Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving about 35mph a fast ticking sound came from the turn signal/steering column area then it started smoking so I turned on the turn signal and it stopped ticking I almost panicked. Incident has happened 2 more time's but I put on the turn signal quickly before it overheated and it did not smoke. The car has not been to a service center or dealer and there we no warning lights on or prior symptoms
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH, the contact stated smoke was coming from the steering column. The contact drove the vehicle back to their residence. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to local dealer (horne Hyundai 1360 e auto center dr, apache junction, az 85119 [phone]) where it was diagnosed with needing turn signals to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Car was driven about 10 miles and then parked inside an attached garage. No issues were present during the drive. The ignition was turned off and key removed from vehicle. After approximately 1 hour had passed the car started on fire. Flames were visible behind the front right headlight and front right wheel. Luckily no one was harmed. The fire caused significant damage to the garage and home. Fire department investigation concluded that the cause of the fire was not external to the vehicle.
While on a long trip about 100 miles into the drive while driving on the freeway with the cruise control set to 78 MPH the steering columns (from the turn signal side) starts smoking and it smelled like electrical wiring burning. I immediately slowed down but did not stop in fear of being stranded in the middle of nowhere. At the same time the turn signal started making this very fast clicking noise that sounded like the turn signal was stuck on, but it was not on. No idiot lights ever came on to indicate a problem. After about 15 minutes the smoke finally stopped the the smell went away. However the fast turn signal clicking noise continued off and on for the remainder of the trip. I continued to drive the next 250 miles home with the clicking noise. I was able to turn the engine off and on again when I stopped for gas and it started just fine. …
This is to make aware of potential/ possible engine fire cause in some Hyundai vehicles. I own a 2011 Santa Fe. At less than 70K miles the oil light began to flicker and leak oil. Dealership indicated I ruined engine and I was responsible for all repair costs due to bla bla bla. I took vehicle to independent shop and they found and replaced defective oil pressure switch Hyundai #9475037000 which leaked oil onto top engine, created a large pool of hot oil that sat there hidden under other components. ( fire hazard ). Then- at 130K miles it happened again. Repeat replacement of genuine defective oil pressure switch and hot oil on engine (fire hazard) contacted Hyundai to explain the fire hazard defective oil switch issue. All they could say was take it to dealership. Well I did just that the first time this happened so why go back and go thru the same bs. …
Something in the engine , harness or module , allows the computer to overheat suddenly , through 3 batters and 2 alternators in 4 months last alternator lasted 2 drives... Car dies nancy depressive light show and died then the battery and alternator is fried. Hyundia dealership refusing to check harness or module because my VIN number isn't listed in recall although my car is in the recall. The car has died 4 times requiring towing. The car died when driving after about 10 miles . Car has brand new battery. Starter works fine. It died in the middle if a streetceach time twice was at night. And I am a disabled woman who uses a wheelchair. Monday June 24th was the most recent time at 1 pm in 104 degree heat for 5 hours with a heart condition which was doubly dangerous situation. The battery died eventually leaving me with no hazards. …
Center information console (radio/navigation) console screen is black in cold weather until it thaws out. Make radio and navigation unusable until it thaws. This is a safety issue because if someone is travelling and the car gets cold they'll be unable to navigate. Imagine getting up for an emergency to go somewhere and the screen is black preventing you from travelling or you're travelling and stop for a rest and the vehicle gets cold preventing you from continuing until it thaws out. If someone had an emergency and needed to find a hospital or in case of diabetic needed to find somewhere to eat and they couldn't because the navigation screen was frozen.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after the brake pedal was released, the brakes became stuck. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear brakes and brake pads needed to be replaced. The brakes were replaced three times; however, the failure recurred. In addition, the contact stated that the battery warning indicator illuminated continuously. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted after two attempts. A local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.
After signaling lane change/turn from highway, turn signal switch continued clicking when turn was completed and turn signal was in off position. Smoke was coming from the left front vent. The following day, started the vehicle, clicking continued, turn signals were in the off position, left signal was flashing. I removed fuse box cover inside vehicle and smelled the odor of something burning. Contacted Hyundai and was advised there is no recall involving signals.
NHTSA investigations
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
During this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (MY) 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles equipped with Theta II and Lambda II engines (approximately 1.3 million vehicles).
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
In a letter dated June 11, 2018, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima and Sorento, and Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles. In a letter dated July 24, 2018, CAS requested that MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles be added to the petition.
Electrical complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the electrical system of the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe, 14% of the model year's 181 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe, though it has 2 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 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical 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.