Fuel System
Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.
What Owners Say
"The engine light was on and the blower AC/Heat would not cool. There was some kind of computer issue that ended up costing $4000."
John M., MA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3-L V6)"Catalytic converter"
Anonymous, NJ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE Unsure)"Had to have on of the exhaust manifold catalytic convertors replaced. It was very difficult to locate the correct price and very, very expensive to have repaired"
Kevin M., PA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Remote open does not work"
Anonymous, AZ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"failed at 102000 miles will not be cover by 100000 mile warranty"
Anonymous, ME (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2.7-L V6)"Fuel gauge sender units failed. I found out later that this is a common known problem with Hyundai Santa Fe's. I don't know why this has not come up as a recall Item. The repair set me back over 600 dollars."
Edward H., CO (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"Gas tank level sensors (two of them) needed to be replaced due to corrosion. This problem caused my fuel gage to give inaccurate readings."
Anonymous, ID (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"One of two fuel sensors went bad but it has to be replaced by replacing the entire fuel pump at a cost of over 500.00. We just use mileage to monitor gas consumption."
Anonymous, IL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.7-L V6)"Fuel gauge sensor had to be replaced"
Rosalind A., AL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The fuel sensors have failed, so the check engine light is on and the fuel gauge usually shows empty. The cost of repair was obscene - over $600 - so I refused the repair and track my need for gas with the tripometer. I have complained to the service manager, Hyundai USA, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all to no avail. I have owned many cars in the past 45 years, different makes and models, driven them all until they were junk (10+ years), and NEVER had a fuel sensor fail. It seems to me this should be a recall. Searching the internet shows that this problem with fuel sensors goes back many years. The dealership tried to tell me the car was getting old and things just break, but other owners report having had it happen to fairly new cars."
J S., NJ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The fuel gauge stopped working and shown empty all the time causing the engine light to stay on."
Esmagde C., FL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe)"When the car fuel was low, and I refilled the gas tank the car would start normally, but immediately stop running. It required 4 visits to the Huyndai service department before the problem was diagnosed and repaired. Eventually two fuel sensor replacements cured the problem."
Anonymous, AZ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"fuel sensors needed to be replaced. the fuel gauge stopped working"
Anonymous, AZ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"When you fill up the gauge says empty . After traveling a few miles it will show 3/4 tank. We use trip meter to track mileage so we know when to fill up again."
William C., KY (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"sender went bad and gas gauge stopped properly indicating"
Anonymous, PA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 2.7-L V6)"Replaced fuel level sensor."
Steve T., CO (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Fuel sensor/sender units had to be replaced"
James D., CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"The fuel level sensor malfunctioned suddenly. The check engine light illuminated and the gauge would essentially point to arbitrary positions. We were able to get by using the trip odometer to track approximate fuel levels. Due to the check engine light, the vehicle would not pass inspection and we had to have the problem repaired. It was an expensive fix (over $700) that required removing the rear seat, unsealing TWO gas tank access panels, replacing the sensor, and then putting it all back together again. Some internet research leads me to believe that this is not an uncommon issue for this version of the Santa Fe."
Jon P., MO (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Fuel level sensor stopped operating some time ago. fixing it would require removal of gas tank, very costly. So I simply drive without an operable fuel gauge."
Richard W., NM (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2.7-L V6)"My wife would not keep track of mileage when fuel gauge wasn't working so ran out of gas numerous times until it was fixed. Actually, that was the only reason the expense to fix it was made. I had no problem filling when I knew it was due based on mileage. Unfortunately I couldn't add to the survey RE: Km/lt since it was fixed because I forgot. Even though I used to know exactly how many kms I'd get per litre. Sorry."
Peter P., ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe)"occurred at about 120K miles. Was resolved via a $1,000 repiar"
Anonymous, CT (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Sensor would not show me how much gas was in tank, engine ligh5 on, it cost me over 1000 to get it fixed, I was unable to get emissions test pass without having it repaired, I didn't think I should hav3 to pay for it, very common issue with this vehicle and in m6 opinion a safety issue if you have no idea how much gas in your car, Hyundai did not handle this well"
Anonymous, ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Car has twin sender units in 2 separate gas tanks under the back seats. Sender unit #1 failed at 50k miles. Sender #2 failed at 70k miles. Not warranty covered. Parts from US dealer were $400. Same OEM parts from Korea were $75. Repaired myself in 3 hours and replaced fuel pump since I was in there. Stealerships quoting $1000 to do the job. This car is my 2nd Santa Fe. It's been disappointing."
Anonymous, (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"gas gauge stopped working after 105000 miles. not covered by warrenty"
Anonymous, ME (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2.7-L V6)"Strong smell of gas in car. Had to have sender replaced by dealership"
Anonymous, OK (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.7-L V6)"Sender failed without warning, replaced under extended warranty. Replacement sender also failed and had to be replaced. Problems with gasket after replacement allowing fuel fumes into car, finally corrected"
Anonymous, CT (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Fuel level sensor(s) indicate empty when tank is full, then slowly return to normal as tank is used up. Engine light comes on right after fill up, then clears as level drops"
Anonymous, MA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Needed fuel gauge level sensor replaced. That's a 800.00 bill. Ouch"
Gregory O., WI (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Fuel gauge sender doesnt work and its not worth the $s to repair it because the entire tank needs to be dropped to access the sender"
Anonymous, AB (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Fuel sensor failed after about 90000 miles. very expensive fix over 500.00. Gas tank had to be removed and a fuel pump replaced because its a contained system. You can not just replace the sensor"
Anonymous, IL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.7-L V6)"had to replace fuel sensors (saddle bag tank) and due to improper replacement, had to revisit the problem"
Michael H., BC (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Dashboard gas gauge went haywire. Replace both Gas tank fuel level sending units before finding a corroded electrical connection may have been the actual cause. Cost: $650"
Michael-Mary R., TX (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Known issue by Hyundai but will not have a recall"
Thomas S., NC (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"My fuel gauge stopped working. I had to replace the fuel pump because the gauge is incorporated into the pump"
Anonymous, WY (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Fuel level sending unit failed causing on board computer fault, this prevented state inspection"
Thomas I., TX (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"Fuel gauge quit working. Repaired for $500"
Martin M., IA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"The fuel gauge doesn't read the correct level after it drops below half a tank of gas"
Anonymous, IL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Fuel gauge not working but replacement did not work. Turned out to be an electrical problem"
Anonymous, VA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe)"indicator works intermittanlly, and cost to replace is very expensive"
John M., OH (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Fuel gauge failure"
Anonymous, CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe)"There was a recall on the car due to malfunction of the fuel gauge. I had that repaired and then had the smell of gas in the car every time I filled up. It took three subsequent appointments to have this problem fixed"
Anonymous, PA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2.7-L V6)"There is a wide-spread issue with fuel tank level sensors that Hyundai refuses to address. This issue affects the fuel gage and it is almost impossible to determine the amount of fuel in the tank. Our vehicle ran out of fuel in traffic, due to gage"
Anonymous, CT (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND GAS GAUGE REGISTERED EMPTY"
Leroy B., CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Fuel gauge reading inaccurate due failing sending unit...dealer recommended replacing both sending units to preclude additional labor expense should other original sending unit fail"
R H., FL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2.7-L V6)"The fuel sensor in the tank had to be replaced. Cost over $500"
Anonymous, WA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Wouldn't register gasoline level-erratic"
Anonymous, IN (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2.7-L V6)"Both sensors failed. Check engine light on, gauge stuck on E"
John D., TX (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"My fuel gauge failed and read empty all of the time. I had to replace 2 sensors in the fuel tank requiring significant labor with significant cost. There was no recall despite multiple vehicles with this problem"
Robert L., MA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Failed"
Anonymous, AZ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"It failed and the dealer's replacement also failed. The second replacement appears to be OK"
Anonymous, SC (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Engine Check lite came on, the Fuel gauge was at empty, after I had just filled the tank"
Anonymous, ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Faulty fuel sending unit in gas tank. A very common problem with this model. It actually has two sensors because the tank is split over the axle under the back seat"
Anonymous, ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"Fuel level sensors (2 of them) failed and needed to be replaced. Because there are 2 of them, it is costly with parts and labor. This is a common failure of this vehicle based on forums. New sensors are different than original equipment"
Paul T., ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Fuel gauge is a 4-stage sensor. The fuel gauge goes down to half-empty, then nothing. No idea how much fuel is in the tank when it reaches half"
Tom C., ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3-L V6)"fuel gauge became inaccurate"
Anonymous, UT (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Fuel gage is intermittent and therefore unreliable"
Anonymous, ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Fuel sender malfunctioned, gas gauge was not stable"
Dana R., NJ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited)"At 80,000 miles my fuel gauge became intermittent meaning it sometimes tells me I have gas but most of the time it does not. Over a $1k repair at the same time many PM repairs are also due"
Kari B., WA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Problem occurred when vehicle reached 75000 miles and spent $500. to fix it"
Lila M., CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"At approx 120,000 Km required new fuel gauge & sender unit"
David B., ON (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS)"It went bad"
Anonymous, AL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Gauge went to 0 when I filled the tank, appeared to read correctly when tank was 1/2 empty. Cost approximately $600 to fix, had to remove rear seats to fix"
Dan H., WA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"I had a check engine light for a long time and my fuel gage stopped working. I tried to ignore the problem for a while, but finally went to the garage. They said that the fuel gauge and fuel pumps on the Santa Fe are part of the same unit. Each fuel tank has two. Hyundai said that finding the right one was difficult and tried to get me to come to a dealer. I live three hours from a dealer, so that was a problem. Eventually, my local garage figured out which pump to order and made the replacement. The gas gauge began working again."
Bill K., WY (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"left side fuel pump went out, had to replace both pumps - caused car not to start as if out of gas but plenty of fuel in tank"
Anonymous, CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Whenever I fill my gas tank, I have problems starting my car. The gas gage doesn't work and my check engine light is always on. I have checked online and other owners experience the same problems, but there has been no recall"
Tyler H., NV (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.7-L V6)"I had to replace the fuel pump in order to replace the fuel sensor"
Anonymous, WY (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Fuel pressure gauges said I had inadequate fuel pressure. Cost $350 to replace"
Dee G., NC (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Cost $500 to replace an in tank fuel pump. Car still smells of gas after months"
Anonymous, CO (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Clogged fuel filter, but fuel FILTER is INSIDE the fuel PUMP which is inside the fule TANK and the entire fuel tank must be removed to replace the (very expensive) fuel PUMP. The filter is not separately replaceable"
Anonymous, PA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"fuel pump stop working with the fuel gauge and took to the local repair shop and they stated that many customers had the similar issues"
Jonathan A., NY (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"It went bad"
Anonymous, AL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"general error received that was very difficult to diagnose. The seals between the gas tank and the body (under the back seats- saddlebag tank) were leaking. Had the seals replaced at local Hyundai dealer, only to have it give an error again. Took it back and was told the cost of another scan was $100. I took my vehicle to another Hyundai dealer in a city close by and had the same work done again. Had to pay another $650. I was not a happy customer. Contacted local dealer and was offered a token credit. Vehicle has operated well since."
Michael H., BC (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"I was getting a check engine code that traced either to a catalytic converter or to oxygen sensors. Because the car still ran well, we thought it might be the oxygen sensors. We replaced the oxygen sensors, and the problem went away for several months. I think there was a bad oxygen sensor, but they couldn't tell which one. I ended up having to pay for all four to be replaced."
Bill K., WY (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Check Engine light came on.No noticeable performance change. Diagnosis was Air Mass Flow Sensor. Replaced. Fixed"
Anonymous, AZ (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3-L V6)"following up on previous answer: I first noticed a sluggish response when accelerating on the highway to change lanes and it scared me - the hesitation was disturbing because I felt it might cause me to have an accident - I had to pump the gas pedal. After about 3 mos. of periodically experiencing this hesitation I took the SUV to my local garage that does my oil changes, tires, batteries and general care. Notice, my mileage after 12 years of ownership is 67,000, I don't drive that much and the hesitation was becoming more noticeable. That's what triggered this mess. I know the local garage is honest and reliable and fairly priced. I never asked them to remove the passenger air bag light - that was a Hyundai dealership problem and the Hyundai dealership wouldn't clear it for me even though they said they checked it and there had been no recall."
Anonymous, (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Check Engine Light has come on twice since owning this vehicle. The first time was for a defective fuel cap and the second is for a defective solenoid"
Anonymous, CO (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Had to replace one of the o2 sensors. Once I was able to locate it (with the help of you tube) and buying the proper tool, I was able to replace myself without too much difficulty"
Kevin M., PA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Both O2 sensors on one bank were replaced to resolve a P2098 code. This was unsuccessful. Efforts to correct the problem are continuing"
Anonymous, TX (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"Fuel sensor gone bad and check-engine light came up"
Anonymous, IL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"Check engine light"
Anonymous, KS (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)"Fuel feed sensor"
Robert W., CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"This car has had a lot of sensors fail. Emissions, Speed (This was Scary), fuel level"
Anonymous, CO (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 3.3-L V6)"Sensor in fuel tank works intermittently. I'm never sure how much gas I have in the tank"
Anonymous, CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited)"Check engine light on and problems starting car after filling gas tank"
Anonymous, WI (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe SE)"The hard gas gauge and electronic gauge telling you how many miles you had left we showing in accurate data and while driving or standing, was fluctuating anywhere from 40-110 miles within 4 seconds of each other"
Richard R., IL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Fuel level sensors failed. Causing the tank to be removed for sensor replacement. Now I have constant fuel smell issues"
Anonymous, AB (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 3.3-L V6)"Problem occurred when the car reached 75000 miles and spent $500. to fix it"
Lila M., CA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7-L V6)"Check Engine Light went off, took the car to NTB and paid for the sensor to be repaired, very costly for a sensor. The sensor location is a problem, labor cost to get to the problem was more expensive then the senor itself"
Anonymous, IL (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 2.7-L V6)
"Check engine light is on indicates emmission leak but do not know where"
Anonymous, MA (2008 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.3-L V6)