pushed to the floor. I immediately pressed on the brake pedal as hard as I could to stop the car from surging forward and then quickly decided to put the transmission into neutral so I would not hit the car in front of me. The car eventually stopped surging and may have stalled. I finally got the car to move again by turning off the ignition and restarting it. …
I was pulling into a parking space with my foot on the break pedal when the car inexplicably accelerated and would not stop. Luckily there was a fence to hold me until I was able to turn the car off to stop the acceleration. The engine revved and took off even when foot was applied to break with force. I see many other cases of this and yet still no recall. Hyundai takes zero accountability for this problem. This needs to be addressed. My situation was a lucky one and still terrifying. People could reallly get hurt.
The vehicle so far has had two instances of uncontrolled acceleration, not just sudden but while driving and performing a passing maneuver or need to accelerate quickly the transmission will get stuck on a gear, pressing the brake or shifting to manual mode, attempting to shift up or down or back to d or n will not stop the acceleration. I just kept my foot on the brake, put hazards on, turned off the engine (left key in accessories) and then coasted to the shoulder. The minute I turned the engine off I gained stop control, prior, mashing on the brake wasn't stopping the car. Once I coasted to the side of the road, I waited a minute or so, carefully restarted the car and things were back to normal. The first time this happened the transmission seemed be stuck on 5th gear, but when I shifted from d to manual and back the acceleration returned to normal. …
While at a stop in a construction zone, my foot was on the brake, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated into the vehicle in front of me. Although my foot was planted hard on the brake, the engine continued racing, and it felt like my car was going to push his car down the street! I shifted into park and turned the car off. Luckily there was only $4,000 worth of damage to my car, and no one was hurt. I refused to drive it, and had it towed to the dealer. They said the computer showed no malfunction, and it had to be driver error. Three months later, it did it again to a lesser degree, in an open area. I turned the car off again, and it was fine until yesterday. It has been 4 months since that last incident, but this one even was worse than the first. Only thing is, now I know to put all my weight on the brake, shift to neutral and turn the car off as fast as I can. …
This morning (11/11/18) I was traveling with my wife and kids on highway I-290 eastbound approx. 60 MPH, when our car has started accelerating without me pressing down gas pedal. I hit the brakes, however car was still accelerating and the only way to slow it down was to put it on neutral (I was already speeding over 80mph). When I did it, RPM were at 7000 per min. And didn't go down a bit. I pulled over and turn the engine off. When started back , engine was working at normal level RPM's and reacted to gas pedal movement. I've decided to continue drive to our destination. After few minutes of drive, it happens again! This accelerations were unintended by me and put my family at risk. It's very dangerous and can cause accident and even death. My wife is driving this car daily and she wouldn't know how to handle it if it would happened to her. This should be investigated.
The are three layers of floor covering on this vehicle. The first is the wall to wall carpet. The second is a floor mat, made of carpet material which is securely anchored to the floor of the vehicle. The third layer of floor covering is a thick rubber mat. The rubber mat rests atop the carpeted floor mat unanchored. It slides around on top of the carpeted floor mat and prevents a severe hazard because it occasionally lodges itself under the accelerator pedal, causing the pedal to jam. This danger can be extreme because when the gas pedal jams in an intermediate throttle setting, it lengthens the stopping distance and has been known to cause a traffic accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal became stuck underneath the carpet, which caused the vehicle to speed uncontrollably. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact slowed down the vehicle down by using her left foot to depress the brake pedal and her right foot to move the carpet from under the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal went entirely to the floorboard and remained stuck when it was released. The contact violently depressed the brakes and maneuver to the side of the road. After few minutes, the accelerator pedal released and functioned as normal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure reoccurred twice. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA investigations
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003.
Acceleration complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 52 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, 10% of the model year's 541 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, though it has 4 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 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.