In-depth reviews

Hyundai Santa Fe SUV (2006-2012): owner reviews

"Spacious, practical and competent off-road, the Santa Fe is accomplished but lacks driving enjoyment."

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by Richard Ingram

28 Jun 2013

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } 28 Jun 2013

Carbuyer Rating

3.0 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.4 out of 5

Price

£47,200 - £59,225

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

74%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Brakes, Other (1 case)
Electrics (6 cases)
Electrics, Engine (2 cases)
Gearbox / clutch (5 cases)
Brakes, Electrics, Engine, Suspension, Other (1 case)
Engine (1 case)
Other (2 cases)
Suspension (3 cases)
Brakes (1 case)
Electrics, Engine, Gearbox / clutch, Suspension, Other (1 case)

Review 1 of 62

Tell us what you think about your car?

Versatile, use it for towing the horse, carrying the grandchildren, moving furniture (even a double mattress). Servicing is expensive. Had a few recalls. Problems include seized rear calipers, rusting wheel trims, steering wheel leather falling apart and rear bumper easily scratched.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Comfortable, spacious and practical with plenty of power and good reliability. Plenty of gadgets.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

The engine started missing and I had the spark plugs replaced and the coils checked. The problem persisted and a few days later the engine would not accelerate, just tick over. Hyundai replaced the Engine control unit. I had it 4 days and the problem returned. Still at Hyundai. The car is 3 months out of warranty. Cost so far, over 600 quid. This has happened to 4 owners of the '10 model that I know of.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

-

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Had it since new, no problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

JUST 1 UNIVERSIAL JOINT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY NEARSIDE FRONT

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems experienced since purchase

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

HAD A FEW PROBLEMS WITH CENTRAL LOCKING AND AIR CON CONDENSER FAILURE

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

It is our family car so mix of school run, family trips and annual drive to Europe (Italy this year) We bought the car as an ex Demo from a Hyundai dealer and we are delighted with it. Took 5 of us plus luggage 2000 miles across France and Italy in comfort and without problem.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Common faults repaired under warranty. 5 year warranty will help.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Fantastic for towing a caravan

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

-

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Nothing but expensive problems. WIndscreen failed and new one would not allow the auto wipe to work - only fit Hyundai screen but very expensive. Engine kept stalling at start off - very dangerous - has had 2 new CGU's which fix the problem for a couple of months then it just comes back. WIll only run on super diesel fuel for any kind of mpg. Front suspension legs on both sides faulty at only 57K miles - expensive to replace. Very heavy on tyres but is a 2 ton car still not cheap at over £100 per corner. Rear brake caliper seized so parking brake locked on. Would only recommend to people with a need to pull big weights and who have big pockets.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car that I really enjoy driving, bought for towing. Bought with 45,000 on clock and tow bar fitted but within a couple of weeks it became obvious there was a clutch issue. New clutch and slave cylinder are being replaced under warranty. Another almost identical car that we were going to see couldn't be test driven because the slave cylinder was being replaced. Otherwise feels solid and reliable although I wish we had waited for a premium model to come along!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

no probs to date

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems so far

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very reliable, let me down once, needed new crank sensor

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent car all-round.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

First class. Lived up to all expectations

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

-

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Only had it 6 months but no faults or real complaints so far

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent will get another.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Never had a days problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: AIRCON CONDENSER COLLAPSED, CENTRAL LOCKING FAULTS, SEIZED REAR CALIPER, AIRCON COMPRESSOR FAULT.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Never had a problem with reliability. Been very dependable. Only issue from new was cruise control not working which took time as manufacturer had to come up with a 'fix'.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Good

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

On the whole the car is very reliable. A couple of issues still nag.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems as yet

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I love it

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great value for a quality 4wd

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent - "does what it says on the tin"

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I think this car is better than the last car i owned which was an unreliable vw touran,this car is better all round in spite of poor fuel consumption it feels better screwed together you feel safer in it and the servicing is cheaper overall i was quoted £215 for a full 10,000 mile service from the main dealer in stead of the £400 plus from the vw dealer for my old touran.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent and practical family vehicle. We had the pre-facelift , model and are disapponted that the ride and economy are not as good on the new model. The cruise control has never worked properly and three dealer visits still haven't sorted it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

A good all round family bus

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Absolutely fantastic. Does exactly what it says on the tin. It's a true right-hand drive with the indicator stalk on the right. The latest model has an rds radio ( a bizarre omition on a car with electric heated seats and a dvd player as standard), a slightly less tardy automatic box and a slightly more powerful and better performance (and economy). That leaves the only slightly cheap feeling central console as the only thing i's change. I wish they'd left the lights alone though.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I was so pleased with my previous santa fe (06yr model) which i had for 4.5 years that i bought another one. (yr10 model ) with new engine and brilliant 6 speed automatic , eco improvements and even better build quality. It is a revelation to drive. Absolutely superb in the snow and economy looks impressive as well with the new "active eco" button operating. Will confirm my first impressions next year.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Lived up to expectations

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I love the car - great service from the dealer - nothing to fault.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very easy to drive,great visibility,reasonable economy and seems very well put together.It Has a great engine lots of pull from low revs.Overall I would rate it as very good value.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

52185 Miles and I've had to have a new gearbox fitted........ gutted had new brakes and disks all round on 50,000. I'm too old to drive hard and rarely exceed 75-80mph. Most of my miles are to and from work in traffic. The car doesn't appear to have ever had a towbar fitted

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

It is just reliable

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

-

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent vehicle for general driving and use as a towcar for my caravan. Comfortable ride with fourwheel drive facility if required. Good solid secure car with good economy for its size. Easy to drive and good all round vision.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Best car i have had.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

For what it costs in comparison with other similar cars from other brands absolutely fantastic!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I think this is a better car than my old vw touran that i used to own that was plagued with faults,i have had this car for 11 months now and to date nothing has gone wrong nothing has fallen off.the only bug bare is the fuel consumption i am averageing 36 to the gallon overall i needed a bigger car so as i could get my inflatable boat and outboard engine in the boot which this car has with all the seats up better than the touran.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

An overall very livable car that i am confident will get me where i need to go.Styling Is bland,but that is the nature of suv's, with few exceptions.I Have taken several long road trips and enjoyed the drive except that fuel consumption was a bit high. Hyundai has come a long way since their early years and is now one of the most sought after brands. I would recommend this car to anyone needing the space afforded. This is not a performance brand however, except for their turbo models.Put This on your shopping list.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

An excellent purchase fully living up to my expectations and clearly better than its overpricedcompetitors-eg land rover. Bmw, audi, mercedes etc

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I owned an '06 new style Santa Fe ex demonstrator for 3 and a half years and did over 60k miles, no problems to report, it was a big decision as I had owned 3 Land Rover Discoverys before that but was fed up of losing money and high fuel costs. I didn't regret my decision, I need a 4x4 with a wide boot for sports bags and do a lot of personal mileage, the Santa Fe is perfect, probably the widest boot in a 4x4 I could find. I replaced it with a new 2010 model, (got 50% of original price on 06 trade in), now around 3 and a half years old and 68k miles, again been faultless apart from a temperamental cruise control, which seems to be fixed now. However it does use a lot more oil than the previous model, Hyundai are the only cars I have had from new where I have had to top up oil between service intervals. The service intervals were doubled to every 20k on my 2010 which may also have a bearing on it. But I must say they have been great value, cheap to run, comfortable on long journeys across Europe and pretty much fault free. I have test drove the new style and it’s a very nice car, feels more solid on the road, the boot is not as wide between the wheel arch’s which is a pain for me, but the rear seats slide forward which is good. I would have replaced my current one by now but the new higher prices have made me consider other manufacturers such as a BMW X3 or keeping my existing one for the full duration of the 5 year warranty.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Never broken down. Had regular services only

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Had faulty windscreen and was in the workshop of 4 weeks to to gearbox/clutch problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

One breakdown (non starter) requiring recovery, EGR valve problemm rectified under warranty. Two minor electrical problems rectified under warranty.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

no problems , car serviced yearly,

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No Faults to date

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

An expensive lump of junk that i will be glad to get rid of , over £12 000 of warranty repairs and over 60 days off road being repaired

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I am a volunteer driver for a local charity taking folk to hospital when other forms of transport are no use. Without exception my passengers have said, without my asking, that it is a very comfortable ride (some 60 miles round trip) but the clutch had not been properly fitted to start with, and i had two 80+ passengers to bring home and i could not engage any gear at all (at five months and 3,500 miles). From new it sometimes took 12-15 minutes to get into reverse. A new clutch and all its parts is now smooth and easy.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

First class. Lived up to all expectations

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

-

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Super, smashing, great.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

-

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

-

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

With a fiveyear unlimited mileage guarantee it beats the excellent japanese quality and reliability. I drive, as a volunteer, people without transport to hospitals regularly. Without my asking the passengers all say how comfortable the seats are (most hospital trips involve a 60 mile round trip.).Across The board, all ages.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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