Why This Mechanic Can't Stand His Hyundai Santa Fe 

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Wizard, to be fair the GDI motor in this particular generation of Santa Fe was notoriously bad but some of the suspension components sound like wear and tear due to age.

Winter weather? Looks like Car Wizard found some old lost footage

My boss bought his daughter a 2006 Sonata 3.3 V6 with around 140k miles for his daughter as a graduation present. She's had it 7 years, has been doing door dash and other deliveries and he says she's been really good about telling him when she needs an oil change, etc. The car now has 380,000 miles. The only breakdown occurred because the valve cover gasket leaked oil into the alternator. My boss says that car has been the best $3500 he's ever spent.

MANY mechanics that work on them call them 100k mile disposable vehicles.they soon begin to fall apart after 100k miles.

It sounds pretty funny to me that a mechanic did not do a pre-sales inspection of a vehicle he's buying for himself but you all keep telling us to always get one so in that sense sounds like he got the vehicle he deserved

I had a 16 Tucson with 120K on it. It burned 2.8 Q of oil every 1000 miles. I got rid of it and bought a Lexus. The best move ever

I have a 2008 Santa Fe. Changed timing belt, water pump…etc at 98,000. Plugs at 98,000, CV left replaced. Now has 180,000 miles. Burns no oil. Still runs and drives smooth like it did at 98,000. Interior and exterior still looks fine probably because I took care of it. Hoping to get 250,000+

My 2011 Santa Fe I bought used with 90k miles. It has a V6 and it’s amazing. No problems with oil leaking. Some wear and tear stuff but that’s expected. And I did a presale inspection to make sure it wasn’t a lemon And we have a 2007 Hyundai Azera that is also a gem. Amazing V6 engine as well without oil leaks or coolant leaks!

I have the Gen 1 Santa Fe. It was a $400 abused turd. The 2.7l V6 is impressive. I replaced the broken timing belt and bent valves on one side. It still runs after I fixed it! Had to replace lots of rubber parts, motor mounts, and other stuff. Once you get these parts replaced, it will keep running and going. It's okay for the DIY person, not a single mom.

I always hear people talk about the warranty. It's like when you buy an Autozone part and keep having to change it out once a year when it fails. The warranty doesn't make it good or reliable.

My wife's 2021 Palisade Calligraphy has been absolutely amazing! My daughter had a 2009 Genesis with a 4.8L V-8, also was amazing until someone crashed into it and totaled it. We must have been lucky.

He got a lemon Santa Fe, my parents had a 2011 Santa Fe GLS that they got from Enterprise car sales with 33K miles, they only had to replace the starter and battery, and two struts before they traded it for a 23 Hyundai Tucson. The Santa Fe had 301K miles and still running when it was traded to the dealer, even the sales manager was shocked that it had that many miles with no major engines problems at all. The key is preventive maintenance on any engine, take care of it.

It is over 10 years old those sound like normal wear items for that age of vehicle

Most of those problems are common on any vehicle over 100,000 miles. I have a camry and have had some the same problems. Common for suspension parts to wear out and need replacement.

I see a lot of comments here saying “mine is bulletproof!!!” That’s nice and I’m happy for you But just because you got lucky doesn’t mean these are quality cars There is a reason these are 1/2 the price used as an equivalent Honda or Toyota

As a Hyundai tech of 6 years, a 2012 Santa Fe was the last year of the good engine. After 2013 when they went GDI, they were garbage. This body style has its issues like the transmission temp sensor that goes bad (requires transmission valve body removal to replace), rear wheel hub bearings that have to be replaced due to failed wheel speed sensors (sensors are built into the hub) and a host of electrical issues. I will say that have a 12 to 13 year old vehicle with rubber bushings will not last forever. Daniel San replacing his control arm bushings, sway bar end links & bushing plus rear trailing arm bushings starting to tear is normal wear & tear. My wife had to replace front lower control arm bushings on her 2012 Honda Accord before I ever met her. She also had to have the VTEC solenoid O-ring replaced due to oil leakage (this all occurred at 84,000 miles). Does this mean that her Honda is bad? Absolutely not, those items are wear items, they will fail over time. Same thing is happening with my brother-in-law’s 2010 Toyota Camry. He needed CV axles boots, valve cover gasket and struts because, again, these are wear items that will require replacement over time. Both Honda & Toyota are having their fair share of quality control issues that require a recall. Currently, Honda will not sell any Acura/Honda vehicle with the J-series V6 due to poor machining in the oil galleries that will cause engine failures. Toyota is recalling a host of vehicles due to failing low pressure fuel pumps that will cause the vehicle to stall. Yes, on the whole Honda & Toyota are known for their reliability but the truth is, doing a Used Car Inspection from a reputable technician is anyone’s best bet before buying a vehicle. That & researching that particular vehicle to see will the cost of ownership be more than a consumer can handle. Also, does Daniel San know the exact history of this Santa Fe? For example, the service records from the previous owner? To make a blanket statement that all Hyundai & Kia’s can’t be recommended is a bit of a stretch. I personally for one, WOULD recommend a 2007-12 Santa Fe with either the 3.3 V6 (used from 2007-2009) or the 3.5 V6 used from 2010-12 (the 4 cylinder not so much since the fuel economy isn’t much better than the V6 and certain 4 cylinders had oil consumption issues, plus you get better performance from the V6). As I stated before, there are some issues that it has but overall, I used to see these models come into my old Hyundai dealer with over 130,000 miles needing maintenance.

Am I the only one who fast forwards through the exterior styling and interior design walk-arounds?

I had a 06 Hyundai tiburon and after 224k miles, I finally sold it. It was an absolutely great car. Never had to do anything major to keep it on the road.

I bought a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe for my wife in December 2003. When I got her the car of her dreams, a Ford Mustang convertible in 2014, I took the Hyundai. It now has over 200,000 miles with the original engine and transmission. It has been a very good car for us and the only major issue I’ve had was the lousy paint job from Hyundai. We had it repainted in 2015 and that paint job still looks great today with no rust (Florida vehicle) It’s still going up and down the road just fine with just basic repairs. It is starting to use some oil now though as I’ve noticed between oil changes, I have to put a quart in. Because these car prices are so ridiculously high, I’m just going keep driving her until the wheels fall off. 😄👍

I think that because these cars are considered for low budget they are constantly overlooked in the maintenance department but if you just do the bare minimum these are very good reliable cars here in Colombia you can see them hit 200k and sometimes 300k and here we got the even smaller ones that are used as taxis and they run a lot even with natural gas conversion kit

That was said pretty well. I had a buddy that bought a Kia used and other than the 2.4 GDI engine which was replaced under the recall free it lasted till about 130k miles with little issues. After that the repairs racked up pretty quick. And he finally dumped it once the transmission started slipping. If you’re a person that buys new or used cars and drive them a few years until 80k-100k miles Hyundai and Kia’s could work for you. If you plan on driving them much further than 100k stay away.

I have a 2011 hyundai accent diesel manual, and 2015 kia sorento diesel auto at the 120,000 mile. I live in korea, so they're a dime and dozen. I've had the accent for about 10 years. Awesome car. Fun to drive. Low maintenance. Sorento bought it used 3 months ago. So far no issues. Best car I've owned. I've owned about 20. My impression: domestic cars in korea are best. Ive had volvo, vw, bmw and audi. But they've all failed me. Cost of maintenance was too high.

I own a 2013 Santa Fe (three row seats) with a 3.3L V6 that I bought brand new. It has been well maintained and now has 155K miles. No engine issues. Did replace the rear differential electronic coupler, that's all.

Someone in this video has suggested a pre-purchase inspection. Probably would have been a good idea with this car.

Owner of 2012 Hyundai santa Fe here. Mine has close to 180k miles. Original everything, nothing replaced or broken except battey and starter last year. Most reliable car I have ever owned! My 2008 Santa fe had 220k miles when I sold it. Original everything! No issues. Excellent vehicles!

Well car wizard I have had the opposite experience. 2003 Kia spectra 215k miles before it rusted through 2010 Hyundai Tuscon 2.4 non GDI 303k miles 2013 Kia Soul 2.0 non GDI 197k miles 2020 Hyundai Elantra 2.0 GDI 207k miles I'm sure you've worked on more Hyundai and Kia than I have owned but I'm either lucky or those people are unlucky.

I have a V6 GDI 2015 KIA Sorento, which is supposed to be similar or the same as the Santa Fe. I haven't had all of these problems. Mine is a Limited (flagship model) and I have had to replace an idle pulley on the timing chain loop, replaced an alternator, and HVAC compressor and A/C hard line. Otherwise, just small stuff like tires, alignment, a fog lamp bulb, and had one trouble interior light on the roof console in front, so I just replaced the entire console with a used one. Otherwise, it's been a terrific vehicle. Had it for 7 years now. I do scheduled oil changes using synthetic Castrol Edge (API SP/SN PLUS), and run STP intake valve cleaner through the intake every 25K miles to clean out the valves from carbon buildup. I also keep an eye on the EGR valve and replace as needed. Doing this, the engine has remained strong, smooth, and reliable.

My sister bought a Kia Sportage brand new. 2017. Did everything they recommend on time and it burns oil. It failed the test and they did a soak. Still failed so it's getting a new engine. Only 80k miles or so!!

Here in Ireland we get those Santa fes with a 2.2 diesel and they're relatively reliable

i was a hyundai tech in australia. we rarely had problems with these, but ours were also mainly diesel or the v6 versions. i think NZ got the 4cyl petrol. we had one guy ship his car across and getting parts was a little hard. many did 200K kms. nothing of note apart from wear and tear items. that engine is so basic and easy to work on. it should never have been neglected. that list honestly wasn't too bad. the engine looked like it had no leaks at all. today i serviced a 2019 jaguar xe or xf. with 40,000kms and it had coolant leaking from its plastic water pipes. my parents own bmws that try their hardest to fail. my brother owns a mercedes, 2011 e250 cdi , i had the engine out and basically had to replace all seals on the engine due to coolant leaks and oil leaks, they made the water pump and housing out of plastic and it cracked. still has leaks.

I got a 2005 Mazda6 isport in December with 110k miles, single owner & no accidents and have had to replace the input sensor, right front axle (torn boot), rear shocks, and the rest I did as preventative; transmission oil change, transmission mount, engine cover gasket, alternator, pulleys & tensioners, drive belt, tie rods and stabilizer links.

Kansas winter is no joke. Its 90 on the missouri side 😅

Why buy one, when all it takes to steal one is a screwdriver, a USB plug, and, about 15 seconds.

Good video. This video confirms other opinions of these vehicles that I have heard. I was told to get rid of a car once by a mechanic. However, this was a Mazda based Ford Escort with 224,000 miles and over 20 years on it. We had worn it out. Please do a video on the woodie behind you, if you still have it.

We purchased a 2017 Sonata with 32 miles on it. The trunk latch needed to be replaced, which was under recall. I replaced the hood struts. It has less than 60k on it and has been very reliable. Highway MPG is 36-38.

I've had my Kia Rio 5 for 9 years. Runs like a top. If regular maintenance is done from the get-go, they do quite well.

I have almost exactly the same car, a 2012 GLS AWD. I need to replace the hood struts and I've replaced the starter twice. It has 180,000 miles on it now. Best car I've ever owned.

My wife has had two Hyundai Sonata Limited's (2006 w/3.3L V6) and currently a 2014 Limited (2.4L 4 cylinder). Not one warranty claim on either and both are/were over 100K miles. Maintenance is the key! When you buy used, it's a risk for sure but we always buy new and keep them 8+ years or more.

This is an old model Santa Fe, 12 years old, with some wear issues. The Honda Civic my son had, was overall reliable, but still had some creeks from the suspension and uneven brake rotors. The Toyota Prius we sold 9 years ago also had suspension noises, oil leak and cheap interior trim pieces that would break and Toyota was not able to fix. Hyundai and Kia did improve drastically since. They are no longer priced much differently. Honda also had several quality issues around transmissions failing and oil consumption. I think they messed up big time with their theta engine and with skimping on an immobilizer on many models. Bottom line, I am not sure you can condemn the entire lineup as unreliable today. A car from 12 years ago, that shares very little with the same car today, is not an indication of anything.

Actually sounds like he has done pretty well with it. Being able to fix it himself and the list of parts wasn’t all that expensive.

Happy to see where the wizard channel is 🎉congrats

Rented one in 2017 to go to Salem Oregon for the eclipse from the Bay Area. Loved it. Also, the newest one gets very high marks, even from Hoovie and April.

Isn't that Santa Fe kind of old (circa 2012)?

But Wizard it was cheaper than the Rav 4

Great Channel Car Wizard!

Thanks for the info

Bought one of these, a 2010, with the manual transmission (lol) during lockdowns just before inflation/car demand went through the roof. Super cheap and it was in good shape - oil sprayed for rust and I suspect garage stored, used as a second car by a retired couple out in the country. Looked almost new inside and out at 105k miles. Guy at the lot was surely glad to be rid of it, a manual SUV??? Bought it with the understanding that it was a 10+ year old car and it was going to need some work. Also did my homework into the Theta II problem before buying, and seems the MPI is not affected (UOAs reflect this). I'm at 125k miles now as well, and it's been basically solid but has had a couple silly things go wrong - the ECU went bad (?!?) but that was easily fixed by sourcing good used ($70) and having a dude clone it ($300). Front wheel bearings have both died, and a ball joint. Silly part here is that the axles could NOT be removed from the knuckles as they had rusted in, and ended up having to cut the axles up. Sounds like this wasn't the worst problem to have as the boots likely didn't have much life left in them. In my opinion this review/non-recommendation was unnecessarily harsh. They are cheap cars to buy, parts are very reasonable and they are simple and uncomplicated to work on. A Toyota/Honda at the same price point is going to be much higher mileage/older and going to need this kind of work, and they have their share of foibles (can we talk about that 2AZ engine?). This kind of advice from these RU-vid mechanics is akin to "stop being poor" or "just quit being fat to get healthy". - sounds smart but too broad to be helpful. Do your homework about the thing you're going to spend lots of money on, and entrust your life to, and you'll be fine.

I disagree. I have a 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS otherwise known as the i30. It has been the most reliable car I have owned. It has been easy to maintain, great on gas and has not failed me in the way this Sante Fe has. I have 130k and have no issues. It runs quiet like it's brand new. It has been inexpensive to replace parts and have them installed. I have owned this car since new and costs have been $300 or less a year. It has the 2.0 engine and it's been great

very informative, thanks.

I watch you're show every night ..keep up the good work you & miss wizzard..

And Hoovie was pumping a Genesis for 101K yesterday....

You and Hoovie have the sketchiest sponsors.

We bought our 17 Santa Fe sport with the 2.4GDI engine and just hit 102xxx and it’s been faultless the entire time. Oil changes every 4-5k and transmission fluid, spark plugs, and coolant flush every 40k miles. Brakes just got replaced and we’re on our 3rd set of tires. We plan on keeping this forever.

Awwe the Misses is the cutest thing. I love to see her in your videos Mr Wizard. Keep up the good work

I’m not so sure that the issues being described in this video are all that unusual for a vehicle with 120k miles. I mean cracked bushings, front suspension parts, leaky cv joints…would be expected. The vehicle is 12 years old, going on 13. Moral of the story…get rid of the vehicle before 100k miles

Not a fan of hundai but most of what you noted is nitpicking or maintenance

When my little baby was riding in the car seats, we were in tanks, 80s vintage Delta 88s, 98 Regency, Custom Cruiser. Weight and safety. Then a custom conversion van.

Danielson should have taken this Hyundai to a trusted local mechanic first to do a Pre Purchase Inspection and advice.

Wow, -5°F⁉️ Must be some very volatile weather in Kansas this month 🙃 _I know this is a delayed video_ 😎

What a hit piece. I have a 2017 Santa Fe 3.3 GDI. 80K miles. No issues. I change oil (synthetic) every 5k miles. Consumption is less than a quart in 5000 miles. At 75k I replaced the original tires and brakes.

Car wizard. Heard about the bad weather in Halsted last night Hope you and the family are all well. 👍

haha I have a 2007 chrysler 300c. I have double the list of things I have replaced. Did it all myself and the parts still cost a lot. My car has almost half the mileage and all the wear and tear stuff went on me years ago. If my car looked as mint as that underneath I would do it all again. The underside of my car is all rust, like swiss cheese levels. On the lift that Hyundai looks better than the underside of my car did 10 years ago. You guys are so lucky!!!

My 1999 Honda Accord has the original CV boots, no tears, cracks or leaks. Only had to replace the right front wheel bearing and the front sway bar bushings. I love this car.

Minus 5 degrees outside and it says that the video was just released 5-19-2024, an hour ago or 1437 my time (military time). Danielson, you are very funny describing the suspension noise as a noisy mattress and making the sound that you did.

When I was shopping for my next vehicle a month ago, I had a friend ask me "Why aren't you considering a Hyundai or Kia?" This is why.

ITS A 12 YR OLD CAR STP COMPLAINNG FFS. if u found a lower mileage version u may not have had a lot of those issues

Come on now, those are normal wear items especially in rural areas. Disappointed in you guys.

We had the 2012 year Santa Fe, V-6 top of the line trim, no problems. Sold it to my brother who drove it to 145k miles, no problem, except had the CV joints replaced. Other than that, just regular maintenance. Even the AC still works perfectly. Still runs well and he uses it for business deliveries all over the state.

Hello Mr. & Mrs. Wizard can you guys make a video on cars and trucks to possibly buy on a shoe string budget ?

I had to rent a 2020 Kia Sportage, was told all maintenance had been done. I had the car four weeks, the oil light or check engine light for oil change NEVER CAME ON. I started noticing the mileage range going down as i filled up. When it went from 429 to 390. I checked the oil, bone dry. Three quarters later 430, two days later 409. Until i returned seven quarts, i told the Rental Company when i turned it in.

Must be cold in Newton today....five below.....

290k kms on 2010 Santa Fe. Had all the front end work done as mentioned. Intake manifold runner control last year. Car still runs fine. Has paid for itself. Rust spray every year. No rust at all. Canada

I have a 2017 3.3 GDI with 96k miles. 5k oil change intervals. Only major stuff I’ve had to do is all rotors. Of course the tires. Bought it CPO with 42k in 2020, dunno if the battery is the original one but have not had to replace it. No rust since I wash it during the winter and do the underbody well. Edit, at 50k I did take it in to service. Under warranty got the oil pressure switched replaced.

Mom bought a '10 Santa Fe GLS brand new. Put over 200k miles on it. Engine and transmission are flawless.

Haha this is a joke. Hood struts is to difficult to fix. STAY AWAY FROM THIS "MECHANIC"

Dad's GDI had a wicked knock but ran good other than hesitation and blue smoke on hard accel. Found extreme major thrust surface wear on cyl 3 and the intake manifold full of water and oil. New complete engine after a year has no knock but blue smoke on hard accel again. Havent been able to scope it yet, might just take the intake off and pour out what I believe is there again.

My mother has a 17' Tuscon GDI and it burns a quart of oil every three thousand miles, should I start hounding the dealer about it since its still under the ten year 100k mile warranty or is it a lost cause? Any help is appreciated.

Shoulda bought an eight generation Buick Lesabre.

All wear items...

I have a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe I bought it used 5 years ago I have no problems till recently I replaced the water pump and thermostat it’s not showing hot on the gage but it is running reallly hot can’t figure what else it could be. It’s not pulling any coolant from Radiator but it is pulling from overflow tank HELP

Hey car wizard, can you do an episode on car brands you would recommend, in order from best to worse?

My mom bought a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe new. It now has 72,000 miles. Oil change every 5k miles or less. No issues. Maybe she’s an exception.

I would like to add that in hot and difficult Indian conditions , this generation diesel sante fe is regarded as a very reliable vehicle with many examples easily doing over 300,000 kms with just regular maintenance.

My daughter had been driving for about a year. As she went to pull out of a parking lot, she looked left and then right. As she eased out, she checked left again and saw a car she had not noticed before. She put a small crease down the side of that car with her front bumper. The car was a new police car the officer had just picked up that morning. She now double checks both ways before pulling out of a parking lot.

I am on my second Santa Fe. Use for daily driver. Upgraded to modern electronics in 2017. No issues. Not at all worried about engine as it’s now warrantied for life on my model.

In Europe the 2.0 and 1.7 diesel engines are rock solid. My sister has a Hyundai IX35 2.0 CRDI 184hp fully loaded and it’s amazing. Zero problems with DPF or engine.

He gets the replacement parts using the Wizzards discount, he does all the work. I mean at the end of the day, no biggie.

I’ve got a 2008 Highlander with 140,000 miles on it and I’ve only had to do tires, brakes, serpentine belt , oil cooler hoses and a water pump. And oh yeah, windshield wiper blades..

My mom had a 2009 Santa Fe bought new when it had around 30 miles on it. She never really had issues with it for long time. We did have to get new engine coils and replace those in like 2015 or so. Now the car did have a vapor lock issue after getting fuel and car refused to start for a bit started in like late 2019 and before getting fixed someone hit and damaged the car in the parking lot in 2020. Overall decent car lasted 11 years or so.

Here in Europe Hyundai doesnt have the same issue that you seems to have in US. Perhaps its the US factory workers that are sloppy in the quality. Had a Accent, Elantra and now my i30 number 2, only with regular services and normal parts that needs to be changed due to age and milage. And both Kia and Hyundai have long varanty without any KM limitation.

I have a '13 Santa Fe with 2.2 Diesel CRDI which I use for work as a contractor. Now with 180k kms. Very reliable car. Running strong. Not much issues.

I have had a Kia Sorento and a Hyundai Santa Fe. Both had GDI engines. Neither was ever in the shop for anything but regular preventive maintenance maintenance. Zero repairs. I now have a Acura RDX. Hope it will be as good a car.

I have a 2020 sportage that I’ve already put 90k on and it still looks brand new, and drives like new. I think they fixed the engine issue with the 2020 models forward, but I’ve never even had a check engine light or anything happen to make it run or drive any different. It’s still in like new condition which I’m actually surprised by. The paint still gleams like new, I’ve had it in the Florida sun all this time. The interior is flawless other than very light stretching from sitting in the driver seat with no separation or friction damage from getting in and out. I’ve never had a vehicle that aged so well with insane miles being put on daily.

There was nothing too bad wrong with this vehicle- 124000 miles you should expect some wear and tear. My wife and I have owned 2 Kia Optimas from new and put over 200000 miles on them both. Sold them still in good running condition. My brother in law has a Hyundai Santa Fe with 280000 miles on it still going strong. Don't be afraid to buy these vehicles, they are fine if maintained. Mazda? No-not for me. Daughter has one of their SUV's. Nothing but problems and uncomfortable too.

You fail to mention most Toyotas Hondas with 120 miles are 2x the price of this Hyundai

Would you consider that high mileage vehicle issues, or would that be excessive?

I watched this on my phone and right below it was an advertisement for a Santa Fe which said that it wins every time 🤣

Can someone explain to me how an actual real life mechanic buys a car before giving it an inspection? I feel like some of these issues could have been spotted ahead of time, no?

Damn, I was going to buy one. Glad I saw this.