I just bought a new 09 santa fe. The engine ticks when it is at rest. it sounds so weird. i dont think a new car should be making that noise. is that normal?

 

No, it shouldn't have a VALVE tick. Take it to the dealer and complain.

 

Do you mean it ticks when the motor is at idle, or when the motor is turned off.

If you're talking about the "tick" after you turn the motor off and it's cooling off, THAT'S NORMAL!. My Sonata used to do that. Nothing to worry about, the metal parts are contracting. Probably the catalytic converter cover contracting was my impression.

 

The engine makes a ticking noise when it is idle

 

Well it's really hard to give you an intelligent answer without actually looking at it. Some people have taken sound videos and posted them on youtube before. Maybe you could do that?

 

Both my 2008 V6 Sonata and my daughter's 2009 I4 Sonata have a very noticeable injector tick at idle. The I4 is louder than the V6, I think the larger engine cover on the V6 does a better job of baffling the noise. I suspect this what you are hearing. Judging from the number of folks asking about this "idle tick" on various Hyundai-related forums, it appears to be a pretty common occurrence.