As I was driving my family home from a soccer match in denver to our home in breckenridge my car(Hyundai, santa fe 2011) lost all power with out the engine dying. We were heading west and in the tunnel. It was extremely scary and put my family in danger. No warning lights have ever come up on my car before or after. This is the first time of many incidents that this has happened and not only…
2011 Hyundai Santa Fe cruise control problems
moderate Owners of the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe have filed 11 NHTSA complaints about the cruise control, typically surfacing around 51,000 miles at roughly $600 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
| Model year | cruise control complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 Santa Fe | 45 |
| 2008 Santa Fe | 44 |
| 2009 Santa Fe | 34 |
| 2010 Santa Fe | 15 |
| 2011 Santa Fe (this page) | 11 |
| 2012 Santa Fe | 27 |
| 2013 Santa Fe | 15 |
| 2014 Santa Fe | 12 |
When does it fail?
Of the 11 cruise control complaints filed for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 5 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report six distinct failure modes tied to throttle and acceleration control. Engine runaway is the most alarming: the motor races out of control when braking or shifting, forcing owners to jam the brake and shift to neutral to stop. One owner experienced this twice in three months; the dealership reprogrammed the computer after a 250-mile test drive, but the owner remained fearful it would recur.
Sudden acceleration from a dead stop is chronic in at least one vehicle (25+ incidents). The car hesitates or won't move when the accelerator is pressed on slopes or at traffic lights, then suddenly spins the tires and accelerates with no warning—a pattern the dealer cannot duplicate or diagnose.
Power loss strikes mid-drive: vehicles lose all acceleration while traveling at highway speeds (70 mph) or around town, without the engine dying. The malfunction light may or may not appear. One owner reported this twice, with the dealer updating the computer the first time, only for the problem to recur.
Hesitation on acceleration happens roughly once a week in some vehicles, causing the car to lunge forward unpredictably at traffic lights or during turns. Dealers cannot replicate it after four visits and refuse to replace the suspected throttle without confirmation of the problem.
Engine stall when leaving traffic lights and a traction control light that locks the shifter in park round out the reported issues. In most cases, dealership diagnostics find nothing, and repairs (computer updates, accelerator block replacement) have not permanently resolved the failures.
Same Hyundai Santa Fe cruise control reports on nearby years: 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2012 · 2013
Failure modes owners describe
Engine Runaway / Uncontrolled Racing
Motor races out of control when driver applies brake or shifts gears, requiring hard brake pressure and neutral/park to stop. Dealership reprogrammed computer on one vehicle after 250-mile test drive.
When: December 2011, February 2012; also reported at low speeds (5 mph while parking)
Symptoms owners cite: Motor racing out of control when slowing or stopping; Engine revving very high with RPMs increasing; Vehicle attempting to accelerate despite brake input; Occurs at low speeds and during normal deceleration
Repairs/costs cited: Computer reprogramming performed at dealership (one case); accelerator block replaced in another case without resolving issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Hyundai corporate suggested 250-mile service technician test drive and computer reprogramming; some complaints suggest recalls dealing with throttle body and idle system
Sudden Acceleration from Stop
Vehicle hesitates or won't move when accelerator is pressed from a complete stop on slopes or after waiting at traffic lights, then suddenly spins front tires and accelerates rapidly with no warning. Minimum 25 occurrences reported in one vehicle.
When: Occurs on slopes and at traffic lights; reported at 6,000–32,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Hesitation or no forward movement when accelerating from stop; Sudden uncontrolled acceleration after delay; Front tire spin; Repeating pattern (25+ times in one vehicle); Occurs when removing foot from brake to accelerator on slopes
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to duplicate or find error codes; no repair documented
Loss of Acceleration / Power Loss
Vehicle loses all acceleration or power while driving at highway speeds or in traffic without engine stalling. Malfunction indicator light may or may not illuminate. Occurs multiple times across different driving situations.
When: Highway at 70 mph; around town driving; first incident in October 2012, subsequent incidents thereafter; also at 40 mph and during normal driving
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of acceleration; Abnormal deceleration (40 mph to 5 mph); Loss of power without engine dying; Malfunction light may appear; No warning prior to event
Repairs/costs cited: Computer system updated at dealer in one case but failure recurred; no successful repairs documented
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner reports recalls dealing with throttle body and idle system mentioned; manufacturer not notified in most cases
Acceleration Hesitation / Delay
Vehicle hesitates briefly before accelerating forward, occurring at least once per week in some vehicles. Happens at traffic lights when turning and during normal acceleration attempts. Dealer unable to diagnose or duplicate.
When: Recurring weekly; reported at 26,000 miles and beyond
Symptoms owners cite: Brief hesitation followed by vehicle lunging forward; Occurs at traffic lights; Happens when turning wheels while accelerating; Repeating pattern; No stuck pedal or carpet interference noted
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer visited four times with no diagnosis or repair; owner suspected throttle issue but dealer refused to replace without confirmed diagnosis
Engine Stall on Acceleration
Engine stalls when attempting to leave a traffic light or accelerate from a stopped position, with vehicle losing speed and refusing to accelerate.
When: At traffic lights during normal acceleration
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle stalls when leaving stop light; Loss of speed; Refuses to accelerate; Repeated occurrences
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer and manufacturer cannot find solution
Traction Control Malfunction
Traction control light comes on and prevents shifter from engaging park gear. Requires engine shutdown in neutral and restart to clear error and allow shifter to park.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Traction control light illuminates; Shifter locks and cannot move into park; Error persists until engine is cycled off in neutral
Repairs/costs cited: Workaround: turn engine off in neutral, then restart to clear error
Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Vehicle stalled when leaving stop light lost speed would not accelerate have read other complaints on line some are afraid to drive vehicles I agree saftey is an issue dealer or manufacture cannot find solution to problem. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the vehicle hesistated when accelerating. The contact stated that after a brief hesitation the vehicle took off. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer four times, but the dealer had not been able to duplicate the failure. The contact believed the problem was related to the throttle, but the dealer would not replace…
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Hyundai santa fe. While driving approximately 5 MPH and attempting to park, the engine suddenly revved very high, the rpms increased, and the vehicle attempted to accelerate. The driver immediately depressed the brake pedal and shut the engine off to prevent the vehicle from accelerating forward and crashing into a wall. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 11 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $600 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 9 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 21,000 and 123,279 miles, with the median around 51,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 21,000; a quarter make it past 123,279. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2011/Hyundai/Santa Fe.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.