Three problems related to engine belts and pulleys have been reported for the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe based on all problems reported for the 2009 Santa Fe.
2 issues - (1 )while turning, loses power steering momentarily, battery and seat belt lights come on temporarily (2) while driving straight at low speeds, car "bucks" as if transmission jammed or brakes locked up momentarily --both issues are intermittent, and may be unrelated--.
Vehicle inspection performed by manufacture certified technician. Two issues were recommended by the technician: a) new tires. All 4 tires currently on the vehicle are around 5 years old (based on the dot date of manufacture), and have been driven for over 100,000 miles (based on odometer readings from 2010 and current). B) new rear brake pads and rotors. The inspection revealed rear pads around 3 mm, and rotors showing rust. These are safety issues, which should be addressed before selling the vehicle. Regular maintenance has been performed on this vehicle, but existing records do not specify that recommended fluid/timing belt replacements were performed.
I was a passenger in the vehicle when it crashed into a fire hydrant doing approximately 40mph. The seatbelt failed to lock and the airbags failed to deploy. The car has major damage to the underbody, front-end, the inside of the vehicle dash, the motor mounts, engine and other damages are unknown at this time.