2011 Hyundai Santa FE Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 4%of 181 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 31,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the air bags of the 2011 Hyundai Santa FE, 4% of the 181 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 31,000 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Brought car in for service about problems with cruise control,airbag on passenger side,bad smudge mark on windshield on passenger side which dealer could not fix after several tries but never wrote up a service order. When car is set at 50mph and we are coming to a left turn I turn on left turn signal car lurches forward at very high speed.dealer claims because on incline, but I do it without turn signal does not speed up. Airbag passenger side intermittent dealer claims cannot find problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10578644, filed 2014-04, 15,323 miles“Passenger occupant detection system in 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe is malfunctioning/ broken. Only way to replace is by purchasing an entirely new seat, $4000, in order for the air bags to work properly. Vehicle has less than 50,000 miles on it. When I contacted Hyundai about the issue they were unhelpful and told me I should have purchased an extended warranty. Don't feel I should ever have to pay out of pocket for a faulty airbag sensor even if it is out of warranty. Not only that, but the fact that the entire seat has to be replaced because they don't sell the sensor any other way is robbery. …”
NHTSA complaint #11281131, filed 2019-11, 49,000 miles“First of all I know our 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe is not made in USA, it is a korean 2.4 l, 7 seater bought in panama. I wrote to the Hyundai complaint website and they very politely answered that the car was a non-us model and they sent me a link to a website where I could file the complaint. I did it but I have not received an answer, yet. My first problem after the crash was the unavailability of parts for repairing the car. I filed a complaint with our local consumer authority here in panama. Our car was in the shop for more than 9 months, its running now but still some parts missing. …”
NHTSA complaint #10541823, filed 2013-09, 31,000 miles“I pulled up into my grandma's driveway, put the car in park. The car continued moving forward and when I depressed the brake pedal, the car accelerated for some unknown reason. So I put both feet on the brake and it still continued to accelerate. My car crashed into my grandparents garage door, then into their car, then pushed their car into their washer and dryer, causing those appliances to push against the wall, breaking the structure, busting water lines, smashing the washer and causing damage.”
NHTSA complaint #11517326, filed 2023-04“The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. When starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light flickered and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the wiring was reconnected, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,500. Ma 10/15/2015 the consumer stated the passenger seat belt assembly was replaced. Updated 01/05/16.”
NHTSA complaint #10761243, filed 2015-09, 15,500 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11032523Apr 10, 2026The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province…
- 11032522Apr 10, 2026The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by…
- 10196577May 14, 2021The warranty coverage for the clock spring has been extended to 15 years with unlimited mileage from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use, whichever occurs…
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 1% |
| 2024 | 1 | 1% |
| 2023 | 2 | 1% |
| 2022 | 5 | 2% |
| 2021 | 2 | 1% |
| 2020 | 7 | 3% |
| 2019 | 7 | 3% |
| 2018 | 6 | 5% |
| 2017 | 20 | 2% |
| 2016 | 9 | 4% |
| 2015 | 9 | 4% |
| 2014 | 13 | 3% |
| 2013 | 5 | 1% |
| 2012 | 6 | 2% |
| 2011 | 7 | 4% |
| 2010 | 9 | 3% |
| 2009 | 29 | 8% |
| 2008 | 70 | 13% |
| 2007 | 102 | 15% |
| 2006 | 28 | 26% |
| 2005 | 74 | 34% |
| 2004 | 43 | 14% |
| 2003 | 42 | 14% |
| 2002 | 5 | 3% |
| 2001 | 3 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2011 Hyundai Santa FE
64 complaintsElectrical system
25 complaintsVehicle speed control
24 complaintsBrakes
22 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
21 complaintsSteering
20 complaintsSuspension
16 complaintsExterior lighting
14 complaintsBody and structure
10 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsElectronic stability control
7 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2011 Hyundai Santa FE
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology