2012 Hyundai Santa FE Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 2%of 355 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 11,450miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the body and structure of the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE, 2% of the 355 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 11,450 miles. 3 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.
“After driving the vehicle for approximately 7500 miles I notice an unpleasant odor that smells like melted plastic. It's not the new car smell and at times it can make one nauseous. It is intensified when accelerated. August 2012 (purchased the vehicle june 2012) reported the smell to the Hyundai service department at sport durst. I was informed that possibly a plastic bag has gotten stuck on the bottom of the car and will burn off. December 2012, I once again informed them of this uncomfortable smell. …”
NHTSA complaint #10605565, filed 2014-06, 8,000 miles“Hi, I am sending this paper due to the unexpected flattened tire accident on 81 I highway in may 26, 2013 2 pm. The tire was suddenly flattened while I was driving in 65~75 MPH, so it was a life threatening accident. I really didn't expect this to happen because I had an inspection in maguire a week before the accident occurred. At first, I thought that my tire got impaled by the nail; however, the inspector in maguire couldn't find any nail. Surprisingly, the tire wasn''t leaking anymore after it was refilled again. …”
NHTSA complaint #10514348, filed 2013-05, 14,900 miles“In stop and go traffic, I took my foot off the brake to coast towards the car in front of me. This pattern had been going on for several miles. I was not touching the accelerator and in fact, my foot was not on the brake either, and the car suddenly accelerated full throttle. I had just a couple of seconds to try to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. I swerved to the right, towards the shoulder, but I hit the truck in front of me. I was braking the entire time, but it was not enough to stop the sudden unintended acceleration. …”
NHTSA complaint #10493260, filed 2013-01, 6,300 miles“In stop and go traffic, I took my foot off the brake to coast towards the car in front of me. This pattern had been going on for several miles. I was not touching the accelerator and in fact, my foot was not on the brake either, and the car suddenly accelerated full throttle. I had just a couple of seconds to try to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. I swerved to the right, towards the shoulder, but I hit the truck in front of me. I was braking the entire time, but it was not enough to stop the sudden unintended acceleration. …”
NHTSA complaint #10492316, filed 2013-01, 6,300 miles“I was turning into a parking lot doing about 5mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated to a high rate of speed, took me over a cement barrier, a curb, went airborne, landed in a bush which it tore in half and took with me, across the sidewalk and spun in the middle of a busy intersection before the tire blew off the rim and I got it to stop. It was towed to the dealership where it has been for one month as Hyundai dragged their heels until I got angry and emailed them. Two days after I emailed them I got the following leaving me with the repairs as well as paying for the rental for a month. …”
NHTSA complaint #10822671, filed 2016-01, 24,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10235566Apr 24, 2023Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid…
Body and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 2% |
| 2024 | 5 | 3% |
| 2023 | 6 | 3% |
| 2022 | 6 | 3% |
| 2021 | 3 | 2% |
| 2020 | 9 | 4% |
| 2019 | 14 | 7% |
| 2018 | 1 | 1% |
| 2017 | 7 | 1% |
| 2016 | 6 | 3% |
| 2015 | 9 | 4% |
| 2014 | 20 | 4% |
| 2013 | 23 | 4% |
| 2012 | 8 | 2% |
| 2011 | 10 | 6% |
| 2010 | 12 | 5% |
| 2009 | 14 | 4% |
| 2008 | 20 | 4% |
| 2007 | 18 | 3% |
| 2006 | 3 | 3% |
| 2005 | 6 | 3% |
| 2004 | 12 | 4% |
| 2003 | 30 | 10% |
| 2002 | 17 | 10% |
| 2001 | 19 | 9% |
Other parts of the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE
228 complaintsElectrical system
43 complaintsVehicle speed control
40 complaintsBrakes
29 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
24 complaintsOther or unknown
17 complaintsSteering
16 complaintsExterior lighting
14 complaintsSuspension
14 complaintsFuel system
12 complaintsWheels
7 complaintsAir bags
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 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